On 22/11/2020 10:34, T i m wrote:

Never mind the theory. Any ladder that you plan to use, place it fully
extended horizontally on the ground, supported only at the ends by saw
horses or piles of beer crates or whatever. Climb onto the midpoint
carrying any likely load.

Hmmmm. So a 5m 3 piece ladder could fail that tests where the same
design in 3m might not? What if all 5m ladders failed (such an
unreasonable test for the intended design / use [1]) what would you do
then?

It isn't an unreasonable test. It probably exceeds the in-use
requirement by a factor of four, but that's a normal engineering margin.
Think about bridges and lift cables.


If it takes that it's OK. That was my periodic
test of ladders for all my years of using them.

Whilst that makes sense from your POV and whilst being willing to
accept the limitations of conventional ladders, it's no more valid for
my intended usage than seeing how easy it is to carry a piano in a
sports car.

So why do you value your life so cheaply? Why are you prepared to take
avoidable risks?

I don't know you bothered asking about this because you'd already made
your mind up. When wiser councel challenges your ignorance-based
preconceptions you just became pig-headed. Well, I've led the horse to
water; it won't drink, so it can bloody well die of dehydration or
alternatively fall off a crap ladder.

Bill