Do Electricians deal with alot of heights

[Inquisitiveone]

17 from london thinking about becoming an Electrician.

Im not keen on heights but i can tolerate going up ladders in houses and offices etc.

Heights is the only thing im somewhat worried about so any advice thanks ?

 

[Manator]

With all the implemented health and safety at heights regulations, you are more likely to suffer injury or accident on ladders than you would with work platforms, both static and mobile. It would also depend on the type of work you will be doing, one of the best ways to overcome your fears is to have a try and see, with the modern safety harnesses, it is almost impossible to fall, and that feeling of security would help. The only thing electricians complain about when wearing any harness, is how restrictive some are.

 

[NozSpark]

You might find this a good read

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf

But yes,, we do work at heights,, mostly form short steps or platforms,,, you should be carrying out risk assessments for all the work that you do; higher access should be gained from scaffold towers, cherry pickers or scissor lifts

Personally I don't like heights, but I have become more used to them,, but as with all things it's good to have a healthy respect for them because when people get complacent that's when the accidents happen

 

[gordy71]

I wouldnt let heights put you off being a sparky. During your apprenticeship there will be loads of opportunities to go up ladders scaffold etc to help build your confidence. If its what you want to do then go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and as the other guys said, health and safety is paramount nowadays.

 

[steptoe]

was on a 30-ish metre boom a while back at full stretch and thought, sh*t, this is gonna tip over, I just said to myself, 2your a dozen stone, how are you gonna tip over something that weighs a dozen tonne?"

its all about confidence(but not complacency),

the way H&S is now Im sure you will be fine,

you dont have to climb extended triples tied together and held vertical by two big blokes to change xmas lamps anymore, you get a cherry picker in.!

and if you only want to stick to domestic then apart from the odd outside light not really that much working at heights anyway.

good luck,

go for it.

 

[NozSpark]

was on a 30-ish metre boom a while back at full stretch and thought, sh*t, this is gonna tip over, I just said to myself, 2your a dozen stone, how are you gonna tip over something that weighs a dozen tonne?"its all about confidence(but not complacency),

the way H&S is now Im sure you will be fine,

you dont have to climb extended triples tied together and held vertical by two big blokes to change xmas lamps anymore, you get a cherry picker in.!

and if you only want to stick to domestic then apart from the odd outside light not really that much working at heights anyway.

good luck,

go for it.

I know what you mean mate, fully extended sideways feels odd,,,, especially if you need to move the whole machine

 

[Megaohm7]

I remember at the age of 16 climbing up ladders and didn't think about it but I'm not too keen nowadays because of a couple of near misses and realised that it's not worth taking risks. If you don't feel safe then dont go up. I use steps quite happily and I'm happy to use towers. I'd never make a steeplejack!! They get my respect though.

 

[Zeespark]

I have an acute fear of heights in the open, though being enclosed in a fibreglass tube of an aeroplane doesn't affect Me. Once did a job as an apprentice with stepladders, standing on the very top level of the steps, My 5ft10 frame reaching up a further 30 odd inches, lost My footing. Was called a woose on site. Health and Safety came down on My supervisors like a ton of bricks. Anything like that height wise now I order/insist on a tower being used. The funny thing is, if a tower was used on that job, it would have saved hours in installation time and effort.

AndyGuinness

 

[sprocketflup]

I have an acute fear of heights in the open, though being enclosed in a fibreglass tube of an aeroplane doesn't affect Me. Once did a job as an apprentice with stepladders, standing on the very top level of the steps, My 5ft10 frame reaching up a further 30 odd inches, lost My footing. Was called a woose on site. Health and Safety came down on My supervisors like a ton of bricks. Anything like that height wise now I order/insist on a tower being used. The funny thing is, if a tower was used on that job, it would have saved hours in installation time and effort.AndyGuinness

Ive had that too, once on site I could have reached the fitting if I stood on the very top of the aframe steps, but I refused to do that and couldnt quite reach, got called a pansy and the likes but strangely enough the blokes calling me that wouldnt do it either........

 

[Andy™]

17 from london thinking about becoming an Electrician.Im not keen on heights but i can tolerate going up ladders in houses and offices etc.

