Ladder Safety

[bsr]

Hi, I need to access a valley in my roof. It is lead over OSB and wide enough to walk in on. It joins the original hipped house roof with a hipped, pitched former roof.

What's the best way to use the ladder safely here? I need the top to be at the hopper. There is a slope at ground level too. Previous roofers have either used a big mat with spikes to hold the ladder, or gone up on three points of ladder contact which didn't look safe.

I was thinking of a ply platform to level the ground and then an eye bolt near the top to lash the ladder to? Having the ladder over the door is t ideal either!

Thank you

 

[foxhole]

I use a pallet at base , provides a stable base for ladder.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

You need to level the ladder and stop it from moving. Hire companies can normally supply both levelling feet/base for the ladder (e.g a Big Grip or LeveLok), or even ladders with built-in levelling feet, as well as a ladder stay (or a sheetbof pluwood of OSB) which can be spiked to the ground, and I agree that a Rawl eye bolt and steel cable tightened and secured with a couple of Gripples would be make it reasonably secure. It still leaves with only one hand free to use off the ladder, though

A safer approach would be to hire a scaffolding tower with feet instead of castors, and outrigger braces. Hire companies wlll often erect these for you. Towers are more stable than ladders, less tiring to work off (because your feet are on a flat floor instead of a ladder rung) and you can use both hands when working off a tower as opposed to only having one hand you can use (safely) on a ladder

I have troughing (wooden gutters) to replace on two terraced houses on a steep hill soon - I'll be working off a tower, as it is far, far safer than any ladder

 

[HERTS P&D]

I'm looking to hire a tower soon, I didn't know that hire companies put them up for you.

Andy

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'm looking to hire a tower soon, I didn't know that hire companies put them up for you.

The smaller firms I've dealt with certainly do. I don't know what they charge, though, as I've had my PASMA for many years, so I always erect and certify my own. Not a complex job, and doesn't a huge amount of time (although that still doesn't prevent people getting it wrong at times)

If you were local, Andy, I'd pop round and give you a hand - Herts, however, is a bit far from Lancashire, so maybe not...

 

[Tigercubrider]

Your PASMA is only valid for 5 years

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'm actually on my fourth PASMA which runs out next year. I currently have standard scaffold and stair scaffold

 

[bernardgreen]

The often overlooked danger when working on ladders is the wind.

 

[bsr]

Thanks all. Sounds like I've got the right idea. This is for occasional maintenance access not a one off job so a tower or cherry picker is not appropriate.