A customer's offhand remark about my ladder setup made me rethink everything

I was finishing a sweep on a tall colonial in Springfield last Tuesday, and the homeowner, an older guy who used to be a roofer, watched me pack up. He said, 'You know, you're putting a lot of trust in that single stabilizer bar on the uneven ground.' I'd been using my 28-foot extension ladder the same way for years, always felt fine. But he was right, I was getting lazy about checking the base level. The next day, I started using my leg levelers on every single job, no exceptions, even on what looks like flat driveways. It adds maybe two minutes to setup, but I sleep better at night. Anyone else have a simple safety habit they picked up from a client?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniels566d ago

Sleep better at night" is the whole point. A painter I worked for made me double-check my harness buckle every single time, and now it's just automatic.

brown.wesley6d ago

That automatic habit is what saves you. It becomes part of the routine, like putting on your seatbelt. My old foreman had a rule about always having a hand on the ladder when you're on it, no matter how quick the task. It seemed fussy at first, but now I can't climb without doing it. Those small, built-in checks are the best defense against a bad day.