Climbing Up to Ladder Safety

Why Hiring a Professional Is Critical
When it comes to changing a light bulb on a tall ceiling, cleaning a second story window, or even accessing your roof for basic maintenance functions, you are going to have to climb a ladder in order to accomplish your task. For some that is not an issue, but for others facing health concerns, difficult access points, or just not owning the proper ladder to accomplish the job, there are risks involved in accomplishing those tasks - risks that for some, unfortunately, turn out to be fatal, which means it is critical that if you feel uncomfortable climbing a ladder for any reason to hire a professional to complete those tasks for you.
Falls Are a Leading Cause of Death and Injury in North America

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Statistics Canada, almost 200,000 people every year end up making an unplanned visit to their local emergency room because they fell off a ladder. In fact, 5 out of 100,000 people who use ladders will die this year because they fell off of the ladder, equating to about 4,500 people in the United States and Canada. With winter here in full force, ice maybe clogging your gutters, holiday lights to put up and take down, not to mention those as needed chores that creep up, it is as important as ever to remember the basics of ladder safety if you must use one to prevent a fall or even worse, a fatality.

Use a Ladder with a Proper Load Rating
When considering ladder safety, it is critical that you take into account what the load rating of the ladder your are using is. For example, did you know that the maximum load rating for a ladder, a Type 1AA ladder rated for special heavy duty industrial usage, is 375 lbs? In comparison, many household ladders are rated Type III with the ability to bear just 200 lbs. That means a man who weighs 190 lbs and is carrying 15 pounds of Christmas lights to the roof is exceeding the load tolerance of his Type III ladder and is risking a fall! For another example, a 240 lb man would need to use a Type I ladder as his weight alone exceeds the load bearing tolerance of even a Type II ladder. This is why knowing what the load rating of your ladder is becomes critical to your safety.

Always Perform a Safety Check On Your Ladder First
If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone take a ladder out of their garage, set it up where they needed to work, and then started climbing it without performing a safety check, I'd have a very, very large bag of nickels. Many ladder falls could be prevented by simply taking five minutes before starting the job to make sure the equipment you are using is actually safe to use.
When it comes to ladder safety, what you look for depends on what kind of ladder you own. For instance, if you still happen to have a wooden ladder, then you need to check for cracks, splits, and loose rungs. In addition, many people have painted their wooden ladders in order to "protect" them, but painted ladders run additional risks with slip potential and just the simple fact that paint can hide safety issues from a visual inspection.
If you own an aluminum ladder, which many people do, you should look for sharp edges and dents to the ladder, and then check for loose rivets. If you own a fiberglass ladder, then you should be looking for chips or cracks in the ladder. An aluminum or fiberglass ladder with an imperfection is a ladder that can fail suddenly, and if you are near the top of the ladder if it does fail, then you are in trouble.

Have an Extension Ladder? Use the 4-for-1 Rule
Many people fall from ladders simply because they see it as a means to an end instead of a tool to be treated properly. When climbing an extension ladder, it is critical that you remember the 4-for-1 rule. This means that for every 4 feet of height that the ladder rises, the base of the ladder should be one foot away from the wall. So for example, if the ladder touches the roof 12 feet off the ground, then the base of the ladder should be three feet away from the wall for proper safety. Having more or less angle means you are risking a fall.
Remember Just How High You Can Go
For many people, using a ladder means climbing to the top of it, standing on it to complete their job, and then climbing down. However, did you know that each ladder has a designated safety spot, which is the highest safe point for you to climb? For a stepladder you should climb only to the second step from the top… and no, this doesn't mean that it is safe to straddle the two steps! As for a straight or extension ladder, you should never stand on the ladder's top three rungs.

Calling a Professional
Everyone considers themselves a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to home chores, and really, you have to be when considering the state of the current global economy. However, there are some tasks that it just makes sense to hire a professional. In the Parksville area of Vancouver Island, that means hiring Streak Free Windows for your home or commercial window cleaning needs and We Suck Gutter Cleaning for your home and commercial gutter concerns.
Serving Campbell River, Comox Valley, Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, and Tofino in addition to Parksville, Bill is able to fulfill that list of chores that need to be completed quickly, efficiently, and in your budget.

So whether you are just pulling a few leaves out of the gutter or you are taking your holiday lights down, remember these safety tips to prevent an unnecessary trip to the emergency room this year. If you have any questions regarding a specific job, want other safety tips, or wish to schedule an appointment with Bill, you can contact him 1 800 490 2083 or 1 250 204 7007
or on the web at http://www.parksvillequalicumwindowguttercleaning.ca/ or www.wesuck.ca

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