Ladder safety - please

[k6ccc]

Most of us are busy getting our shows set up.  Let's be careful...

Yesterday I received a text from a forum member who I have helped with some S5 config problems he was having.  He told me that he had fallen off a ladder and was headed for surgery - NO show this year.

We all want out shows to look great, but it's not worth getting badly hurt.

Like I said - let's be careful....

 

[Orville]

+1 on Jim's Ladder Safety.   And that's why {I've never fallen off one} I'm not doing any roof outlines this year.  My vision issues and some other health issues that have cropped off, it's just best if I don't even climb one now.  So, no more lights along my roofline {eve section}.   If it can't be done at ground level, then I'm not doing it.

Always better safe than sorry afterward.

Sorry to hear of your friends plight Jim.  We'll keep him in our prayers.

[Mr. P]

My ladder fell in 2014 and I was 30 feet up as the front right of my house is on a slope so the ladder wasn't straight. I did however jump into a magnolia tree which is on the corner of the house so I climbed down. I now have leveler legs on the ladder for the uneven ground. I also have a ladder stabilizer on the top so the top is wider.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Mr. P

[dgrant]

Back in 2016, I was hanging lights on the neighbor's house and when I attempted to put up and hook the last small section still hanging...the ladder went sideways and down I went, hard. Busted my right wrist which required surgery and implanted metal to fix. All my own fault for not placing the ladder properly and the ground was not level by far but still, my fault.

[TheDucks]

I rode a 15' down. It was steady, on a flat concrete drive. Those rubber feet can still skid. I found out the hard way. My leg went between the rungs and all I ended up with was a really nast bone bruise. (I was not Hanging lights)

[Speedster]

Have you ever walked down a flight of steps and were already at the bottom and thought there was 1 more step, and then stumbled & fell when you tried to walk down the step that wasn't there?  Well something similar happened to me when backing down a ladder a few yrs ago.  My right foot was already on the ground, and left foot was on the first rung (but I thought right foot was on rung 1 and left foot was on rung 2).   So when I stepped down with my left foot I somehow stumbled backwards and landed on my back because I thought I needed to step down further to reach the ground.  Luckily I already had both feet on the ground and landed safely on the grass.

And luckily I didn't have any rebar sticking out of the ground either!  For those of you who use rebar to hold up parts of your display, make sure to put rebar caps on them so you don't impale yourself if you fall off your ladder.  Might help avoid a lawsuit too from clumsy people walking through your display.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Speedster

[k6ccc]

5 minutes ago, Speedster said:

Have you ever walked down a flight of steps and were already at the bottom and thought there was 1 more step, and then stumbled & fell when you tried to walk down the step that wasn't there?

Or just the opposite.  Think you are on the first step and actually on the second.  A friend did that a few years ago and ended up with a shattered wrist..

6 minutes ago, Speedster said:

For those of you who use rebar to hold up parts of your display, make sure to put rebar caps on them so you don't impale yourself if you fall off your ladder.

That's another one.  If you put a vertical piece of rebar in the ground and don't IMMEDIATELY put a prop over it, put one of the proper caps that speedster linked.  I don't care if it will be 30 seconds later - cap it.  I am alive today because of a rebar cap.  Fell on one from partially standing height.  It hit me center chest.  Had it not been covered, according to a friend who is a trauma surgeon, it would have taken out my right ventricle.  Would have bled out before the paramedics could have gotten out the fire station door.

 

[Orville]

Wasn't a ladder, but one of my props, Zuzu almost did me in yesterday {Monday 11/15} when I was attempting to mount her above Ralphie.  Ralphie and Zuzu both have wooden frames secured to their backside.  I Got Ralphie all nice and secured, and then set Zuzu on top of Ralphie {trying something a little different in placement of my 2 LOR Singing this year}, well, it wasn't windy, and no gusts, not even the slightest breeze.  She sat there for at least 3 minutes without falling off,  but lo and behold, just as soon as I stepped back, turned around {my back to Zuzu} to pick up my drill to drill the pilot holes for the 4 deck screws and Zuzu came tumbling down on top of me, got me on the back and almost cold conked me, just a very mild concussion.  After that, I got my wife to come out and help me get Zuzu secured.   Lesson learned the hard way. 

