That ladder setup that nearly took me out last Tuesday

I was running a new drop line for a customer over on Maple Street and my telescoping ladder slid out from under me. I had it on a sloped driveway but thought the feet were gripped good enough. Next thing I know I'm sliding down the siding with the ladder tipping sideways. Scraped my arm up pretty bad and bent the ladder's locking mechanism. Had to drive 40 minutes back to the shop to grab a spare. Anyone else ever have a ladder fail on them like that in a weird spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

maryh962mo ago

I started putting a rubber mat under my ladder feet on any slope after a buddy of mine ate it on a wet driveway. Makes a huge difference, haven't slipped since.

evan2952mo ago

Wow, what kind of mat are you using?

rileyl982mo ago

I totally get what you mean about the rubber mat thing. I actually read a site a while back that said some people use old yoga mats cut to size for ladder work. It sounded weird at first but the grip on those things is no joke, especially on wet pavement. I tried it last fall on my own driveway after a rain, and I didn't feel any slipping at all. The foam just grabs the ground way better than bare plastic or rubber feet. It's a cheap fix too, you can grab a yoga mat from a thrift store for like five bucks.