Safe Steps For High-Up Home Maintenance

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Safe Steps For High-Up Home Maintenance

Safety Tips When Home "Spruce Up" Projects Have You Up In The Air

(HIT) - From curtain hanging to window washing and seasonal attic storage, Spring has a way of bringing out the family ladder. Few households are without some semblance of the handy invention and few households are without harrowing stories of when the equipment was missing or misused.

Ladders in the 21st century come in a variety of sizes and shapes. By definition they are structures made of wood, metal, fiberglass, or even rope, for climbing up and down. And although ladders are sometimes highly customized for a specific use, we found the following universal safety issues at http://wernerladder.com/safety/dos.php to be steps ahead of ordinary common sense.

One Attic Ladder Fits All! Werner’s new aluminum Universal Attic Ladder (model AL2210) takes the guesswork out of accessing your attic, fits all ceiling heights from 7'8" to 10'3" and installs into any opening from 22-1/2" X 54" or larger. Log on to www.wernerladder.com/atticladders/ to view complete step-by-step installation instructions.

Ladder Do’s and Do Not’s

Do—properly set up and use the ladder

Do Not—stand above the highest safe standing level. (Don’t stand above the second step from the top of a stepladder or the fourth rung from the top of an extension ladder).

Do—wear shoes with non-slip soles.

Do Not—climb a closed stepladder (or climb on the back of a stepladder).

Do—center body on the ladder and keep belt buckle between the rails while maintains a firm grip.

Do Not—stand or sit on a stepladder top or pail shelf.

Do—have another person help with a heavy ladder.

Do Not—climb a ladder if you are not physically and mentally up to the task.

Do—have another person hold the ladder while you are working on it.

Do Not—exceed the Duty Rating–maximum load capacity—of a ladder. Don’t permit more than one person on a single-sided stepladder or an extension ladder.

Do—Climb facing the ladder, move one step at a time and firmly set one foot before moving the other.

Don’t—place the base of an extension ladder too close to or too far away from the building.

Do—Haul materials with a line rather than carry them up an extension ladder.

Don’t—over-reach, lean to one side or try to move a ladder while on it. Climb down and then reposition the ladder closer to your work.

Do—use extra caution when carrying anything on a ladder.

About Werner Ladder Company:

Werner Co. is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of ladders, climbing equipment, and ladder accessories. Backed by over 50 years of product innovation, Werner leads the industry with its commitment to the design and manufacture of quality products that meet or exceed applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) codes and standards for strength and structural integrity. Werner is headquartered in Greenville, Pa.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

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