Small work platform - feet 1.5-2m above groumd

Jan 29, 2022 Last reply: 4 years ago 35 Replies

Not unusual to see decorators working off a scaffold plank resting on a pair of work platforms fitted to two ladders.

I suspect this is frowned upon by H&S and won't please your insurers:-)

I have an adjustable platform for hedging etc. but it does not fold easily and lives in a corner of the garden.

Can you not get a set of ladders with a wider bottom. To me the issue is one of feeling its going to overbalance when you are putting some elbow grease into the job that gives a sideways force. Brian

....that makes me wonder if I could find another pair of step ladders identical to the ones I used today.

The top platform is at 1.5 metres and I do have a few scaffold boards, so that might work (noting the lack of hand rail).

Alternatively adding fixings to scaffold boards to clamp to the steps of the ladders to make a platform.

I've done the caravan roof more or less but I hate working from too high up a single pair of steps.

Cheers

Dave R

My caravan was new in 1991, and I disposed of it in about 2012. The roof was about 8' off the ground, and was flat from side to side - apart from the raised opening vent. Very similar to this:

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The brochure says the overall height was 2.51 metres (8'3") presumably including the vent.

A couple of trestles might be good. Slap scaffold boards between them. A no3 will go to a stage height of about 1.7m:

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Tying a couple of 4x2 uprights to the "furthest away" leg on both trestles, would then give you something to fix a cross member to for guarding or a rail.

Maplins was a fictional holiday camp in England around 1960 in the comedy Hi-de-hi!

Maplin (Maplin Electronics Ltd.) was originally a mailorder electronic components supplier that setup many store branchesand became an over-priced tat haven before going bust in early 2018.

It is now the trading name of Maplin Online Ltd. a similar tat bazaar as before but online only.

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Those look interesting.

Just under £100 after VAT plus an hour or so each way to collect.

Cheers

Dave R

The quoted height for mine is 2.62 metres. I measured at approximately 2.55 metres up the side to the roof, so the

2.62 does probably, as you suggest for your, include the vents. Anyway, apparently a bit higher than your van. Along with the extra width, at 2.4 metres, I think this is enough to require extra height on the working platform, especially to safely reach the centre of the roof.

Cheers

Dave R

Do you park the van next to a wall ? If so, a platform hinged on the wall might work.

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There is no high wall that the van could be parked next to, unfortunately.

Cheers

Dave R

You might pick up a second hand pair of builders trestles locally if you search.

The foot spacing is not huge and they are not very stiff so expect them to rock a bit even on firm ground. Bit of diagonal timber bracing would help.

They are fairly common things - you may find a local supplier.

They tended to put the shops in rather less salubrious parts of town if they could, as it was cheaper (not always though).

They had one in the Luton area of Chatham (chav central). I used a car park round the back until someone was murdered there in broad daylight.

They had at least 4 in Central London, although they started off with the only London branch at Hammersmith. The Manchester branch was just across the road from the BBC.

Indeed - the shops supplied individual small items (resistors, nuts and bolts etc.), in stock, at realistic prices, from an in-shop parts counter. Happy days.

I used to visit Maplin frequently, but, in later years, they never had components in stock (just 1 or 2 of a particular capacitor, a handful of resistors, 1 transistor, etc.), the shop was filled with toys and gadgets and everything had become hugely overpriced. I started commenting on it being the end, when prices got considerably higher than buying from RS - who were known for their high prices, but good stock.

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