Idiots on Ladders Winner
The votes have been counted and the results are in! After a record number of people voted in the latest "Idiots on Ladders" competition, we can now finally reveal the winner. Run by the Ladder Association, the Idiots on Ladders competition is turning into an annual celebration of the stupid, the reckless and the truly terrifying when it comes to avoiding the Health and Safety manual. From the Ladder Association, Michael Fern (Communications & Social Media Officer) said: “This year the public sent in more pictures of people working dangerously at height than ever before, and some of the pictures were among the most unbelievable we have seen...Along with the winner, [...]
Ladder News Round Up – Part 3
In the last part of our regular ladder news update we looked at reports of fatalities following accidents on ladders, as well as ladder related crimes and thefts. Next up we look at how the fire service have been using ladders recently. Ladders for Charity Firefighters often use their ladder skills to raise money for charity: we're always seeing stories about them climbing ladders for long distances and time periods, or sitting at the top of them in an endurance challenge. At the end of August in Manchester, UK, two firefighters climbed the height of Everest on a ladder. Kevan Downey and David Cracknell are no strangers to fund raising for [...]
Get Fit on a Ladder
The time for New Year's Resolutions is upon us and many people will be thinking about getting fit or losing weight (especially after the Christmas indulgence and seemingly never ending parade of nibbles, chocolates and turkey based meals). Joining the gym is one way of doing this, starting a diet or going running are also popular ways of keeping fit, but did you realise you can use a ladder to improve your fitness and agility? OK, so it's not a ladder you could use to climb to any height, but it's a ladder nonetheless. The fitness and agility ladder is flat, painted on a floor or made from rope and laid [...]
The Three Little Pigs (Part 2)
Little did they know that the idyllic looking field they had chosen was also a favourite hunting ground for the local big bad wolf and as night fell the wolf emerged from his den in the woods and sniffed the air. “I smell something TASTY!†exclaimed the wolf as the breeze wafted the scent of the three little pigs straight into his nostrils. The big bad wolf had dreamed of eating pork for many years, but the electric fences at all the local farms had thwarted his efforts thus far. He had even tried using a ladder to climb over the fences, but being a wolf, he didn’t realise that metal [...]
Ladder Action Round Up – Part 2
Following on from part one now it’s time to see what the brave folks in the fire service have been up to. Starting in Mildred, Pennsylvania, we see Fire Chief Josh Fitzgerald rescue a man from a porch roof when a fire broke out in the kitchen of his apartment. Luckily, no-one else was home at the time, as seven of the nine apartments in the block are currently let. The fire broke out on the second storey, and the man could not get to the stairs. He climbed out of the window and onto the porch roof below, where Chief Fitzgerald reached him with a twenty-foot ladder. The victim had [...]
Alternative Christmas Ladder Uses
While you’ve got the ladder out this Christmas, you might find some extra uses for it. When all your guests turn up in coats, hats, scarves etc…you can use a ladder or stepladder as a makeshift coat stand. Just make sure there’s no wet paint or grease on it first and the humble ladder instantly transforms into an elegant coat rack! A smaller step ladder can be used as a shoe rack, keeping wet shoes off the floors while using a smaller amount of space than all the shoes in a heap by the door. Christmas Ladder Forts Kids have always loved making dens and forts to play in, so with [...]
Life’s a beach
After a fairly decent summer (certainly by UK standards!) and with a small hint that we still might get even warmer weather next summer, we felt inspired to look at how ladders can play an important part in our favourite sun-soaked destination, the beach! The first stop on the tour is in Sidmouth, Devon, where the local beach is called Jacob's Ladder Beach. The name comes from the set of steps (not technically a ladder) that provide access from Connaught Gardens at the top of the cliff. There is also a level pathway from the main beach so everyone can access it. The view from the top of the ladder over [...]
Ladder Action Round Up – Part 1
It’s time to see what’s been happening in the world of ladders around the globe. We start this month’s review with a focus on ladder thefts and other crimes. Now that the days are shorter the theft of ladders and incidences of burglaries will start to fall, as there are fewer open windows and less DIY equipment is left outside. In Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire, thieves used oil to help them steal a set of ladders from the roof of a van during the night. Even though the ladders were clamped and locked, thieves managed to make off with the ladders by greasing the equipment and silently stealing them without alerting the [...]
Fifty Fire Escape Ladders for Josh
In northern Iowa, USA, residents of Charles City have started a project called Operation Josh's Ladder, which aims to raise money to buy escape ladders for all two-storey homes. So far, the group has purchased fifty such ladders and distributed them to homes in the city, along with training provided by a Fire Chief from a nearby town. The ladders are the portable type, meaning they are not fixed to the windowsill but can be stored near the window and deployed quickly in an emergency by way of the windowsill hooks. Operation Josh's Ladder was started after 27-year-old Josh Nelson died in a fire in March this year. He was unable [...]
What Can I Do With a Telescopic Ladder
Telescopic ladders are incredibly compact straight ladders that can be stored in the smallest of spaces. Midland Ladders carry a 2.9 metre model and three 3.8 metre models: for taller heights a rigid straight ladder is recommended. The beauty of a telescopic ladder lies in the reduced storage space as well as the ease of transportation. For people living in small homes, including mobile homes and small self build projects the telescopic ladder allows for ownership of a ladder without the need for a lot of space to store it in. Most of the models on the market will fit easily into a car boot, so they can be kept in [...]
