Epilepsy advice / harnesses / ladders

[WD40solvesall]

Hi all,
I was just doing a different thread and someone suggested the cheaper option was to just buy a ladder to reach the area I needed to get to. Sound advice, but I have petit mal epilepsy and while this isn't the sort of fits where I thrash around on the floor, I do have absences whereby I am just not there anymore. It's only for a few moments, but that can be all it takes. I have already fallen off one ladder into a bush and ended up on the ground covered in twigs and irate spiders. This was quite amusing at the time, but considering I want to do roof work it makes me wary.
I wondered if anyone had any advice regarding harnesses and maybe something else I haven't thought of yet.
NB - whatever I do, I won't be working alone.
Many thanks.

 

[rssteve]

I can't see this working. You cannot just attach the harnees to the ladders as if you did fall the shock load may just break the ladder depending where you are attached.

I'm not sure how good they are but I have seen attachments you put on a hover, a long pole with a curved part at the top. They use this to hover the dirt out of the gutter from ground level. May work well if you keep on top of it.

 

[rsgaz]

I can't see this working. You cannot just attach the harnees to the ladders as if you did fall the shock load may just break the ladder depending where you are attached.

BT OpenReach and Sky TV engineers use harnesses on ladders nowadays. You clip the strap as high as it will reach, so there's no slack.

So, for gutter access, you would need a ladder stand-off bracket, so that you can extend the ladder 4 or more rungs higher than the gutter.

Gaz

 

[^woody^]

BT OpenReach and Sky TV engineers use harnesses on ladders nowadays. You clip the strap as high as it will reach, so there's no slack.

So, for gutter access, you would need a ladder stand-off bracket, so that you can extend the ladder 4 or more rungs higher than the gutter.

Gaz

I've had that training.

It's good, but a right palaver. And it's only for access or working at one location. It's not at all practical for anything else.

Not practical for the OP, as he will need to be trained and may have to buy the kit not hire.

If the op is not safe on a ladder, he is not safe with a harness, so should not be going up there.

 

[Doggit]

I have to agree with Woody, if you have the potential for any sort of a fit, then you should not be working up a ladder. Whilst you may only "disapear" for a few minutes, you could still end up needing to be recued because you've lost your hold on the ladder and slipped.

In fact I'm going to be blunt here, and say that what you want to do is just stupid, because you're working on the assumption that you'll be okay, but you may end up having to call out the fire brigade, as well as the ambulance service.

 

[endecotp]

I have petit mal epilepsy
...
I want to do roof work

Sounds totally idiotic.
Are you allowed to drive?

 

[^woody^]

Sounds totally idiotic.

Enthusiastic, more like.

If the OP wants to do DIY, then he should not be discouraged. But he does need to think it through, and be realistic in what he can do, and can do safely.

 

[chappers]

I agree, but in reality you're probably best placed to judge this based on the frequency and triggers of your episodes.
But seeing as you have already experienced such an episode I would steer clear.
Scaffolding would greatly reduce the risk, but then you still need to get up there.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Speaking as someone with very personal experience of drug resistant epilepsy I understand the frustration at it restricting the normal things in life that most of us take for granted but going up a ladder for roof work even with any harnesses or other safety equipment is ill advised at best, a harness for example (assuming you know the right one to use in the appropriate situation and were trained in it’s use) would offer a heightened degree of safety beyond nothing at all (same applies if a roof worker was knocked unconscious for example) but really it’s asking for trouble. Same applies to a scaffold tower.