# ladders are a no-no



## nmurph (May 26, 2010)

my boss' husband was on a ladder yesterday doing a little chainsaw trimming. he grabbed a limb that snapped and sent him to the ground. he broke both arms at the wrist and fractured his L1. he was sent to surgery and received plates and screws in both arms. needless to say, it will be a long, painful recovery.


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## gwiley (May 26, 2010)

*Rephrase?*

I would rephrase that to be "reaching out too far from ladders while using a chainsaw is a no-no".

Remember, ladders don't kill and maim people, gravity does


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## BlueRidgeMark (May 26, 2010)

I'm glad to hear you say that, Dan. I keep hearing about how ladders are certain death, and it doesn't make sense to me. I know there are lots of ways to hurt yourself using a ladder, but it doesn't make sense to me that they should _*never*_ be used.


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## nmurph (May 26, 2010)

gwiley said:


> Remember, ladders don't kill and maim people, gravity does


 
not exactly. sudden deceleration is what kills. if gravity killed there would be dead sky divers everywhere. i kind of like gravity. it helps keep be firmly planted on the ground.


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## 046 (May 26, 2010)

danger of ladders is the complacency it brings to some folks

nothing wrong with using a ladder to quickly access canopy. but I've got a rope on me exactly like I'm normally climbing.


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## KodiakKen (May 26, 2010)

*just a note*

I work for the local phone company and I am on a ladder every day. I use them on the support strand, poles, trees when necessary, roofs, and sometimes to walk across big ditches. I have never had an accident. ladders being dangerous is like saying guns kill people. A person that has limited or no knowledge is as dangerous as a live round in a blazing fire


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## nmurph (May 26, 2010)

the difference in using a ladder as a platform to cut from is that the saw introduces some unique dangers not encountered when using ladder in a more conventional manner. you are often using a chainsaw at eye leve with the inherent danger of kick-back being so much closer than when you are on the ground, you are cutting weight our of trees that can cause a shift in positioning of the ladder, and you are dealing with a tool that can inflict serious or deadly damage if you fall on it when you land on the ground. and a chainsaw usually requires two hands to operate. i'm not saying ladders are dangerous, but when combined with a chainsaw the likelyhood of a bad outcome increases. look how many incidents are reported here where a HO tries to use a ladder to do some trimming.


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## gwiley (May 27, 2010)

nmurph said:


> not exactly. sudden deceleration is what kills. if gravity killed there would be dead sky divers everywhere. i kind of like gravity. it helps keep be firmly planted on the ground.



Excellent point, I stand corrected (or at least sit corrected). Rep for accuracy.


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## BlueRidgeMark (May 27, 2010)

Nice to see some *common sense* discussion of the dangers of ladders (and I know they are very real!), without the mindless mantra of "NEVER USE LADDERS!"


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## nmurph (Jul 7, 2010)

*update*

my bosses husband is up and around, though far from well. he is still sleeping in his hospital bed.

my wife called be this morning and told me that the husband of one of her regular customers (she is a bank loan officer) was cutting an oak limb that had broken, but was still attached to the tree and leaning on the garage, sunday. when the limb was sawed through it sprung at him and knocked him off of the ladder. he now is in the hospital with.......wait for it........two shattered wrist (required surgery) and a fractured pelvis. 
i know that ladders are a tool and that they don't kill people. but when you put stupid people in dangerous situations or smart people have the unforseen happen on a ladder, the results often serious or deadly.


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## Grace Tree (Jul 7, 2010)

A lady called me to do some cabling and trimming. We don't cable so I gave her the names of a couple tree guys I trust and told her to give them the trimming too. She told me that she used to have an Amish guy who was a great tree trimmer. He'd even tie two ladders together so he could reach the really high branches. Then she told me he didn't do it any more because he'd fallen. Duh!
Phil


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## nmurph (Jul 7, 2010)

sounds like Darwin let one slip through the net........i like your company website.....you sound like a first class operation.


