Extention Ladder

November 11th, 2010

Extention Ladder

The safety of your extension ladders is almost entirely in your hands. Being 15 or more feet in the air and suddenly feeling as if you may be flying soon, can certainly give you an unpleasant jolt. There are several ways to insure that your ladder is safely grounded and that you are safely aboard.

1. Be sure your extension ladder is on firm ground and leveled. This can be done with levelers, boards or anything that will even it out. Use a level if you aren’t sure.

2. Check the specifications for your ladder. What is the weight limit? How high can it go?

3 Be sure the connections are stable. Some ladders extend and some fold. In either case it is your responsibility to be sure that these areas are secure and firmly in place. Some reports state that the sliding extension ladders are more likely to collapse than the folding ones. Depending on all specifications, you can make it safe.

4. Purchase extension ladders that are adequate for the height you wish to reach. If you have a two story home you will want a ladder that will be able to raise you to the gutters or roof as you desire. If your home is a ranch style home, you may be able to use one that is in the 15 foot range. Don’t stretch from your ladder to the area you are working on. This is likely to cause the ladder to tilt and you to fall receiving potentially painful injuries.

5. Having someone with you is always advisable. Your companion can stand at the bottom of the ladder securing it’s base. They can also get the supplies to you if you are lot enough to reach. This decreases your trips up and down.

6. If you are on a ladder that will extend beyond your reach to ground or helper, you may want to purchase or make a pulley type system to hoist your materials to your level. Again, do not lean over to reach the items you are trying to use. Get off the ladder, get your supplies and go up again. It sounds simple, but accidents do happen and that is not on your agenda.

7. Do not place anything on the steps.

8. Keep your ladder clean. This will prevent slips and falls.

9. Have a platform of some kind to hold your tools and supplies.
Never should you mount extension ladders that are not level and secure.

By Mary Bradford

Article Source: ezinearticles.com