That time my ladder kicked out on a Friday afternoon job

I was up on a steep driveway roof edge running coax last month and my ladder just slid sideways. Landed in a bush full of thorns, took me 20 minutes to untangle myself. Has anyone else had a ladder fail on them in a dumb way?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_west14d ago

Man that Friday thing rings so true. After my ladder slipped on some wet grass I started doing this one thing that helped a lot. I always tie off the top of the ladder to something solid now, even if it takes an extra 2 minutes. I use a ratchet strap around a gutter bracket or a roof anchor point. Also try to set the feet on a scrap piece of plywood if the ground is soft at all. Keeps the legs from digging in and shifting when you lean a certain way. Has saved me more times than I can count.

rowan_roberts491mo ago

Read a safety bulletin once that said most ladder accidents happen on Fridays because people are rushing to finish. Sounds about right from that story lol.

zara5721mo ago

Felt that one in my back just reading it. I had a ladder kick out while I was trying to reach a gutter on a wet porch, ended up sliding down the siding and ripping half the skin off my forearm. Took me a solid 10 minutes to stop swearing and check if I broke anything. It's always the dumbest, most routine jobs that get you too. Glad you landed in something softish even if it was thorny, could've been way worse on that steep driveway.