Adjustable Ladder

[bobgaggle]

Ladders are one of those, "you manage your own risk" type of devices. Assuming the ladder isn't falling apart, its only as safe as you are. Like some of the others, I've ridden around on an A frame with the telescoping center straight ladder. Yep its like climbing the mast of a tall ship out at sea, but if you do the leg wrap through the rungs you can securely work with both hands. I've also been clipped in atop a scissor lift on the stage of a cruise ship when the storm blew in. Felt way safer on the old rolling A frame. It should be understood that if you climb a ladder, you may fall off. One of those inherent risks we can never mitigate to zero.

Now to the task at hand, the least scary FOH light pipe access I've come across is the purpose built rolling wagon with different height legs for the rake of the house. Fixed casters, lots of bracing to straddle the seats. A frame ladder bolted to the deck of the platform. Now, say what you will about the risk of the next part. Somebody had rigged up a little dumbwaiter type tray thing, so the guy perched at the top didn't have to bring all his gel frames and gobos and such up the ladder with him. Ground guys would roll him over to the next light and send up the appropriate bits.

 

[Aaron S.]

Ladders are one of those, "you manage your own risk" type of devices. Assuming the ladder isn't falling apart, its only as safe as you are. Like some of the others, I've ridden around on an A frame with the telescoping center straight ladder. Yep its like climbing the mast of a tall ship out at sea, but if you do the leg wrap through the rungs you can securely work with both hands. I've also been clipped in atop a scissor lift on the stage of a cruise ship when the storm blew in. Felt way safer on the old rolling A frame. It should be understood that if you climb a ladder, you may fall off. One of those inherent risks we can never mitigate to zero.

Now to the task at hand, the least scary FOH light pipe access I've come across is the purpose built rolling wagon with different height legs for the rake of the house. Fixed casters, lots of bracing to straddle the seats. A frame ladder bolted to the deck of the platform. Now, say what you will about the risk of the next part. Somebody had rigged up a little dumbwaiter type tray thing, so the guy perched at the top didn't have to bring all his gel frames and gobos and such up the ladder with him. Ground guys would roll him over to the next light and send up the appropriate bits.

I too have seen some good rigs. A steeldeck platform with casters and we threw a single man genie up on top.

Unfortunately, that isn't an option for me in this situation.

 

[almorton]

I too have been up on those ladders, being pushed around a stage at the top of the stick while focusing.

Sounds as fun as being pushed around in the basket of a Talle - highly frowned upon, especially if the outriggers aren't in use; at one point there was talk of outlawing Talle's altogether.

 

[RonHebbard]

Sounds as fun as being pushed around in the basket of a Talle - highly frowned upon, especially if the outriggers aren't in use; at one point there was talk of outlawing Talle's altogether.

In the basket of a Talle' straddling the upper handrail while standing on the lower and hefting 5 degree ellipsoidal overhead.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[derekleffew]

at one point there was talk of outlawing Talle's altogether.

Assume you're speaking of what we in the US call a tallescope. Actually most americans would simply call it a "cherry picker." Once sold by Upright Scaffolding, now discontinued/obsolete if not outright illegal. A shame really, as they did have their purposes and charms.

 

[bobgaggle]

Where I grew up this was a cherry picker

 

[SteveB]

Assume you're speaking of what we in the US call a tallescope. Actually most americans would simply call it a "cherry picker." Once sold by Upright Scaffolding, now discontinued/obsolete if not outright illegal. A shame really, as they did have their purposes and charms.

We had 2 of these. I spent a lot of time in these and for what they are, they were terrific. they were certainly an improvement to a 24 ft A frame on a rolling dolly. I suspect the clamp on outriggers were not really going to hold if it started to tip with 250 lbs of electrician in the bucket at 22 ft., but the outriggers looked like they had a safety function.

 

[almorton]

That's the fella - also called tallescope here but often shortened to talle (tallie?). A cherry picker here is an articulated arm style lift, too.

 

[gafftaper]

@Aaron S. It's easy to focus on adjusting for the slope and forget the other angles involved. I've run into issues a couple of times where my preferred ladder for the job wouldn't fit between the seats. So be sure to also look at:
1) What is the angle coming down over the back of the chair on the side towards the rear of the house. Are the chairs too high for the legs to properly hit ground over?
2) How far apart are the two sides of the ladder when open at the height you want to use. Will that fit between rows of seats ?
3) How wide are the feet on the two ends of the ladder? How will they fit between the chairs?, Under the chairs?, over the chairs?

 

[RonHebbard]

@Aaron S. It's easy to focus on adjusting for the slope and forget the other angles involved. I've run into issues a couple of times where my preferred ladder for the job wouldn't fit between the seats. So be sure to also look at:
1) What is the angle coming down over the back of the chair on the side towards the rear of the house. Are the chairs too high for the legs to properly hit ground over?
2) How far apart are the two sides of the ladder when open at the height you want to use. Will that fit between rows of seats ?
3) How wide are the feet on the two ends of the ladder? How will they fit between the chairs?, Under the chairs?, over the chairs?

Where are you and the top of the ladder in relation to its base when extended to height?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[gafftaper]

Where are you and the top of the ladder in relation to its base when extended to height?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Yes! Not only is it easy on an adjustable ladder to find yourself shifted to an inconvenient or dangerous work position where you have to lean. Working over seats, you may end up with one set of legs dangerously vertical while the other set of legs leans a lot. This can place your center of gravity in a dangerous position without proper diagonal support.