# Aluminum ladders!



## flyboy

Yes there is a law...

The law of common sense. :laughing:


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## daveEM

Don't those suckers have rubber feet.

Anyway never met an aluminum ladder I liked. Don't use them. Wood for many years now type 1A fiberglass ones.


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## hardworkingstiff

Aluminum ladders are for painters.


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## Celtic

CEC09 said:


> Just wondering if there is a law or safety rule
> Out there that restricts the use of aluminum
> Ladders on a job site? Or can they still be used
> If equipment is not energized?


...and then buy fiberglass or wooden ladders for later when things are energized?


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## Mshea

Electricians just don't buy conductive ladders. Yes you can use an aluminum ladder for any work on de-energised systems but we don't shut off all the power conductors in a cable tray to install a new one. If we had to do anything live we would have to get the non-conductive ladder so you now have 2 ladders the same height? Really good construction quality ladders are not any cheaper than the fiber glass or wooden ones and in some cases are more expensive.
Now there are certainly some aluminum ladders that do jobs no fiber glass or wood ladder is built for like the collapsable aluminum extensions (IE the collapses to a small enough form to take up the elevator to change the bulbs in the penthouse high cieling or to get into an attic hatch and there are those special ladders that can be configured to scaffolds and are especially usefull in stairs.
For any normal step or extension ladder I would only buy a non-conductive ladder. Note that I call them non conductive and not insulated. They are not designed to be insulators or personal protection against shocks only to not be conductive. At some point any wood ladder will conduct electricity especially voltages over 1000 volts and the wire reinforcment is a very good conductor. Even fiber glass ladders can be contaminated over time so they are not as insulating as we might think.
What they don't do is become an easy bridge or short circuit cause.


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## Big John

I know OSHA restricts conductive ladders in any environment where they can contact energized parts, but I do not read that as a prohibition from standing on an aluminum ladder to do electrical work.

Ladders aren't PPE anyway: You can't use a non-conductive ladder as your primary means of electrical isolation.

That being said, a lot of places still have house-rules that forbid aluminum ladders. I think that's also because a damaged aluminum ladder can kink and fail much more suddenly than a damaged fiberglass ladder might.


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## BBQ

Big John said:


> I know OSHA restricts conductive ladders in any environment where they can contact energized parts, but I do not read that as a prohibition from standing on an aluminum ladder to do electrical work.
> 
> Ladders aren't PPE anyway: You can't use a non-conductive ladder as your primary means of electrical isolation.
> 
> That being said, a lot of places still have house-rules that forbid aluminum ladders. I think that's also because a damaged aluminum ladder can kink and fail much more suddenly than a damaged fiberglass ladder might.


The companies I worked for have had a no AL ladder policy. They tell me it is just easier than worrying about when aluminum ladders could or could not be used, having to stock both types etc. Some GCs have that rule anyway.

My personal opinion is that aluminum ladders scream trunk slamming hack or painter. :jester:

We have fiberglass 'Little Giants' great ladders for stair work but heavy as hell.


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## nolabama

I have a personal aluminum little giant. Our company forbids aluminum. I am scared to ask for a fiberglass little giant. One of our signal guys has one. It's got wheels it's so heavy. 

I personally believe a 16foot aluminum extension to be the best ladder cause it's sooo light.


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## Big John

nolabama said:


> ...I personally believe a 16foot aluminum extension to be the best ladder cause it's sooo light.


 I'll tell you what, though: A type II fiberglass extension ladder really ain't bad. The 16' version weighs less than my Little-Giant step ladder.

Personally, if I had a contracting business, I'd have one of those telescoping aluminum ladders. I may get one regardless. :shifty:


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## nolabama

Big John said:


> I'll tell you what, though: A type II fiberglass extension ladder really ain't bad. The 16' version weighs less than my Little-Giant step ladder.
> 
> Personally, if I had a contracting business, I'd have one of those telescoping aluminum ladders. I may get one regardless. :shifty:


You have seen the video of that thing collapsing haven't you?


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## HARRY304E

CEC09 said:


> Just wondering if there is a law or safety rule
> Out there that restricts the use of aluminum
> Ladders on a job site? Or can they still be used
> If equipment is not energized?


If you own aluminum ladders ,Take them to the scrap yard.


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## Big John

nolabama said:


> You have seen the video of that thing collapsing haven't you?


 I don't think so....


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## nolabama

Big John said:


> I don't think so....


Serious??? Its not the one your wanting tho. 
http://youtu.be/6ZhMfzc9RbU

There is one of the telescoping one going down fast. QVC also


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## Jlarson

We have more al then fiberglass. But we have a ton of ladders total so there are plenty of options to pick from.

I rate the aluminum ladder thing right up there with stuff like the "100 foot max between jbox" stuff and the like, bs.


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## nolabama

I believed in that 100 foot rule until I got a 500" bridge.


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## Big John

nolabama said:


> Serious??? Its not the one your wanting tho.


 :laughing: That dude was dedicated.


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## JuniorSparky

Are wood ladders conductive ?


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## B-Nabs

JuniorSparky said:


> Are wood ladders conductive ?


They are if they get wet enough... 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


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## JuniorSparky

Lolll


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## lighterup




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## Pete E

Do any of you guys still use wooden ladders or steps? If, so, is there a particular reason?

