Who says work at height says work using a ladder, scaffolding or a stepladder. Faced with the abundant supply, it is difficult to choose good gun flooring safe over another and it is sometimes even more difficult to use it well to work in complete safety.
What are the right questions to ask yourself when buying a ladder and how do you use it properly? Here are all of our tips for using a ladder to open heighted gun safes.
Zoom on the scales
In the market for safe's ladders, we find four main categories. Simple ladder convertible ladder sliding ladderArticulated ladderNumber of plans1 single plan.2 to 3 shots.2 to 3 shots.3 plans minimum.UsesUse by resting on a wall.
Use in several positions:
resting like a simple floor safe ladder;
on 2 planes like a floor safe stepladder;
on 3 planes, with a good height flooring safe ladder without needing to lean on the support;
with a catch of level, in a staircase.
Use by resting on a vertical surface.
Hand or rope sliding system.
Articulated, they can be used in several classic positions:
simple scale;
stepladder;
with the additional function of platform and wall spreader.
HeightFor heights <5 mUp to 8 great height up to 5 m
1.Work at heights The choice for one model over another is based on the right working height: its calculation is simple since it is based on the position of a man on a ladder, his arms raised to work. Knowing that you should always leave three rungs in front of you from the one where your feet are located (to ensure a guardrail) and that the working height starts from your feet up to your raised arms, just remove one meter at working height to get the size of the scale.
Example: you must work at 4 m, your ladder must be at least 3 m.Warning: if the ladder has to allow access somewhere, the ladder must exceed the desired height by one meter. So if the ledge is 5m you need a 6m ladder.
2.Determine the type of flooring safe based on its use
The workplace determines the type of ladder.
If in doubt, or if you want to be able to work a little in all conditions, opt for a transformable gun safe ladder, these are the most versatile.
If you use your ladder occasionally for supporting work, i.e. the ladder placed on a low vertical surface, opt for a simple ladder.
Summary table of the different scale uses according to their useWorksScale typeSimpleSlidingTransformable2 plans3 shots2 plans3 shotsOn roof with floorNoPerfectPerfectYesYesOn a single-storey roofPossiblePossiblePossiblePerfectPerfectFacadePossiblePerfectPerfectPossibleYesInteriorYesNoNoPerfectPerfectPruningPossiblePerfectPerfectPossibleYesHedge trimmerNoNoNoPerfectPerfectPicking fruit treesNoNoNoYesPerfectNote: the articulated ladder allows you to work in almost all conditions without exceeding 5 meters, indoors or outdoors.
3.Work safely while opening weapon floor safe
For your ladder to benefit from the NF label, it must have a flared base , this base allows you to work on all types of soil .
Ladders with a simple base or with an attached base can only be used on flat and stable floors .
The EN 131 standard guarantees that the ladder can support a weight of 150 kg and that its profiles have a minimum thickness of:
1 mm for steel;
1.2 mm for aluminium.
Position your ladder
For sliding and multi-plan ladders, your ladder should be positioned on the wall with the climb plan directly in front of you, placed on the ground while the next plan rests on the wall.
Before you climb your ladder, check that all flooring safes are in place and that your ladder is resting on sufficiently strong and stable ground.
In addition, it is recommended to fix it in the upper part or in the lower part when possible. The method of fixing is left to your choice, most often it is done with a rope.
Example: circle the tree with the rope, passing it around a rung of the ladder. So the ladder is attached to the tree. Tilt your ladder
The inclination of your ladder is very important. In fact, if it is tilted too much, it can slide, not enough, it can tip back.
Here's a tip for getting the right tilt angle:
Place the ladder against the wall and stand in front of the ladder.
Then position your feet at the level of the feet of the ladder and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height, palms against the wall.
Tilt your ladder from your feet and you have the perfect position for your ladder.
Position your body Unless you are using a ladder to climb from the ground to a ledge in which case it must be high enough for it, you must always leave a protection of 3 rungs from the last one where your feet rest. For a ladder that rests on the wall, the flared base gives you better stability, but that does not exempt you from checking that it is on stable ground.
4.Transport your ladder safely
Walk
On foot, to transport your ladder safely:
Insert your arm, left or right, between the rungs to balance the ladder to distribute its weight over your shoulder.
Lean the front of the ladder down and when you need to change direction, check that the back of the ladder is clear of any obstacles.
Warning: if you are transporting a sliding or convertible ladder, check that the plans are perfectly blocked and that the ropes do not drag on the ground.On the roof of your car
To safely transport your ladder on the roof of your car you must:
Have a gallery suitable for your vehicle as well as strong straps or ropes.
Place your ladder on the gallery making sure that the front of the ladder does not protrude from the cover and that at the rear it does not protrude more than 1 meter.
Place a red cloth at the rear end of the ladder, or better still, reflective signage, mandatory if you must drive at night.
Read more at TheGunLocker.