Heights is the only thing im somewhat worried about so any advice thanks ?

yes, you often get work at heights.

now what do you think H&S or a RA would say about this from a recent job?

and i dont like heights much either, but i try not to let it stop me

 

[kerching]

Years ago I lost the 'toss' and had to climb 15m up to ridge of a warehouse. Triple ladder. Tied it at the top by throwing a rope from gantry crane around the top steel, then lashing same to gantry [fuses out and in my pocket]. Climbing ladder [harness on with my mate taking strain over top girder with a line] I climbed, he pulled. What was the worse that could happen???? Got onto top section, 2 lower sections fell off [would not have happened if it had not been tied off] Anyway since I was up there I got off the ladder, secondary rope to girder [not THAT stupid], did job, abseiled down, simples.

Now, some 20 years later my insurance only covers me to heights less than 15m BUT at weekends my Diving Insurance covers me for ANY depth [that I am qualified to; and that is a lot!] and any gas AND I can mix the Gas myself ; go figure.... :coat

 

[Evans Electric]

Greetings Inquisitiveone , the days of taking risks have gone now so if you are OK on steps and a ladder you should be fine . You will get tower work but they are safer than you think , just don't let anyone push you out of your comfort zone.

 

[Inquisitiveone]

Greetings Inquisitiveone , the days of taking risks have gone now so if you are OK on steps and a ladder you should be fine . You will get tower work but they are safer than you think , just don't let anyone push you out of your comfort zone.

Thanks.

I am fine with step ladders but what are towers ?

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:08 ----------

I think i just dont like the look of construction sites.

Working indoors im ok with i think.

I done a job with my uncle one time in an office installing some lights on a step ladder and it was fine.

 

[Andy™]

Thanks.I am fine with step ladders but what are towers ?

towers - scaffold

 

[NozSpark]

Like I said,,, I don't like heights...

Here's a couple that I didnt like at all...

1. Ladders fully extended in the middle of a barn onto the peak of one of the A frames,,, I did foot the bottom of the ladder with my van though

2. Working recently in an extension doing the first fix,, it should have been boarded out but the builder was a bit slow so I was working onto of the open joists,,,,,,, thtas a really weird one really cause lofts don't bother me at all and plasterboard ain't going to stop me going through

However working in a cherry picker nearly 50 foot up doesn't bother me that much

 

[Andy™]

2. Working recently in an extension doing the first fix,, it should have been boarded out but the builder was a bit slow so I was working onto of the open joists,,,,,,, thtas a really weird one really cause lofts don't bother me at all and plasterboard ain't going to stop me going through

same here - in a loft where ceiling below hasnt yet been boarded always feels more dangerous than if it has been boarded, even though it wont really stop you falling

 

[sellers]

Only heights that bother me are triple extension ladders, made 10x worse when your leaning them on something other than a wall so theres a big empty space infront of you when climbing up.

Safety first, and use your common sense, its a confidence thing at first.

 

[Lee321]

were using more and more sophisticated methods of dealing with removing the need to get to height at all.

systems include drill/paslode extensions and other bespoke long reach hand tools so you can reach the fixing face while remaining on the ground/low height.

gripple and high reach lances are being used alot nowadays.

all clever stuff.

 

[streetlighter]

dont work on highway lighting whatever you do....

going up 12m columns in the wind when the bracket arm is blowing one way and the bucket is going the other isnt alot of fun!!!! When i started i was a little aprehensive about going up in the tower, started off slowly and built my confidence up. Using a Skywinder is an experience for the 1st time as we are not allowed to use ladders at lighting columns on footpaths anymore!

This was me up a 5m column on ladders, in 2005, not allowed to do this anymore

 

[Andy™]

dont work on highway lighting whatever you do....going up 12m columns in the wind when the bracket arm is blowing one way and the bucket is going the other isnt alot of fun!!!! When i started i was a little aprehensive about going up in the tower, started off slowly and built my confidence up. Using a Skywinder is an experience for the 1st time as we are not allowed to use ladders at lighting columns on footpaths anymore!

This was me up a 5m column on ladders, in 2005, not allowed to do this anymore

did you not get post stand-offs for the ladders?