Quick alternative to scaffold?

[Mathew Newton]

Hi all,

I wandered past this today:

the quality, it was a quick walk-by capture with my phone as I didn't want to arouse suspicion by taking pictures of somebody's house!)

Are these commonplace? I thought it seemed like a quick alternative to scaffolding towers. That said, it didn't look like the sturdiest of things and indeed I was expecting to find something substantial at the bottom but it was just similar to the top but without the platform!

It wasn't all that clear how it was erected, I am assuming you peg up the platform at ground level and then slide the whole lot up? What with though?

Mathew

[Jules]

against the side wall of the house... it's not so bad for a regular ladder and one person, but that looks like a lot more material and a two-person cradle...

Lots of well-built mates and a good run-up? :-)

[mark]

I've seen them used by the company that maintains H.Assoc houses in my area.

Not cheap and you have to proide your own sturdy ladders.

[David WE Roberts]

Doesn't look like an alternative to a tower to me. If you erected a scafolding tower you would find yourself looking at the roof from a fair distance due to the extended bay on the ground floor. An alternative to a full scaffolding install, perhaps. Doesn't look quick or cheap ;-)

[NT]

The trouble with support on 2 legs is that if one joint or leg fails, the lot crashes down. With a 4 legged structure it won't do well on 3 legs, but it should stay up long enough to get down (the non-fast way).

NT

[Cash]

That is just a modern day version of "ladder brackets" see;

and scroll down.

As a matter of interest, the original ladder bracket carried just a couple of scaffold planks with no safety rail - and were in common use until the health and safety brigade became concerned about the number of accidents when using things. Hence the modern equivalent, complete with a deck and guards.

Cash

[Mathew Newton]

things! That said, when I go up a ladder I barely have any hands free to do any work what with me wanting to hold on so much!

I can't help feel there's some subliminal connection in their URL... ;-)

Mathew

[Mark]

the people that used them with just a scaffold board and two ordinary ladders i.e me. called them suicide brackets.

[Roger]

inspection in the UK.

[Chris J Dixon]

This sort of thing seems to be popular with the replacement fascia chaps. However, in my area, I have yet to see anybody bothering to fit the safety rails!

Chris

[Cash]

Roger,

I personally wouldn't use such a scaffold [1], but it will comply with H&S Regulations - as long as it is erected in accordance to instructions/best practice procedures, on level ground (or properly supported on falling ground) and is tied either at the top or bottom (or both) to prevent slippage, all guards and braces in place and is only loaded to its maximum

*SAFE* weight.

Generally, this sort of thing is only used for access to fascias and soffits, and would only be carrying the weight of two men, some tools and the odd length of timber or gutter at the most.

[1] Remember though that if this job is done by a contracting firm, it will actually be unlawful under the H&S Regulations to simply use ladders to work most jobs at that height - so this is a cheaper method than erecting a full scaffold to say, clean out gutters, replace the odd tile or two, painting fascia and soffits etc.

Cash

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Mathew Newton saying something like:

Nothing tying it to the building, either.

[Man at B&Q]

Bingo!

Having seen two in use, looked perfectly safe to me. Safety lies in the hands of the user IMHO.

MBQ

[PeterC]

The roofer that did my GF's house had the ladders at about 45 deg. (lean-to consevatory in the way) and were going up fast, with tiles, either 1- or no-handed!

[Stuart Noble]

Saw it being used by Anglian Windows to do guttering the other day. I imagine they comply with all the regs

[Clamboy]

replying to Mathew Newton, Clamboy wrote: It's called a shore scaffold. Not OSHA approved in the least bit.

[mark.bluemel]

For fuller context, buy a TARDIS and go back 10 years.