The annual Ladder Association campaign for ladder safety is in full swing, and this year they are looking for both ladder losers; those who use ladders badly and ladder heroes; the best examples of good ladder use.  Our first example fits firmly into the first category.

An online video shows a man trying to access a ceiling by using a stepladder.  Rather than setting the ladder up on the floor, where all four legs are stable, he decided to gain some extra height by setting it up on a folding table.  It is unclear why he thought that placing cardboard underneath the legs would help in any way; perhaps he thought the ladder would be less likely to slip on the cardboard than on the slippery table surface.  Unfortunately his train of thought stopped there and he did not consider that the cardboard itself could slip on the table surface.

After climbing the precariously positioned ladder, he reaches to access the ceiling and the ladder slips on the cardboard, causing the entire contraption to come crashing down, breaking the table.  He falls to the floor watched by a colleague, who was clearly used to the stupidity and unfazed by his friend’s predicament, as he continued his phone call rather than helping his fallen workmate.  One can only hope that this latest fall was enough to make him reconsider his attitude to safety in the workplace.

Our other example could be considered to be both a poor and ingenious use of ladders.  Two men in America have posted a video of themselves shark fishing using step ladders.  They are part of Team Rebel, a group of extreme anglers based in Florida.  They started using ladders for shark fishing in 2013, and now many of the group use the tactic to get closer to the animals they catch.  The video shows the two men both sitting on top of step ladders that have been set up in shallow water.  They attempt to catch a black tipped shark that is circling them and their boats, eventually successfully snaring the large fish.  One of the men descends down the ladder to set the shark free, removing the hook with a pair of pliers.  Once the shark is free it swims away, but not before nearly knocking the ladder over as it passes underneath it.

Although no harm came to the two extreme fishermen this time, it does show how dangerous this pursuit can be, and most certainly should not be attempted by anyone who is unused to shark fishing and extreme hobbies.  It is definitely a dangerous idea and would fit well in the category of a bad use of ladders; however, we can’t help admire the bravery of the two men, nor the ingenuity of using ladders to get a bit closer to the sharks they are so interested in.  Team Rebel is careful to stress their conservation credentials and uses their position as world-renowned extreme anglers to do so.  Don’t forget to submit your ladder losers and heroes to the Ladder Association Facebook page.