Ah spring; a time of renewal, a time of re-awakening and a time of chores. Lots of chores! Such as bringing out our summer garden tools, furniture and hoses out of storage. It’s also a time to put away our winter equipment in those same storage cabinets. In order to do all this work I am going to have to spend a certain amount of time climbing up and down my old, trusty six foot step ladder.
This ladder has been around a long time. It’s the one I grew up with as a kid. My Dad gave it to me when my wife and I first bought this house and he was helping me install a new light fixture. I can remember him saying: “…that’s okay son, you keep this one; I am in a better position to buy a new one.” That was a good number of years ago and the ladder has served me well, but it is starting to show its age.
To begin with, the ladder is wooden. In theory there is nothing wrong with a wooden ladder. It’s just that I have never met a wooden ladder I couldn’t find something wrong with. Sure enough, there are bolts that are loose and the nuts are seized in place so that you cannot tighten the assemblies. Loose bolts (and rivets on aluminum ladders) will contribute to a ladder that is wobbly – an attribute you do not want in a ladder. You also need to ensure that the spreader arms fold down and lock in position. That will also play a key role in stabilizing the tool. It is also very important to make sure there are no cracks, splinters or anything else that has compromised the legs of the ladder. Upon reflection it seems that the time has come for me to replace this ladder. I guess I won’t be going back to the same store where this ladder came from. Eaton’s went out of business years ago.
The big-box hardware store where my new ladder came from had a number of models to choose from. I made sure that my new ladder had a mark from the Canadian Safety Association (CSA).
CSA, and its American counterpart ANSI, certify products are engineered to a specific standard that makes it safe for its intended use. You may be able to purchase a cheaper product without a seal, but why would you want to; especially a piece of equipment as critical as a ladder? It’s worth noting that it may be legal to use a non-CSA approved ladder in your house, but they have no place in a workplace! No employer would be able to successfully plead due diligence if he or she had allowed a non-certified piece of equipment to be used in the workplace. It is also important to know that CSA/ANSI classify ladders. A class 3 ladder is only for household use; class 2 is considered to be for light industry, maintenance and office use; and class 1 is for industrial and construction tasks.
There are some other important points to remember about safe ladder practices. At work or at home, always inspect your ladder before using it. In addition to loose rivets and cracked long sills; make sure that each of the legs has their non-slip grip pads in place. You also want to watch out for mud and ice – on the steps and on your shoes. Now that I have a new safe ladder to use, I guess I no longer have an excuse for not getting at all those chores. I wonder if I should go back to the store for a new garden hose ….
For more information on the relevant safety training, please visit our ladder Safety Training page.
