The most underrated yet dangerous part of any home renovation is the use of ladders. You would be surprised to know that falls in the construction industry and in general are among the top causes of unintentional injuries—and sometimes, it can get deadly from a ladder! In recent news, falling from a ladder turned out to be fatal for a man in Alva as he hit the power line. Professional painters are usually trained to use ladders properly under different circumstances to prevent on-site injuries. However, little do we know or care about any such thing as ladder training when it comes to DIY on home painting or other small/big renovation tasks. Sometimes professionals make mistakes as well—and if that causes an accident at your site, you might be in trouble as well with elaborate processes, inspections, and whatnot. There are generally two reasons behind ladder falls—lack of training or knowledge. The third and worst could be carelessness in the use of ladders (hope you don’t fall under that category!).
Be it for professionals or laymen, a simple precaution with the ladders can go a long way throughout their lives in performing big to menial tasks for clients or themselves. In this blog post, we are going to talk about the different types of ladders and their safe use.
Finding The Right Ladder
A lot of accidents happen because of the use of the wrong ladder. By using the right ladder for a job, you will be able to safely access the area you wish to reach and avoid any accidents in the process. The height, the type, and other factors need to be taken into consideration – a 20 ft ladder will not work in climbing up the roof of a 2-story building or a 3-legged ladder designed to penetrate into soft soil will not work on a concrete surface. With the right planning for a ladder, your job will be less time-consuming and less hazardous.
While many people are only familiar with the common types of ladders, there are specialized ladders as well for different tasks, varying in design, material, load capacity, work environment, height/reach, and more.
Load Capacity: Every ladder is a labeled with a specific load capacity—there are 5 different types of load capacities, namely, Type III (200 lbs), Type II (225 lbs), Type I (250 lbs), Type IA (300 lbs) and Type IAA (357 lbs). Usually, the Type III ladder is used at homes for household chores, painting & yard work, while Type II is for light commercial work like painting & cleaning. Type IA on the contrary is used for heavy-duty, industrial work, and the other two for roofing, drywall, maintenance, and other commercial tasks. The ladder’s maximum weight capacity includes the worker’s weight and the material/equipment the worker carries.
Ladder Material: Usually ladders are made using 3 materials—wood, fiberglass, and aluminum. Aluminum ladders are most commonly used in households; these are lightweight, and cannot be used when performing tasks around electrical wiring. Wood ladders are usually bulky and can rot, but are non-conductive to electricity. Fiberglass ladders are strong, electrically non-conductive, and lightweight.
Inspecting The Ladder
Ladder inspection and the right way to set them up are keys to ladder safety. The components that professionals inspect while setting up a ladder are the location, both sides of the rail, cracks in the ladder, and any other issues like damages, bends & so on. Many professionals use fiberglass ladders, looking for cracks and damages, and ensuring that the foot sets well on the ground with a rubber part. If placing ladders on grass or open ground, they use spikes on the ladder legs to gain secure footing.
Further, the ladder needs to follow a four to one rating. This means that the distance of the ladder from the roof is 1/4th the time the height of the wall. The distance of the ladder is measured from the roof edge and not the wall of the house.
Another product to enhance the security of ladders is Ladder Little Helper. It is a gutter protected, set on the edge of the roof, which also helps secure the ladder placement. So there’s the gutter protector, the setting of a ladder, and an additional cord to strengthen the place of the ladder. The complete process ensures the safe use of ladders and helps prevent accidents. A nice way to ensure a thorough inspection is bottom to top analysis, starting with the feet of the ladders, pads to side rails, rungs, spreader bar & thereon.
A thumb rule should be—once a ladder is broken, it’s broken. Trying to fix it can only make things worse and, in fact, be fatal in this case.
Safe Use of Portable Ladders
For both supportable and non-supportable ladders, there are certain safety rules that you must stick to on every use. These are:
- Not exceeding the maximum load capacity of the ladder
- Nit exceeding the maximum number of users
- Keeping your belt buckle between ladder rails
- Maintaining a minimum 3 contact points when ascending/descending a ladder
- Wearing suitable footwear for the ladder
- Not trying to overreach on a ladder
- Not moving the ladder while on it
- Not pushing or pulling other objects when on a ladder
New-Gen Ladders
There are various new designs of ladders that have emerged to increase efficiency and safety at work. Here are some top new generation ladders you must know about:
- Podium Ladders: As the name suggests, these ladders have a podium-like structure at a fixed level where the user can move 360-degree with zero risk. The height of these ladders is limited to four feet but provides greater control than any other ladder. It is a Type IAA ladder, handling 375 lbs weight, making them more bulky and consistent—two full-sized people can easily climb up each side of a podium ladder and work without compromising safety.
- Telescopic Extension Ladders: These collapse for ease in transportation & storage and come in a variety of specifications. It is advised to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to get the right one for your job.
- Non-Self Supporting Ladders: Most commonly used in painting, they need a strong structure to lean on. This structure provides upper support to the ladder. When these self-supporting portable ladders need to access the upper landing, like in cases of roofing, they need to have extendable side rails of at least 3 feet.
Further, ladder accessories ladder foot, extension, leg levelers, pole holders, wall mounts, ladder planks, and much more are used by professionals to make work efficient and safe.
While we can go on and on with this topic, ensuring that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions about the safe use is primary, and above all tips you’d read elsewhere. And do not ignore the fundamentals—there’s a reason why experts suggest not to place ladders over barrels or boxes, but a firm ground. The foundation, location, setup angle, and height are just a few things that one needs to follow, but the ultimate guide is the manufacturer’s instruction. Once people throw their ladder up, they usually think they’re good and do not need any tips, instructions, or safety nets like cords, to secure their experience. Negligence can be one of the biggest causes of accidents. For more information on ladder safety or to connect with professionals for painting services, you can leave a comment below.
Hire Professionals for Exterior and Interior Painting
While it might be a nice idea to DIY a couple of easily accessible areas at your home for the elaborate painting of tricky areas like roofs, ceilings, and more, it is better to reach out to professionals. We are Perrysburg Painters in Ohio, helping our clients make their journey to new spaces safe and desirable. Click here to connect.