Articles By Syndicated Columnist
Dan Thomas
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Improvement Inside And Out
Step Ladder Safety
Always make sure your ladder is in good condition.
Replace any
missing or broken rungs or discard the ladder. An unsafe ladder is very
dangerous.
To keep your hands free while you are making repairs, make a holster for
the nails and screws you will need. Take a paper cup and make two vertical
slits in it about 1 inch apart: the slits should be wide enough to let you
slip your belt through them.
When working with a steeply sloped roof, keep your tools on a sheet of
plastic foam to prevent them from sliding off.
Attach a shower curtain ring to your belt and slip your hammer through it
to keep it handy whey your on the roof.
To avoid marring a paint job when leaning a ladder against clapboard
siding, cover the top ends of the ladder with heavy woolen socks. The paint
will remain unmarked.
When using an aluminum ladder. Watch out for power lines. Aluminum conducts
electricity.
If you are planning to work on a ladder extend to its full height, increase
stability by lashing the bottom rung to two stakes driven into the ground
under and to the sides of the ladder.
Before climbing up a ladder, test the bottom rung to make sure the ladder
is solidly footed.
When positioning a ladder against a house or tree, it is safest to position
it so that the distance from the base of the ladder to the house or tree is one-quarter of the ladder’s extended
length. Otherwise, the ladder may gall forward or tip backwards. The best way
for a lone worker to raise a ladder is to pin its feet against the base of the
house and push the ladder up from the other end. Hand over hand, until it is
upright.
Keep your hips within the ladder’s rails. Extend the top two rungs higher
than the place where you are working. The ladder should always extend up above
the roof. Make sure your ladder has firm support at the top. If you place it
against a window sash or close to an edge, a slight shift could cause you to
fall.
