# Ladder footers



## belexes (Jun 15, 2010)

So when you're footing someone on a ladder (not a genie), your principal job is to watch out for people or objects that could potentially interfere with the ladder, right? Or does one's responsibility go beyond that? We're talking about ladders that are self supporting ie you don't have to hold the ladder.


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## ajb (Jun 16, 2010)

That *should* be the case, as well as providing general ground support, ie catching or handing up gear or tools. Of course I (and I'm sure many other people here) have seen footers used to provide ballast to a ladder that is placed on an angled or otherwise precarious position, or from which a person at the top is leaning out, etc. It should go without saying that this sort of thing is outside the intended usage of just about every ladder out there, and so should not be done. 

That said, you will find places/situations where that's sort of a 'wink,wink, nudge,nudge' rule, and people will do it anyway. In such cases you should know that misusing a ladder presents a very real risk of serious injury, and it's often left up to you to recognize that what other people are doing--or asking you to do--is dangerous, and you would not be in the wrong to point this out or refuse to take part in it. Doing so may get you into trouble or even cost you work, but your reasonable safety is more important than a job. And if you *do* get into trouble for refusing to do something that is unreasonably dangerous, you very likely will have legal recourse.


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## FMEng (Jun 25, 2010)

When I am working on a ladder, I want the ground assistant to keep other people away from the work area. I don't want a dropped wrench to put someone in the hospital. The assistant needs a hard hat for that same reason.


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## BrockTucker (Jun 25, 2010)

FMEng said:


> I don't want a dropped wrench to put someone in the hospital.



Of course that would only happen in the freak chance your safety chain breaks.


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## shiben (Jun 27, 2010)

BrockTucker said:


> Of course that would only happen in the freak chance your safety chain breaks.



Not at all. If you are using, say, setwear's safety leash, on a 10 foot ladder or so you can hit someone with a wrench fairly hard. Same with a lot of other leashes, or home-brew type things. I have had the knot in my wrist leash fail at least once, just due to wear and tear on the knot. stuff from whatever your working on can fall, and cause serious injury. While cabling in a black box situation, how many people have NEVER dropped a cable end and it has swung down into head hight of others? Stuff breaks, and accidents like this happen, despite our best attempts to avert them. The best plan is to keep people out of the way so that should one happen, no one ends up in the ER.


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