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## Grace Tree (Jul 7, 2010)

Thanks. If Darwin really worked there wouldn't be too many Amish left. They're pretty reckless with there own lives and worse; the lives of their kids.
They must have a special Darwin exemption.
Phil


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## Mike Van (Jul 10, 2010)

Give a man a ladder [or two] - And he can reach ANYTHING!


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## Jumper (Jul 10, 2010)

For positioning only, not for actually using as a work platform, especially when not secured with some form of fall arrest, EVER!


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## Swanie (Jul 11, 2010)

Its not the fall that kills you it is the sudden stop.


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## tomtrees58 (Jul 11, 2010)

its always Ben rule 1 never cut on a ladder its is used just to get in to a tree


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## flushcut (Jul 11, 2010)

tomtrees58 said:


> its always Ben rule 1 never cut on a ladder its is used just to get in to a tree



:agree2:


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## ray benson (Jul 12, 2010)

Good rule Tom.


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## yooper (Jul 12, 2010)

tomtrees58 said:


> its always Ben rule 1 never cut on a ladder its is used just to get in to a tree



I agree also...but I never use one...Tom what is rule # two?


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## murphy4trees (Jul 12, 2010)

Since I learned to footlock, I use the ladders a lot less... but I still keep at least 4 on the truck.. 20-24, 28 & 36 usually... footlocking is often just quicker and easier than getting a ladder off and back, and set up...
Still will use a ladder to save energy... Sometimes I'll set a line and be on belay from the first rung on... sometimes not... just set a line from the top of the ladder.. 

Don't recall having made a cut from the ladder without being ties in, but will very occasionally just throw the lanyard on and make a quick cut and walk down.. nothing too big though


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## turnkey4099 (Jul 14, 2010)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> Nice to see some *common sense* discussion of the dangers of ladders (and I know they are very real!), without the mindless mantra of "NEVER USE LADDERS!"



Yep. I got reamed for using one to get a foot off the ground to cut one branch. All the guy screaming at me all had ladders on their trucks and would have used one in the same situation.

Harry K


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## StihlyinEly (Jul 17, 2010)

TreeCo said:


> Gwiley is right.
> 
> I'm sorry to hear about this accident but it has little or nothing to do with using a ladder. Ladders are very useful tools and can be used safely if used correctly.



+1. I use them a lot for arborist work. There are a few common-sense methods to stabilize them and a few other common-sense ways to stabilize yourself while cutting from them. And there are situations where you should not use a ladder for cutting, period.

Ladders shouldn't be demonized -- stupidity should.


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## Groundman One (Jul 18, 2010)

StihlyinEly said:


> +1. I use them a lot for arborist work. There are a few common-sense methods to stabilize them and a few other common-sense ways to stabilize yourself while cutting from them. And there are situations where you should not use a ladder for cutting, period.
> 
> Ladders shouldn't be demonized -- stupidity should.



My favorite is when the customer says, _"Just do the high-up branches, I have a chainsaw and I can get the rest on a ladder."_

Well of course you do, and of course you can. Enjoy!


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## tree md (Jul 18, 2010)

For tree entry, ladders really shine. We had a large ice storm out this way a few years back. After the hazards were mitigated there was a lot of work cleaning out hangers on rural properties. We have an abundance of short, stubby blackjack Oak out this way. I'd say they mostly grow to an average of 40'. On these rural properties and ranches there would be hundreds of them to clean up. We would divide up into climbing teams and take care of them. these were mostly in pastures and during the rainy season here so you couldn't get equipment in there. The ladders were indispensable for tree entry in that situation. Saved so much time When you are climbing 30-40 trees a day, it would be impossible to do that kind of production if you had to ascend every tree on a rope.


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## Winn R (Jul 20, 2010)

The most danger from a ladder is when it's poorly tied to a roofer's truck and comes off in the middle of the freeway.

Do you know that's why roofers never put their name on their ladders!


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