I fell off a ladder last night

Location
southwest
Glad to OP isn't seriously hurt, but:

Typical farm accident, trying to save time the injured party failed to use the correct equipment.

But OP doesn't fit in with the TFF profile of most people who get injured on the farm-over 60 and too poor to afford to work safely!
 
I never used to mind heights but after replacing some ceiling tiles in the big rental unit with a decent scaffold tower, my legs turned to jelly and I couldn't face going up there any more. I've done skydiving and all sorts, but I'm blowed if I'd go up in that roof again.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
There was a story doing the rounds a few years ago about an old lady who got a contractor in to give her an estimate for cleaning the gutters out to her bungalow. Apparently, they stated the job would need scaffolding and cost a small fortune as the gutters were over 8 foot high. Anything over that height can't legally be done from a ladder. The story goes that a couple of 80 year old neighbours did it for her -- using ladders!

I'll let someone else look up the H&S regulations, but it has a ring of truth to it. I've just put new rear work lights on my tractor and it did occur to me that an 80 year old has no place balanced on the top platform of a step ladder! The lights work great though.:)
 

TheTallGuy

Member
Location
Cambridgeshire
There was a story doing the rounds a few years ago about an old lady who got a contractor in to giv an estimate for cleaning the gutters out to her bungalow. Apparently, they stated the job would need scaffolding and cost a small fortune as the gutters were over 8 foot high and anything over that height can't legally be done from a ladder. The story goes that a couple of 80 year old neighbours did it for her -- using ladders!

I'll let someone else look up the H&S regulations, but it has a ring of truth to it.
See my post above ladders are permitted. I would suggest that erecting a scaffold would involve as much risk as using a ladder for a short job like that.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think we are all guilty of short cuts and then something happens and reminds us they're not always a good idea.
Pleased your okay though it does make you stop and think.
I was trying to get some halters on a couple of heifers for the first time. Should have put some gates and got them in the crush , but didn't bother. Got the halter on the first okay but the second turned on me hit me in the stomach and took me down the side of the shed, 2 feet away from being slammed into the wall it backed off.
Following day it was put into the crush and halter put on .Short cuts can have long standing consequences and are really not worth it.

I don't know about your heifers, but my foals need a bit of feed every day. I do this while handling their heads through a gate. A few days and I can get the head collars on no bother. I use a similar technique to 'handle' them all over with a long stick. Basically, I'm a coward! When they will tolerate the stick, I change over to using my hand. Foals have killed vets. They can and do kick!
 

TheTallGuy

Member
Location
Cambridgeshire
Probably a dodgy contractor trying to screw a pensioner. It does happen!
Yep, or just as likely someone unqualified scared by the Chinese whispers that surrounds H&S.

a modern scaf tower erected the correct pasma method is by far safer
It would depend upon the risk assessment for the location, but things like repeatedly moving a scaff tower over uneven or unstable ground could be seen as more dangerous than a few quick jaunts up a ladder.
 

matty

Member
I don't know about your heifers, but my foals need a bit of feed every day. I do this while handling their heads through a gate. A few days and I can get the head collars on no bother. I use a similar technique to 'handle' them all over with a long stick. Basically, I'm a coward! When they will tolerate the stick, I change over to using my hand. Foals have killed vets. They can and do kick!

They have been having cake , the daughter has been hand feeding them (as they're both new to the farm ) to tame them down abit.
They did seem reasonably quiet,well the first one was,the second got stressed quite quickly and just turned on me.
I'm sure she'll settle new place and faces ect didn't help I suppose .
I will be accompanied by a piece of blue pipe in future when I go in the pen.

Some foals can be little sh1!s I had a colt foal when i weaned him off at 6 months he would run at you go up on his back legs and lash out with his fronts ,typical bloody coltish behaviour that was curbed very quickly. Then he turned to kicking out with his back legs and biting he was a little bugger .once put in he place he was fine.

At the moment I have a 7 year old sport horse that is very testing, explosive behaviour and it will box at you with its fronts if it gets stressed .The slightest thing stresses her I do stand my ground with her slowly getting there . I think backing her is going to be the hard part as everyone that has got on her shes bronced off. She does have a very sweet side though and wants to be with you ,which is her saving grace otherwise she'd of had a bullet by now.Mind you if she doesn't come right she'll get one dont keep passengers here.
 

Jon_B

New Member
Close call there, chap that serviced our vehicles sadly killed himself last year in similar circumstances. Obviously tower or work platform are far safer but we also use use the ladderstop/ladder m8 type device and found them pretty good.

Also just bought the attached https://www.safetyliftingear.com/products/worksafe-removable-wall-anchor/wla20. Not used it in anger yet, does same job as other top anchors but is removable via a clamping system (I suspect the bees may like the 14mm hole though).
 
Location
southwest
No one-not even HSE-is saying ladders should not be used, it's just that some ways of using them are safer than others.

In the case in question, it could well be that the ladder was not securely grounded, and wasn't secured at the top either,but, as a second person and a man basket where both easily available, they should have been utilised.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
They have been having cake , the daughter has been hand feeding them (as they're both new to the farm ) to tame them down abit.
They did seem reasonably quiet,well the first one was,the second got stressed quite quickly and just turned on me.
I'm sure she'll settle new place and faces ect didn't help I suppose .
I will be accompanied by a piece of blue pipe in future when I go in the pen.

Some foals can be little sh1!s I had a colt foal when i weaned him off at 6 months he would run at you go up on his back legs and lash out with his fronts ,typical bloody coltish behaviour that was curbed very quickly. Then he turned to kicking out with his back legs and biting he was a little bugger .once put in he place he was fine.

At the moment I have a 7 year old sport horse that is very testing, explosive behaviour and it will box at you with its fronts if it gets stressed .The slightest thing stresses her I do stand my ground with her slowly getting there . I think backing her is going to be the hard part as everyone that has got on her shes bronced off. She does have a very sweet side though and wants to be with you ,which is her saving grace otherwise she'd of had a bullet by now.Mind you if she doesn't come right she'll get one dont keep passengers here.

We'd better keep this brief. Horses are not the flavour of the month on here!???

I have Highland ponies but soon after they are weaned, they will usually try a kick. The first time one did it, I instinctively kicked back. He never did it again. I now take a stick in with me and try to get them immediately they try it. That's usually enough. This year I fed through the gate as mentioned, getting them to put their heads into the collar to get the feed. Also, lots of stroking and scatching around the head until they just accept it. But Highlands are not usually difficult. I'm too old to try 'real' horses now but my first was an Anglo-Arab weaned colt swopped for a spaniel. I just treated him like a dog -- and it worked!
 

JD-Kid

Member
Throw a line over the roof, secure it to a decent anchor point(s) and tie off to the ladder.
Helps if you tie the free end to the ladder also and then you aren't reaching for it when you reposition the ladder
hahaha heard of 2 cases one guy tided himself to a chimey fell off roof. rope held him. then old brick chimey let go. he hit the ground. then bricks fell on him
other guy. tied off on to a ute was working ok till more gear turned up and one of the other builders moved the ute
the kinda stuff yer only see in cartoons but dose happen

so make sure. the anchor point can't move
 

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