drilling at height - safety

[Andrew McKay]

More importantly, does it have a clutch? If it doesn't and the bit snags you are invited to attend a party where you get to swing around the bit, as the drill continues to rotate.

Andrew

[RichardS]

Yes, it does. It's described as "Ideal for diamond core drilling", so I assume that's the kind of core bit it would be supplied with.

If I were to use a core drill up a ladder this is probably the drill I'd consider using. I wouldn't even contemplate it with some of the Hilti SDS beasts & standard cores that I've hired in the past (I hired one once where the front grip didn't secure properly onto the collar, so rotated freely. Foolishly I pressed on with it - the shop had already closed by then and time was an issue. When the 150mm core grabbed, I was lucky not to have broken my wrist. It nearly knocked me off the step ladders!).

[John Rumm]

The choice of drill makes all the difference. I have done a 4" core up a ladder with my Makita SDS (with safety clutch), and it is a pussy cat to handle - when it grabs it is no worse than gitting the torque limiter on a cordless drill when driving screws. I would not dream of trying it with a drill that does not have a clutch though.

[Andrew Sinclair]

I should add that the working at height regulations are quite strict these days (obviously don't apply to DIY) and any work over 2m requires fall protection equipment like safety harness, these regs are there for a reason. As one of my colleagues remarked to me once, it isn't the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom.

Ladders are just about OK for simple tasks but any job that requires you to keep control of an unwieldy bit of equipment should always be done off a proper access platform - hire one for the job, your family will thank you. To get your moneys worth, do all the other jobs that need height like cleaning the gutters or washing down the external woodwork (which is you are using a core cutter you will need to do anyway).

Cheers,

Andy

[Ian Stirling]

IIWM, I'd at the least start out with 2 12mm holes to either side, to support heavy rawl-plugs to fix the ladder to.