ladder cripples

[Andy Burns]

Thought these were outlawed? neighbours have got a firm in changing soffits/fascias and they're using them, instead of scaffold towers

[nightjar]

It is a myth that ladders have been outlawed. However, their use should follow the HSE guidelines:

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

I've seen plenty of people changing gutters etc using ladders on our two storey houses. The only dicey bit looks like taking down the old cast Iron stuff. They have a kind of strop system to lower them down. Brian

[Andy Burns]

not ladders themselves, but ladder cripples

lansford seem to stop selling them

[Andy Burns]

The ones they're ising have no guard rails, toe-boards etc.

[whisky-dave]

A couple of weeks ago when it was cold I saw a bloke from a company on a ladder up to the 1st floor painting the outside of the bay windows, on the rungs of a ladder in his slippers !

[Andrew]

A few weeks ago someone here posted a video taken in India or somewhere of a bloke fitting an external aircon unit 6 or 8 floors up on a ladder, with another guy on the roof holding it vertical with a rope.

[Davey]

I worked on a job in Mexico a few years ago, and was impressed to see that they had an extension ladder wired to the side bars of a scissor lift, to get access to the highest part of the outside wall.

[Andy Burns]

These have tow ladders up at front (and two at back) with a "shelf" strung between them

[John Rumm]

I thought if they have proper rails and guarding etc they are ok. Having said that, I am sure there are plenty of firms about using stuff that is technically speaking no longer acceptable...

[Andy Burns]

these are just a pair of ladders, a pair of angled brackets and a wide aluminium plank ... it's their necks I suppose.

[Ray]

Rgus lot is still hiring them out, with warnings.

[nightjar]

Never heard them called that.

The same principles will apply. There needs to have been a risk assessment and they need to be used safely.

[alan_m]

The house opposite had soffits, gutters and fascias to the highest point of the house replaced the week before last. 2/3 workmen working from 3 ladders - no other equipment. At times it didn't look like safe working. They only worked on the front of the house and took the best part of 3 days to complete.

When my mother's house had new soffits, facias gutters and downpipes fitted it took one (long) day to do the front, back and side of house by two men working from ladders and ladder cripples. This was around 3 years ago.