# Make sure your extension ladder is locked



## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

I was working on the roof yesterday of my 2 story shed I'm taking down when my extention ladder blew over. My daughter(36) was around and stood it back up for me but didn't lock it in correctly, when I stepped on it I came straight down and in a hurry. I got lucky but did go to the hospital to get checked over, some small fractures in my orbital socket and some severe bruising but I'm fine. I should have asked her if she knew how to lock the ladder. I feel bad for her because she saw me fall and think she's at fault. 
Double check when someone else raises your extension ladder, only takes a minute.
Be safe out there everyone.
Not my best side, lol.













Tim


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Oh boy, that's a bummer. You will be in pain for a few days. Sorry you had to go thru that. I bet your daughter feels like ____


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

She feels worse that I look.

Tim


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## CWL (Jul 7, 2020)

Oh man that could have been so much worse. Just showed your pictures to one of my crew as a quick safety reminder/discussion.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Did time slow down, I came of the wrong side of a 6' step ladder one time. As I was falling i had time to think " Oh crap if I get hurt my wife will kill me" all the way down before I hit and it was not far.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

I saw the shingles fly by and then I was standing heading to the house to wash up, the fall was 12-15 ft.
I bounce well.

Tim


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

Wrong story, say that the guy who hit you is in intensive care now.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

You should see the other guy, lol.

Tim


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Wow, take care of yourself buddy.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Glad that you "bounce well" Canbug !

One day, you and your daughter will bring this up and laugh


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## ohm it hertz (Dec 2, 2020)

Oof! Glad you're alright.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Wow sorry to see that happen.
Quite the shiner.
Hope for a speedy recovery.


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## MoscaFibra (Apr 15, 2021)

Honestly one of my fears when I am up on a roof. I've never felt nervous on a man lift at all, but extension ladders give me the nerves. Even A frame ladders, of which I have fallen off of don't bother me as much.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

You're a lucky man. 12 ft fall could have done some major damage.
Now you can justify buying that boom lift lol


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

Canbug .. I hope you recover quickly. You're kind of down playing your injuries. Take a couple of days off work and rest.
It's not your Daughters fault. She had no idea how ladders work and was only trying to help,
IMO working around the house is normally where people get hurt.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

I am taking a couple of days off, wife insisted, I am moving a bit slower and I am aware that I am lucky. It could have been much worse. Thanks.

Tim


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Two of us were on a roof when the wind blew the ladder over. Nearest person was 10 miles a way and no cell coverage. As luck would have it the snow was petty deep so I jumped in a drift then put the ladder back up and learned to always tie the ladder off after that.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

I got stuck in a bucket truck that stalled, I called for someone to come get me but after an hour in the heat, I shimmied down just in time to see the guy come around the corner.

Tim.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Glad you're still here!


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

You actually probably just lucked out. Imagine what a Father's Day gift you will get from your daughter this year!


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## GrayHair (Jan 14, 2013)

Glad you are OK, relatively. It seems we get injured more off the job rather than on. 

A friend owns a 2-way radio shop and does tower work (antennas, mounts, feed-lines, relamping, etc) including TV and FM. A few years ago he fell getting a cat out of a tree. 750', 1000' and higher up a tower and no injuries; 20' up an extension ladder to a tree and he was laid up for months. Another off the job injury. At 77-78 years old, he is back to climbing.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

Ya, my wife was shocked that I "fell off a ladder" she thought to herself how the hell did that happen, he's good on ladders.

Tim


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

Not going to let the shed kick my a$$, got back at it today and got the second story down.














Tim


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

canbug said:


> Not going to let the shed kick my a$$, got back at it today and got the second story down.
> View attachment 156696
> View attachment 156697
> 
> ...


A good push with a front end loader would have saved you a ton of grief, unless you are planning on selling all those 2x4s and retiring


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## cuba_pete (Dec 8, 2011)

canbug said:


> Not going to let the shed kick my a$$, got back at it today and got the second story down.
> View attachment 156696
> View attachment 156697
> 
> ...


Well, there...at least the ground wasn't frozen! Hope you feel better, soon.


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## FaultCurrent (May 13, 2014)

Got near the top of a 24 ft extension ladder when I felt it slip. Looked down and saw the the lock was not on top of rungs. Dammit... and there I went. As I fell I grabbed a window sill and hung on for a second, swung, and then fell the rest of the way. Hit the deck on my side, was my ass hurting. Luckily I broke my fall by grabbing the sill otherwise I would have been busted up way worse. Ever since then I always make sure top section of extension ladder is locked. Falls are the worst thing outside of electrocution that can happen to any electrician.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

canbug said:


> I got stuck in a bucket truck that stalled, I called for someone to come get me but after an hour in the heat, I shimmied down just in time to see the guy come around the corner.
> 
> Tim.


Been there, done that. 
One time my youngest got sick and had to stay home from school. He was too young at the time to stay home alone and neither my wife or I were able to take time off from work. So away he went with me, lol.

I had him situated in the front seat of my bucket truck with crackers, gatorades and an Ipad while I was changing lamps and ballasts in a parking lot. Somewhere in the mix of it, he decides to move around a bit and accidentally hits a bitton on my dash that changed the overide on the upper controls of the bucket to the lower controls!!!!!! Crap!!!!

Luckily, I was able to yell at a nearby pedestrian to go into the cab and hit the button changing it back to the upper controls. In the end it all worked out and i didn’t really get upset over it, but I definitely thought I was going to have to shimmy down that shaft too!!!! Haha. Good times.

