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Pro tip: I keep seeing people mess up the 3 foot rule for ladders on flat ground

I was on a site in Boise last week and watched three different guys set up extension ladders wrong. They all had the base too close to the wall, like maybe 2 feet out for a 24 foot ladder. That's a quick way to tip backwards if you lean. The real rule is 1 foot out for every 4 feet up, so that ladder needed 6 feet at the base. I learned this the hard way six months ago when a ladder slipped out from under me on a dry day. It's not just for wet surfaces, it's basic physics. Has anyone else had to correct this on a crew lately?
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2 Comments
angela_king39
What if the ground isn't perfectly flat though?
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jake157
jake15714d ago
Actually, the rule works on slopes too, you just measure from where the ladder touches the wall.
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