Monday, December 30, 2013

Additional Post Four: Ladders

I've recently gotten the opportunity to learn about ladders and how one can safely throw them onto a structure. During my last explorer meeting I was shown how to effectively put a ladder against a building with the aid of a partner.



We used a 24 foot long extension ladder, as shown above, and were taught how to throw a ladder using a method known as the beam raise. There are two other ways of throwing a ladder aside from this one, but I have found this method to be very effective so far. This method is primarily used when there is a lack of surrounding space when attempting to throw the ladder.  This type of evolution is known as the beam raise because it requires the beam of the ladder, or the two supporting side sections, to be raise adjacent to the building. The video below does a good job illustrating how a proper beam raise should be done.



I was taught the exact same thing that is shown in the video above, but it is important to note that the same job can be done using just one person. In my case I used a partner for safety and strength purposes. I hope to continue to learn more about ladder and much more in the future.