Btw, hope you get better soon man. Take it easy for a few days and rest up. God bless!


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## Mob4life27 (Jun 23, 2021)

See this is exactly why I always double check ladders and basically double check everything that I’m responsible for and everything that I have to rely on like
Ladders safe harnesses, or things that will hurt someone if not done correctly. Like hooking up a trailer and securing loads in pickup beds or trailers. The drive is responsible if on the road the trailer falls off. I make sure the driver witch most of the time is me double checks everything before they hop in the truck. Nice of her to pick up and set the ladder back up but too bad you fell and I’m sure she’s going to be real scared to help you with anything like that in the future too.


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## Djea3 (Mar 8, 2019)

MoscaFibra said:


> Honestly one of my fears when I am up on a roof. I've never felt nervous on a man lift at all, but extension ladders give me the nerves. Even A frame ladders, of which I have fallen off of don't bother me as much.


In the early 80's I was in San Jose, CA in a quonset hut. Doors open and could see all the way through many huts as all their doors were open and they were in line. I was on a 14 ft A frame ladder changing light fixtures. I happened to look through the line of quonset huts....and saw a huge wave coming at me. The ground was a wave(s) just like the ocean. It was an earthquake. I jumped off the ladder, hit the ground rolling and got up. That ladder went several feet into the air when the wave hit. I will NEVER forget seeing the ground become a wave.


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## cuba_pete (Dec 8, 2011)

Djea3 said:


> I will NEVER forget seeing the ground become a wave.


Yeah...it's so freaky. One never expects to see the earth bent like that.


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## MoscaFibra (Apr 15, 2021)

Djea3 said:


> In the early 80's I was in San Jose, CA in a quonset hut. Doors open and could see all the way through many huts as all their doors were open and they were in line. I was on a 14 ft A frame ladder changing light fixtures. I happened to look through the line of quonset huts....and saw a huge wave coming at me. The ground was a wave(s) just like the ocean. It was an earthquake. I jumped off the ladder, hit the ground rolling and got up. That ladder went several feet into the air when the wave hit. I will NEVER forget seeing the ground become a wave.


I had to look up a quonset hut was, but jeez that sounds terryfing!


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## Djea3 (Mar 8, 2019)

MoscaFibra said:


> I had to look up a quonset hut was, but jeez that sounds terryfing!


I forgot I never told that story to my wife. She told me a midwestern woman in her office building ran screaming, she grabbed her a taught her what to do but saw the road become waves. We think that was 1984ish?
Give me an earthquake over a Hurricane any day (especially in a Quonset hut)! An earthquake happens, you pick up the pieces, fix things quickly and go back to work (in '89 we had to live in a tent in our yard for 5 weeks for electricity restoration and gas repair, but I never missed an hour of work).
A Hurricane is watched for 10 days, then when within 500 miles all real estate sales stop, you can't purchase a new car and be insured, or even renew any policy if not paid on time! Employees don't want to come to work, the list goes on and on. Then, suddenly all the businesses close and people leave the area. You can't find bottled water, a can of soup or gasoline. HUMIDITY. RAIN. HOT. Prices skyrocket. The the hurricane passes by, hit or not and usually almost no real damage except 10 days lost productivity over not much, and cleaning up tree debris for a few days. Been through Many hurricanes since 04, but give me an earthquake any day.


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## cutlerhammer (Aug 16, 2011)

canbug said:


> I was working on the roof yesterday of my 2 story shed I'm taking down when my extention ladder blew over. My daughter(36) was around and stood it back up for me but didn't lock it in correctly, when I stepped on it I came straight down and in a hurry. I got lucky but did go to the hospital to get checked over, some small fractures in my orbital socket and some severe bruising but I'm fine. I should have asked her if she knew how to lock the ladder. I feel bad for her because she saw me fall and think she's at fault.
> Double check when someone else raises your extension ladder, only takes a minute.
> Be safe out there everyone.
> Not my best side, lol.
> ...


When I get on my roof with an extension ladder, you couldn't drive a nail up my ass with a shedge hammer. I used to be relaxed on a roof, but like my neighbor used to say, "It's not the fall that hurts you, it's the sudden stop!"


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## MoscaFibra (Apr 15, 2021)

Djea3 said:


> Been through Many hurricanes since 04, but give me an earthquake any day.


I have never been through a hurricane or earthquake. I live in a pretty temperate and moderate area. Worst I could living abroad was a massive dust storm that colored everything red! And being on a ferry with 8m squalls was pretty intense too but we made it through. Just the thought of the road rippling across.....also I never knew those details of hurricanes before. Definitely just saw them as news on the weather channel.....


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## controlsgirl (Aug 31, 2012)

canbug said:


> I was working on the roof yesterday of my 2 story shed I'm taking down when my extention ladder blew over. My daughter(36) was around and stood it back up for me but didn't lock it in correctly, when I stepped on it I came straight down and in a hurry. I got lucky but did go to the hospital to get checked over, some small fractures in my orbital socket and some severe bruising but I'm fine. I should have asked her if she knew how to lock the ladder. I feel bad for her because she saw me fall and think she's at fault.
> Double check when someone else raises your extension ladder, only takes a minute.
> Be safe out there everyone.
> Not my best side, lol.
> ...


Ouch!! I've actually done this to myself before! Scared the crap out of me.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

I'll never forget my Granddad's last words to me just before he died. "Are you still holding the ladder?"


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