Pet hate or debate

jakdan

jakdan

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2010
Messages
4,144
Reaction score
0
Location
Washington and sometimes Murcia
What is the correct way to install a ladder to a scaffold when it is placed on the outside using a gate? transom or ledger height, handrail or stop end / handrail height?
or both?
i think its a very simple answer but i see it done wrong all the time or maybe i am wrong?

lots of replies please then someone prove it simian/ training provider etc etc
quickly please i need piece of mind either way:D
 
Done them all jakdan, I would have to go for stop end hand rail height would be my first choice so the ladder is supported it's full length. The usual disclaimer will come in to force should Simian slap my wrists.
 
top..........Handrail height,

bottom.....placed on firm ground,with no obstructions to access/egress

secured at top and bottom

I like to see a single handrail around the ladder at the gate level access/egress
 
Top return handrail, tied at top and bottom.
 
handrail height, but make sure you have the correct size ladder. Because last month a site manager told me that the ladder was too big, ladder was a 5m tied at approx 3m, when i said it was so only one ladder was used on the same scaffold for when the next progressive lift goes on, saves leaving a 5m and a 3m ladder lying around on site. whats the difference i asked "well what if he carries on up the ladder he might fall off the top" ended up having to wrap the top 2m with bunting from top of handrail to top of ladder.
 
The top secured to the top Handrail height, using either lashing or heavy duty zip-ties.
The bottom secured with a butt, using the same - either lashing or heavy duty zip-ties.

The top of the ladder must be over 1m above the working lift.
Id use lashing over zip-ties as the preferred method of tying a ladder off, tbh.


Lashing = 6m nylon rope (the blue stuff).
Ladders to be lashed with 3 'fingers' at the top and 3 'fingers' at the bottom (round the top 3 times, round the bottom 3 times) and round the back 3 times, per upright part of the ladder.


If that makes any sense, lol.
 
Top handrail ( 1m above working Lift ) and fixed at the top & bottom. 1 in 4 angle ( 75 degrees ) and also fix a Wally Rail to the open side, to stop the Wally falling off whilst climbing up and down.
 
Good question Jakdan,interesting replies. No one answered trannie or ledger? If trannie,are singles adequate. If ledger which ive seen many around here,is this safe as you have to step round to get on ladder.
 
i always tied it around the transom or ledger if it had a return this giving you the correct size gap to get off the ladder onto the lift (if its off the top handrail it narrows the gap when using the gate)
also the ladder should be secured prior to putting the rail on?
thats the way i was taught i guess i better eat some humble pie, (fukcing no chance:D)

thanks for the answers lads
P.S YOU'S LOT HAVN'TGOT A CLUE WHAT YOUR ON ABOUT
 
That's another thing I never really understood, it appears in England fairly common for the ladder to face the scaffold but in Scotland it seems to be side on. Is that still the case and if so why?
 
Oh right, I take it it's them that turn it to suit them selves?

I tried earlier to post a picture of your avatar but was struck by total brain freeze as how to do it. I got it in an e-mail from an Indian supplier who are using it on their promo material. Your getting worse than Scaffy at where you buy gear from.:eek:
 
All side on now, think most of them now realise that walking around a ladder at height is not safe.

If I notice a ladder to the face of scaffold when walking on to a job, the alarm bells ring and usualy it is a long inspection followed by a long report of defects :(

Staircase's are the best option by far,:cool:
 
Even we are seeing that staircases are becoming more popular and rightly so for some jobs especially now as the stair units are fairly cheap and a lot lighter than they were. Only real problem with them is clients want them but don't want to pay for them and whilst it's easy to say stuff them it is a bit of a headache.
 
Theres a scaffold up 2 doors from me. The ladder is forward facing,not tied. Ladder is only 6" above lift. Scaffold is 9 boards wide,standards are random set,not heavy duty.middle ledger is rakered offset on alternate standards to doglegs. Returns down flank of building.Bridges the garage in tube, spurs taking whip out lift. top lift punched off tube bridge which is sagging, boards notched and split. Scaffold erected by an essex firm. The day it was erected the rumanian buiders had a delivery,lifted to front platform. 2 ton bags sand,1 pallet of dust,pallet of bricks,roof tiles and all the timber/ply for the job. The top lift had checks. The weight had bowed the standards towards the house,and checks had all slipped. I spoke to the foreman,told him,scaffold was overloaded and looked like it was going to collapse. He said.dont worry mate its all safe,and we got more to go on it. Phoned up scaffold company and he said theyve done that before,dont worry about it. disaster waiting to happen. The council didnt want to know. Ive seen worse than that around here. Makes you wonder what it will take to educate people on the dangers. Does the private sector not come under the same regs.?
I suppose ladders facing forward for roofers,makes it easier to carry tiles up. Go figure!!
 
I've seen plenty of nice tidy jobs totally ruined by not not spending ten minutes fitting the ladder it's no good having a safe working platform if you get killed accessing it,the ladder is as important as any other part of the job,the best test for your ladder is to go up and down it a couple of times you will soon see if it feels safe or not.if it doesn't you change it don't you?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom