# Do Not Stand Above this Step! Etc.



## Chicago (Feb 17, 2005)

*Ok, I haven't always been the best at following directions and I'm cursed with exceptionally good balance and no fear of heights, which has led me to do things like, gulp, standing on the top of a 14 ft wooden A-frame to drill holes for 1/4" drop-in anchors; walk across attic joists, hands free, above the great room and open to the basement....about a 40foot drop; And climb along the trussing of gymnasiums to get into locations that the lift just couldn't reach........among other death defying stunts. The list could go on and on and on. A real candidate for the Darwin awards only I'm not dead yet.

My point is this. Fear is good. When you don't have enough of it, you end up putting yourself in a very very bad situation. I am nothing but lucky and willing to admit now that I did some stupid stupid things. Yes I felt safe at the time, but that was my problem. I should have felt the fear of consequence bearing down on me. 

Now with a wife and child, the fears are real and I know better.

If you are like I was, I suggest you take a look at your future and size of the reality of the situations that you put yourself in for the sake of completing a task.*


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Post of the day! :Thumbs: 

Kinda like "Don't try this at home, folks. This is done on a closed jobsite by an experienced professional, and for demonstration purposes only."


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## MisterFIXIT1983 (Jun 4, 2006)

*It makes you wonder...*

Yeah... I have extreme fears... or better yet im overly cautious... But this topic really hit me cause a few days ago i was on a 7 foot ladder (I'm only 5'3" so thats like mount everest to me) but i was looking and read that warning, then thought to myself... how come those last 2 steps they tell you not to stand on have grip tape or treads on them... youd think if you werent intended to stand on them then theyd make them like round or something not easy to stand on... and comon grip tape on a step your not supposed to stand on? anyone else ever thought about this?


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## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

When moving, I step down to the first step and hop with the ladder like fixed 4 legged stilts.:whistling

Bob


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## Scott Young (Dec 23, 2005)

i have done those things and others. your right. i am trying to be more cautious now that i have a wife and two kids.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I don't even like to pick up a hammer in fear I will smash my thumb. I would much rather use a nail gun. I know those won't hurt you, I've seen all the news stories where guys go around for a few weeks with 20 nails in thier heads from a nail gun miss-firing.


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## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

Oh, you stand on that warning too, eh? I can reach about 14-15' on a six foot ladder, lol! I keep tellin' myself I gotta quit that.


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## Rich Wozny (Aug 18, 2005)

After 30 plus years of marriage, I would think one has less inhibithion in doing risky ladder moves, In my case it would be a welcome departure.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

lol, that's so funny!! woz


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

I posted this on the DIY forum to show off a metal roof we finished last winter. Point from me is I am too old to monkey around on a safetly line like http://www.contractortalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2304&stc=1&d=1149539727the "boys" who work for me!:w00t:



This is a home built in 1904 (before statehood), the roof is a 12/12...and my foreman is the "boy" on the top, shooting the last trim screws down..no safety line now since it screws in at the ridge intersection.


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## ch0mpie (Nov 30, 2005)

Chicago said:


> *My point is this. Fear is good. When you don't have enough of it, you end up putting yourself in a very very bad situation. I am nothing but lucky and willing to admit now that I did some stupid stupid things. Yes I felt safe at the time, but that was my problem. I should have felt the fear of consequence bearing down on me.
> *


When I first became an inspector I was required to take Osha's 40 hour HAZWOPER training course. I wish I was required to take that class when I first started working in construction, it gave me the fear I near had. 
If you've never taken it, the course consistes mostly of common sense type stuff, how to read an msds and container labels, and proper use of ppe, but some of the stories, photos, and videos the instructor showed are enough to scare anyone.


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## vtgaetano (Mar 5, 2006)

There are a couple of painters around here known as "dink" and "grump" swear to god, Grump has been known to move Dink around on the forty foot ladder while Dink is still on the top of it! Now that's safety at it's best.


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