A few years ago a Texas homeowner was attempting to clear a tree limb from rubbing against his shingled roof. He has asked his next door neighbor for help, but the man was just leaving for a family outing. The homeowner was short on time, having a busy week planned and finally asked his wife for assistance late Sunday afternoon, since the next door neighbor hadn’t made it back from the out of town visit.
The limb was approximately fifteen feet in length with a base circumference of about twelve inches. The darn thing ended up weighing more than 350 lbs!
They didn’t know that before the accident.
Unfortunately, with his wife holding the ladder, and while he was balancing himself to cut the limb with a borrowed chainsaw, the most unexpected thing …show more content…
It’s been around for years, but never intended to be used on lawn surfaces or at unsupported angles.
A frequently overlooked matter when using an extension ladder is the failure to calculate the strength of the ladder to bear up under the weight of both the homeowner, the saw, and the potential weight of the limb to be cut.
Sometimes a helper makes the mistake of also ascending the ladder, either as planned or in a quick fix to a difficult situation. The ladder is constructed for only a certain amount of weight regardless of how brief amount of time all the weight is bearing down on it.
The length of the ladder is a factor that is to be respected. Most extension ladders clearly state that the top step is not to be used for standing. Yet, many homeowners have lost their balance just because they were only going to stretch and be on that top step for just a few seconds or minutes.
A minimum of five feet is the safest length at which the ladder should exceed the heighth of the limb to be …show more content…
Makeshift or Inappropriate Use of Tools
Homeowners may not be accustomed to the use of tools such as pole saws, hand saws, or chain saws. Even if they have had previous knowledge, that practice may have become unlearned over years of inactivity with such tools.
A dull cutting instrument of any kind is a danger even when used for the purpose it was shaped. When cuts seem slow, then invariably the seemingly natural reaction is to apply more pressure. When more pressure is required, the operator can easily become unbalanced or the equipment can malfunction or be lost from the grip of the operator.
The size of the saw, the sharpness of the saw, and the proper use of the saw on the proper material all account for important factors in the success or harm that comes from inexperience or out of practiced skills.
Mistaken Calculations or Unexpected Conditions
Not all, in fact, not most tree trimmed limbs can be settled with just one cut. Trees are natural systems of tension, adhesion, separation whether they are living or
The limb was approximately fifteen feet in length with a base circumference of about twelve inches. The darn thing ended up weighing more than 350 lbs!
They didn’t know that before the accident.
Unfortunately, with his wife holding the ladder, and while he was balancing himself to cut the limb with a borrowed chainsaw, the most unexpected thing …show more content…
It’s been around for years, but never intended to be used on lawn surfaces or at unsupported angles.
A frequently overlooked matter when using an extension ladder is the failure to calculate the strength of the ladder to bear up under the weight of both the homeowner, the saw, and the potential weight of the limb to be cut.
Sometimes a helper makes the mistake of also ascending the ladder, either as planned or in a quick fix to a difficult situation. The ladder is constructed for only a certain amount of weight regardless of how brief amount of time all the weight is bearing down on it.
The length of the ladder is a factor that is to be respected. Most extension ladders clearly state that the top step is not to be used for standing. Yet, many homeowners have lost their balance just because they were only going to stretch and be on that top step for just a few seconds or minutes.
A minimum of five feet is the safest length at which the ladder should exceed the heighth of the limb to be …show more content…
Makeshift or Inappropriate Use of Tools
Homeowners may not be accustomed to the use of tools such as pole saws, hand saws, or chain saws. Even if they have had previous knowledge, that practice may have become unlearned over years of inactivity with such tools.
A dull cutting instrument of any kind is a danger even when used for the purpose it was shaped. When cuts seem slow, then invariably the seemingly natural reaction is to apply more pressure. When more pressure is required, the operator can easily become unbalanced or the equipment can malfunction or be lost from the grip of the operator.
The size of the saw, the sharpness of the saw, and the proper use of the saw on the proper material all account for important factors in the success or harm that comes from inexperience or out of practiced skills.
Mistaken Calculations or Unexpected Conditions
Not all, in fact, not most tree trimmed limbs can be settled with just one cut. Trees are natural systems of tension, adhesion, separation whether they are living or