A ladder stabilizer is often called a stand-off and is an accessory with wide arms of light weight tubing and non-skid rubber pads that grip a house wall or roof. The wide arms help in the stability of the ladder making the work experience much safer while working up high. Stabilizers mount on all types of extension ladders, allowing them to straddle wide windows or stand off farther from a house to reach hard to get to areas, while providing a steady workstation.
Without a doubt an extension ladder is the best way for working high, they may sit in such a way that may limit your ability to properly and safely tackle these tricky tasks:
Obviously, accessing all sides of a wide window is accomplished with a ladder stabilizer. With a stabilizer, you position the ladder only once to efficiently reach all areas around the window.
Also, painting the rake board of a wide overhang is another example where a ladder stabilizer can be utilized. A stabilizer allows you to see and reach the work from a more comfortable position. Without one, you may be hyperextending your back.
Undoubtedly, working around a wide soffit to hang a gutter is not safe. If the ladder rests against the house, you have to bend back too far to work on the fascia. Hanging on with one hand and trying to work with the other is not the best maneuver. If it leans against the fascia, the ladder interferes with placing the gutter.
Clearly, while a ladder is an essential tool on the job site, proper safe work practices must be followed to avoid injury or possibly death. According to statistics, thousands of people are treated because of the failure to follow basic safe ladder work practices. Additionally, statistics say over 300 people die each year from improper ladder usage.
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