This is one of my ladders. It is an articulated ladder in a partially extended position. I placed it against the house at a 4:1 ratio (roof to ground : base to wall). It is also more than 3 feet above the roof at the top. Given that I had to get out the ladder and set it up, I figured I ought to clean out the gutters 
Hello everyone, glad to be learning with you. Since I am in the ladder safety learning module, I chose the article, “Ladder Safety” by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard to review. The article covered all the video material in the course, but what I found interesting was the section on alternatives to ladders. Since home inspectors are giving a general inspection of the condition of the home, it is not necessary to physically get on every roof. There are alternatives, such as a digital camera mounted to an apparatus that syncs with your phone to view the roof condition and take pictures from ground level.
The proper way to set up a ladder is to set the ladder flat on the ground with the base of the ladder closest to the structure you’ll be climbing. Walk the ladder upright using the rungs of the ladder to make it ascend more vertical as you walk forward. Then bring the base of the ladder back away from the structure to fit the 4:1 rule (one foot away from the wall for every four feet of height from the point of contact of the structure).
This is an inspection of a 5 foot step ladder. As you can see in the image there is a dent on the back portion of the ladder. The dent compromises the structural integrity of the ladder and is unsafe for use. This ladder should be labeled and marked “do not use” until a qualified person can deem whether repair is possible. If it is deemed that repair is not an option the ladder should be disposed of properly.
According to the World Health Organization there are over 160,000 emergency room visits related to ladder falls and 300 deaths in the United States each year. A somewhat surprising fact is that most deaths occur from falls from 10 feet or less. Considering the consequences of unsafe ladder practices it is imperative to be diligent regarding the frequent inspection and use of any ladder. Although there are numerous items to consider while using ladders a few main point below should allow you to make it safely home each day.
- Inspect ladders prior to each use and at least twice yearly for defects.
- Never use a wet, dirty, damaged or otherwise compromised ladder.
- Keep ladders at least 10 feet from any electrical and never use metal ladders around electrical. Fiberglass and wooden ladders DO NOT guarantee your safety from electrical hazards.
- Maintain 3 points of contact when using ladders. Always face the ladder and never lean or stretch excessively to the sides. Use your belt buckle as a guide. Keep it inside of the rails.
- Always tie the ladder off at the top using some type of bungee cord to keep the ladder from sliding or falling from wind or when leaving the ladder or climbing back onto it.
- When possible tie the bottom of the ladder off or use a 10 inch nail to anchor the bottom to avoid the ladder slipping out from under you during load. Avoid longer stakes etc. as they can become impalement concerns.
- Utilize the 4 to 1 ratio when setting up an extension ladder and be sure to extend the top of the ladder 3 feet above the top of the structure.
- Never leave a ladder unattended. Either place the ladder on the ground or stow in back into your vehicle. While on the ladder or roof it is a good idea to place “stop” signs at the base of the ladder to keep residents or real estate professionals from attempting to climb.
I’ve listed some of the main points here but I’d strongly advise everyone to research the ladder safety article in the Internachi library of inspection articles to better educate themselves.
When approaching your climbing location it is a good habit to look at trip hazards, footing concerns, placement location, nchoring location and most importantly, overhead wires. This ground up mental checklist will avoid most hazards.
It’s important to pay attention to foot of the ladder as well as the top, most ladder accidents are caused by uneven, unstable footing. This manifests itself as you exit the ladder causing a decrease in downward pressure and therefore decreased achoring.
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Door frame rotted,
My image shows exterior door frame with a new screen door installed.
was installed on a rotted and termite infested door jam at the bottom were it comes into contact with the concrete steps, should be replaced by a qualified contractor
Scaffolds,
scaffolds are temporary Elevated platforms with supporting structures that are used to support workers and their materials at construction sites.
They should be inspected before every use.65% of construction workers use them. Every year approx. 50 workers are killed and 4,500 workers injured and 72% of injuries were caused by platform failure.Fall protection is required on scaffold 10`or higher
The attached image is that of a roof over a basement entrance. There were many things wrong with this roof structure. The slope was too low for the type of shingles and that caused the shingles to deteriorate prematurely. The flashing were not let into the mortar and the caulking was deteriorated badly. There are no flashing at the back roof / wall intersection, caulking was used and was deteriorated. There is no end cap at the end of the gutter, which also was not sloped properly. This was just one image of the roof and you can see many issues, the rest of the structure was just as bad.
Ladder Safety Article
I learned allot from this course and from the ladder safety article. Getting up on the roof has to be the most thorough way to inspect a roof. I believe most clients expect a home inspector to do the roof inspection this way however personal safety must come first. It is not always possible due to high winds, steep slopes or slippery conditions to walk the roof. I would use a spectroscope, binoculars or drone when I cannot safely use a ladder to inspect a roof. And when i do use a ladder, I would follow the procedures talked about in this course to make sure I stay safe and get back to my family in one piece.
There are many types of ladders one may safely use in an inspection. I’ve found that the ladder in the picture, an articulating one, is most convenient as it can fit in a car. They have many sizes but I would not recommend the smallest one.
This is a demonstration of how NOT to use a ladder to climb onto a roof. First, a 6’ step ladder is not tall enough or stable enough, to make the “climb” off the ladder up onto the roof is a major safety hazard. While using this ladder type is ok IF YOU ARE NOT climbing onto the roof but only taking photos from the roof edge… often time the temptation is strong to “just climb up”.
Use of a proper extension or articulating ladder with proper length & and anchoring/tie off is best for safety.
Article: Ladder Safety
I chose to focus mainly on one ladder type from this article.
Telescoping ladders.
Telescoping ladders are very tempting to have due to the convenience of their folded down size and light weight. This ladder type fits into most any vehicle to get it to a job site.
In my area, these ladder are no longer sold. The safety factor has made it so this ladder type is not sold in SW Florida stores. The issue is with locking pin failure. Whether it is due to design or corrosive salt air… the locking pins have failed enough time the the only way you can get this ladder type is thru on line purchase.
Obviously, one should not “buck” the system and buy this type of ladder because personal safety should always outweigh convenience.
A ladder would seem to be a very simple tool to use but there are many things to consider when it comes to using it safely. Before each use inspect your ladder to ensure its safety by checking for broken rungs or steps, cracks or other damage to the rails and that the feet have skid resistant rubber pads on them. When using a step ladder never work above the second rung from the top as it could cause the ladder to become unstable and tip over causing you to fall. With most ladder deaths in the United States coming as a result of a fall from 10 feet or less, even the shortest of ladders is dangerous if used improperly.
I’ve just read the Attic Pull-Down Ladder article and was initially surprised by the statement that homeowners are the ones to typically install an attic pull-down ladder. When I purchased my home it was already installed so I’ve never thought about doing it myself. I know quite a few people who believe they are handy but really aren’t so it stands to reason that there are potentially many things wrong with how these are installed and something to pay close attention to in the future.
Noted telescopic ladder is in good condition. Recently purchased. This ladder is convenient for inspectors because it can be stored easily without taking up much room, it is also portable when moving to different locations throughout a house or rooftop.
Because my current course was on ladder safety, I chose to do my research article on ladder safety as well. I want to focus on telescopic ladders specifically. Telescopic ladders use pins to adjust and extend to different lengths, making it in theory a very important tool for inspectors. However, research has shown that these pins have been shown to fail without warning, which could lead to major injury.
One would want to be so careful. that’s along way up there. going to buy a taller ladder.
I was a little facetious in my last post. Ladder safety is extremely important and it seems like anyone that uses them will at some point become careless. When this happens you will have either an accident or a near miss.