But it was my own fault, I know better to just prop something up where anything, person, or animal could knock it down on me.  But there wasn't even a slight breeze, but apparently Zuzu had other ideas about staying put. LOL

Actually, come to think about it, a couple of my cats were up on the handrails of my handicap ramp {at the back end about 40-feet away}, I was working at the front.  Hmmm, maybe one of them tried to do me in?  You know what they say, cats are always out to do their owners in.  But, I don't believe that would happen, my cats have it far too good to even want to do me in. LOL  

But, when I placed Zuzu to start securing her, none were in the immediate area I was working on.   So, why she fell over is still a mystery.

Now to get the rest of the items out and RGB lights all strung, not to mention connecting Cat5 to all the controllers and getting power to them.  Not sure if I may make a Thanksgiving Night opening of my show, but sure going to try!

 

[PhilMassey]

Sounds like Ralphi and  Zuzu should get a room............ 

[TheDucks]

35 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

Sounds like Ralphi and  Zuzu should get a room............ 

Was thinkk'n the same 😉

[Mr. P]

2 hours ago, Orville said:

when I was attempting to mount her above Ralphie. 

I lost it on this one. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Orville]

19 hours ago, PhilMassey said:

Sounds like Ralphi and  Zuzu should get a room............ 

19 hours ago, TheDucks said:

Was thinkk'n the same 😉

19 hours ago, Mr. P said:

I lost it on this one. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Gawd, looks like I need to make sure I word some things a little differently around here!  Re-read that several times and that never entered my mind at all.   But after these comments, all I can think to say is: "Where did I put that bar of soap?  I need to wash out some dirty minds around here!"🤨😛🤣🤣🤣

 

[k6ccc]

Nah, people just need to get their minds out of the gutter - and come back to the sewer where there is running water.

:)

 

[Orville]

8 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Nah, people just need to get their minds out of the gutter - and come back to the sewer where there is running water.

:)

 

LOL!  Good one Jim.

[dibblejr]

I’ve got to get in here more often just for these types of events. That is hilari

On 11/17/2021 at 1:44 PM, Orville said:

Gawd, looks like I need to make sure I word some things a little differently around here!  Re-read that several times and that never entered my mind at all.   But after these comments, all I can think to say is: "Where did I put that bar of soap?  I need to wash out some dirty minds around here!"🤨😛🤣🤣🤣

 

I’ve got get here more often but I’ve been so busy helping others.

I can’t jump in now it’s to late.

That is a funny story Orville. Someone could make a movie or write a book.

You have all of the autographs above.

JR

[Little_b]

The one time I had an extension ladder issue I was only about 8-10 feet up on the side of the house, but the ladder was set too horizontal.  I was trying to get it to work over a bush that kept pushing it back.  I rode it down the side of the house as it slid out from the bottom on the grass.  Luckily only a bruised chest.  But after I landed I heard water running and remembered that my water spigot was right there and I feared I had broken it and would have to shut the water off to the house and cut a whole in the basement ceiling to fix it.  Somehow the ladder just grazed it and turned the knob on and not a broken pipe.  Since then I always have someone holding the bottom of the ladder.

[Orville]

On 11/19/2021 at 4:54 PM, dibblejr said:

I’ve got to get in here more often just for these types of events. That is hilari

I’ve got get here more often but I’ve been so busy helping others.

I can’t jump in now it’s to late.

That is a funny story Orville. Someone could make a movie or write a book.

You have all of the autographs above.

JR

Ever since that story aired, I keep looking for a song called "Ralphie and Zuzu Were Lovers". See what happens when you miss reading the forums for a few days?🤣🤣🤣

I've been busy setting up the display, including Thanksgiving Day {and I'm still not quite there yet}.  I didn't make a Thanksgiving evening show, I was still putting things out.  But I have enough items out now, that I can at least fudge a wee bit, and start some semblance of a show, possibly on Black Friday night.  Just waiting for daylight, so I can get back at getting things up.  If it weren't for my vision being really worse after dark, I could have been done already.  But the weather fouled me up some, and may do it today, 30% chance of rain, and looks like we've already had some light rain when I went out to feed the cats this morning around 5am.  Even with a bright light, after dark I just can't see well enough to get anything done.  Used to be able to do things in low light conditions, but not any longer.  Only daytime work for me on setting up my display now.