Come spring or fall and everyone busies themselves with various home sprucing activities. Ladder plays an important part in all our activities, be it washing window panes, hanging decorations or painting garage. But do you know that this useful tool can lead to various injuries? Fall from a ladder is the major cause of home injuries. But, you can easily avoid them by taking some precautions.
Choose a Proper Ladder
The choice of ladder would depend upon the purpose. There are three types of ladders to choose from: heavy, industrial purpose ladder; commercial, medium duty ladder; and lastly the small, domestic purpose ladders. Ladders can also be classified depending upon their material as fiberglass ladder, aluminum ladder or wooden ladder. Fiberglass ladders are most durable and sturdy, but also expensive. Choose the ladder that you find most suitable for your task. Whichever ladder you choose, always check for UL seal from Underwriter’s Laboratory.
Inspecting the Ladder
Always inspect the ladder carefully, before using it. Watch out for splinters, cracks and decay, in case of wooden ladders. Also, do not paint wooden ladders, because paint makes it impossible to detect cracks or decay. Inspect for broken latches, joints and locks of step ladders and extension ladders. For aluminum ladder, check for rust spots, loose welds, burrs etc. Apply a coat of lacquer, if the sealant of fiberglass ladder looks damaged. Inspect the ladder even more carefully, if it has not been in use for quite some time.
Ladder Angle
Always position the ladder at a proper angle with the ground level. For this, apply the 1:4 rule. For every 4ft increase in height, increase the distance of the base of ladder from the wall by 1ft. Also, make sure the ladder is placed on a firm, leveled ground.
Using a Ladder
Wear slip-resistant shoes with rubber soles, while climbing the ladder. Position yourself in the middle of the rung. Climb cautiously, if you have to take things along. As far as possible ask a person to hand them, so that you don’t have to carry them all along. Avoid putting one foot on the rung and the other foot on some other surface. If the ladder is tall, secure it by fastening, and do not climb up to the last rung. While using extension ladders, avoid climbing the last four rungs. Do not lean, instead reposition your ladder to reach whatever you want. Avoid sitting on the step ladder. After you are done with the use of ladder, place it safely.
Safety
Avoid placing ladder anywhere near the power lines. Always use a wooden or fiberglass ladder, while dealing with electricity. Keep the ladder out of reach of children. Also, while using it, never leave it unattended, even for a short while.
