Fast read
The hosts, Markus and Jono, share their experiences with different ladder models and express concerns about their safety.
They emphasise the importance of stable surfaces, weight capacity, locking mechanisms, and proper ladder positioning. They also mention the need for safety instructions and caution when using ladders at heights.
The two conclude that telescopic ladders may not be suitable for lower heights but not for 6m heights and they both suggest following safety guidelines and considering additional safety devices.
How safe are telescopic ladders?
Markus: Yeah, I know, but you’re you. Oh, my God. Jesus Christ. It’s just gone vertical. Hi, welcome to the Your Energy Review. Many review videos after the review list the companies where you can buy the product. I don’t call that a review. I call it a professional endorsement.
Jono: Here at Your Energy answers. We call a spade a spade and a fact of fact in our reviews.
Markus: So what’s one of the most dangerous things that one can do in the House?
Jono: Changing a light bulb.
Markus: Why?
Jono: Because you have to use a ladder.
And as we all know, ladders are dangerous.
Markus: Oh, my God. Jesus Christ.
We work with a lot of quality-focused air conditioning and solar companies. And so one of the key tools of trade for them, for example, is our ladders. And also, in our workshop, we’ve got a short ladder. We’ve got a long ladder, but we have a six-point high ceilings. We need to change sometimes the LED lights all the way up there. We got no ladder to get there. So I went to the Internet. I looked at some retailers and found a product that looked perfect at 6.2 meters and was not too expensive. It can carry 150 kilos. I’m 85, so there’s a good safety margin.
I felt let’s have a look.
Jono: But we do not have any storage space. So that’s why we decided to get an extendable telescopic ladder.
Markus: And this extendable ladder, it actually seems to have quite a lot of good advantages. It’s got good rubber feet for a solid grip.
I like these ribbed threads because they’re on the front and they’re on the back. So whichever way you hold the ladder, you will always have this grip on the steps, so that’s excellent.
It’s really only about a meter high, so quite easy to grab on the strap and carry around. And when you want to carry it around the house, let’s say you want to go up two storeys, you have to do something up there with a big ladder. You’re trying to get it through the stairway. This thing is really excellent, and it’s got many different settings. You can have it at a lower height, at a medium height, and you can even use it on stairs because you can have it kind of one leg up and down. So that’s all perfect.
But let’s see what obviously it has to perform against, which is a fully extendable 6.2-meter ladder. We purchased it mainly in our workshop to be able to get right up to the top of the ceiling. So let’s have a look at how it performs in that particular game.
The flex and the associated safety risks basically meant I don’t like it. The downside of the product that I can see so far is there were no safety instructions. Yes, there are some safety little notes on the ladder, but there was no brochure that actually told me about ladder safety. I think if you sell a ladder, give them a free ladder safety brochure.
I would suggest the longevity issue is these things that expand and come down if there is dust that gets on them. If there is moisture on them. I don’t actually believe they’re going to come down quite easily. But really, the big one and for me, that’s really a deal breaker, is the fact that when I’m up over maybe three meters, the flex really makes my cornflake come back up.
Jono: So the real question is, will people really trust their life on a telescopic ladder? And the answer is no. When it comes down to the advertisements that suggest it can reach up to 6.2 meters, maybe a three-meter version might be okay, but it is definitely not suitable for the advertised height.
Markus: I also used it outside in a real-life situation. And as you can see in the video we’ve just taken now, as I’m getting onto it, you see my weight straightaway pushing it closer to the wall.
So it’s kind of now, nearly nine degrees up on the wall. I don’t want to climb up that way at that angle because I feel like I could fall off any time. I would say, ban, this product from Australia, it’s not safe, not at 6.2 meters, maybe a short version, but this particular version, I don’t like it. I’m going to ask for a refund.
Jono: So, on the work site, most people think that the most dangerous tools are nail guns, a circular saw or jackhammer.
But the most dangerous item as we’ve just seen is the ladder
Especially if they’re used by people who are over 50, just like Marcus.
Markus: What are some of the key considerations for safety and ladders?
Jono: I can think of ten.
- Always use caution when working with heights.
- Wear a helmet, as the most serious injuries are head injuries.
- Ensure you operate on a non-slip surface and preferably have someone hold the ladder at the bottom, not sideways.
- Do not overhang the ladder or have the ladder just near the support area, as it might slip. And you will fall.
- If working near electricity, don’t use metal; ensure the ladder is made of fibreglass or wood.
- Don’t place a ladder on the soft ground.
- Consider providing employees with a handout of do’s and don’ts for ladders and refer to it after the training.
- And each time you use the ladder, inspect it for loose or damaged steps and for loose screws. If defective, don’t use it.
- Always face the ladder and use both hands to climb and descent
- Always keep three limbs on the ladder at all times.
Markus: I mean, there have been fatal accidents where people have slipped and fell on something that was below on the ground and actually, that is what caused the main injury.
Also, I would say never climb higher than the second step from the top
There’s usually a mark on there. Don’t go right up to the top of the ladder. And finally, can you consider the additional safety devices? You already said a helmet… Head injury is one of the most serious injuries that somebody could have. Unfortunately, ladder falls can cause a lot of those.
If you follow those and on our website, there are actually links where we have listed them all in writing. Then you can actually have a ladder safety and make sure you buy a product in the first place that does not endanger you any more.
So here from us at Your Energy stay safe and buy useful equipment.
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