In message , Phil L
writes
The Medway Handyman wrote:
I'm not a happy bunny using ladders - probably because I know how
dangerous they can be.

Would I be/feel safer if I bought a ladder stand off like this
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...90916&id=10275

Or a ladder stabiliser like this?
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...91075&id=34609

Or should I just wear brown trousers?

Having had to work off ladders with fairly heavy machinery for many years, I
can say with all honesty that the only time I was scared was when some
idiotic council made us use these stand offs, the stabilisers are even
worse.

The worst thing about the stand offs are that they make you too far away
from the wall - they are 18 inches away at the top rung! - if you are a few
rungs down from that you are over 2 ft away, so you have to stretch, this is
when accidents happen.

Well if you use them in totally the wrong situation then they aren't
going to help are they?

A stand off is designed to lift the ladder away from the wall so that it
will clear things like gutters, so that the ladder can extend up past
the gutters. You are meant to be standing with the upper part of your
body above the stabiliser. this makes working on gutters so much easier
and safer than if the ladder stops on the wall below it, Esp. if the
building has deep eaves. I consider them pretty much essential for
using a ladder to maintain our gutters etc.

They can also be useful when working on windows. The stabiliser is
placed below the window, with the ladder extending up in front of the
window. You can work from the ladder with out the problems you
sometimes have in placing the ladder securely. It is also easier to work
on bits of the window that would be very close to the ladder - say when
a ladder was resting on the wall above a window.

As far as the 'stabilisers' go - would you *feel* safe climbing a ladder
resting in that contraption?

What exactly are your objections to them (I've never used one, I'm
genuinely interested)-

The best ladder stabiliser is soil - simply place the ladders on a flowerbed
where possible and jump on the first rung to sink them in

Having had the experience of a ladder starting to move when I was up the
top when it was resting on soil - and I had done my best to firm the
feet of the ladder. - it's not something I would ever recommend. Even
trying to firm the foot of the ladder in as you suggest you can never
quite be sure how secure it is..


....failing this
(if they are on hardstanding) sprag them off a wall, kerb or any other solid
upright - I've even seen people knock a bolster chisel into gaps and put the
foot of the ladder against it to prevent slipping

I've used a couple of bags of sand at the feet for the same sort of
thing.

Worst situation IMO is a slope across the foot of the ladder. No matter
how well I pack out the base to level it, I never feel entirely happy
that something isn't going to move.

--
Chris French