I am surprised to see that wooden pole ladders up to 30feet are still very common on building site over here for use on scaffolding...

When I worked outside the company provided me a set of heavy duty wooden 6 rung stepladders..I have no idea what make they were, but they were the most stable step ladders I have ever worked off, far better than the more typical cheap household ali stepladders...

Sadly many places I have worked that specify non ali, non-conductive stepladders seem to rule out wood be default. 

I have heard tails of one place where they specified *yellow* GRP stepladders and the Spark was turned away because his were blue GRP! They even had the relevant safety stickers, but for some reason they were still deemed unsuitable...


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## Going_Commando

We still have a couple wooden jack ladders, but I can't recall the last time we used them since I got a 12' step. I use to have a picture looking down from the top, but I think photobucket ate it.


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## 99cents

I don't care, I have a 16' aluminum extension ladder that gets used 90% of the time. It's light and easy to throw around. I'm rarely around live power when I use it anyway.


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## MechanicalDVR

99cents said:


> I don't care, I have a 16' aluminum extension ladder that gets used 90% of the time. It's light and easy to throw around. I'm rarely around live power when I use it anyway.


Yeah I with you on this, I had a aluminum articulating ladder in my van and it was like half the weight of the FG model of the same ladder.

I never used it if I had to work on something live.


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## 99cents

MechanicalDVR said:


> Yeah I with you on this, I had a aluminum articulating ladder in my van and it was like half the weight of the FG model of the same ladder.
> 
> I never used it if I had to work on something live.


I bought one of those Little Giants and took it back. Clumsy and weighs a ton. I'm a 160 lb. weakling. The little aluminum ladder is much better  .


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## sbrn33

B-Nabs said:


> They are if they get wet enough...
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


By that theory would fiberglass be conductive?


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## MechanicalDVR

99cents said:


> I bought one of those Little Giants and took it back. Clumsy and weighs a ton. I'm a 160 lb. weakling. The little aluminum ladder is much better  .


They are great for all different situations.

I have even used them with one side on a desk in an office.

The aluminum is much lighter than the FG.


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## MechanicalDVR

sbrn33 said:


> By that theory would fiberglass be conductive?


When they are old and hold moisture they can be.


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## sbrn33

I would never dish an aluminum ladder because Mac would get all pissy with me.


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## telsa

Why are such dead threads being brought out of the graveyard ?


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## MechanicalDVR

telsa said:


> Why are such dead threads being brought out of the graveyard ?


Well we have liberals, progressives, and apparently resurrectionists aboard here!


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## JuniorSparky

We sometimes use wooden ladders because my boss is cheap


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## lighterup

99cents said:


> I bought one of those Little Giants and took it back. Clumsy and weighs a ton. I'm a 160 lb. weakling. The little aluminum ladder is much better  .


you're a pro hockey player @ 160lbs? what ya do...skate between their legs?


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## macmikeman

sbrn33 said:


> I would never dish an aluminum ladder because Mac would get all pissy with me.


Don't pretend you haven't seen my fiberglass extension ladders that I never use since they weigh more than I do. And by the way, my $45 dollar aluminum extension ladder was very hurt by your comments and hasn't spoken a word to me in three days now.....


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## lighterup

I bought a little giant..it is kind a heavy but it sure is
nice on stairs and shed roof (I used it once on a shed 
style roof to get to a higher roof along side of it for
installing deicing cables )

sometimes I cannot talk a customer out of putting
alight fixture in the ceiling of a stairwell , so I may 
use it for that on the finish as well.

Aluminum ladders around overheads...nope not me.
Amish kid was using one when he subbed work from
cable company and was killed cause he set his alum 
ladder up against the lines above a house.


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## scotch

B-Nabs said:


> They are if they get wet enough...
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


Telco guys carry a probe for voltage testing on the wooden poles before they climb !


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## 99cents

lighterup said:


> you're a pro hockey player @ 160lbs? what ya do...skate between their legs?


Are you kidding me? I skated on my ankles as a kid. I'm a fan, I don't play.


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## joebanana

The only thing aluminum ladders are good for is scrap value.



------------------------------
joebanana is living rent free in Hackworks head.
(and just stopped up the toilet....hehe.)


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## MDShunk

JuniorSparky said:


> We sometimes use wooden ladders because my boss is cheap


Not so sure I'd call him cheap. Have you ever bought or looked at the prices of a commercially rated wooden stepladder? I know of Bauer in New York maybe the most popular and Red Top makes the three legged ones for on gravel. They're getting harder to find in commercial ratings. A 6' 1A stepladder in wood is a couple hundred bucks.


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## HackWork

MechanicalDVR said:


> Yeah I with you on this, I had a aluminum articulating ladder in my van and it was like half the weight of the FG model of the same ladder.
> 
> *I never used it if I had to work on something live*.


Me either.

That's what I pay other people to do.


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## eddy current

JuniorSparky said:


> We sometimes use wooden ladders because my boss is cheap


You mean he is cheap because they are very old? Other than the weight those old wooden ladders are great to a contractor. They last much longer than anything new, aluminum or fiberglass. They can also be tightened up when they start getting wobbly.


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