pv off a ladder!

[hxsarge]

Saw a pv firm mounting panels yesterday off a ladder and roof ladder!

2guys on two ladders carrying panels up and one guy on roof pulling them up! Sooo dangerous! They didn't look to steady up there, they look to weigh a ton...

 

[electrician786]

Yes, I have also seen this practice. I was offered work to install pv systems using ladders, my answer was "pass off".

 

[binky]

no scaffold, no worky. Can't do proper job if scared of falling off all the time!

 

[NozSpark]

The ones that I've seen don't weigh that much actually,, you have more of a problem with the wind catching them IMHO

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But yes, I wouldn't do anything like this without a scaffold

 

[aaheelectrical]

I herd if a pv company up north that told their lads to stop using Scafolding to save on cost but gave them an extra

 

[kernow]

Sod that. A lad I knew fell off roof. Landed on head and now is in wheel chair and blind.

Another we was working on large site Bracknell out by ski slope late 80's he fell off roof and landed on Fricken scaffolding pole.

 

[batty]

They should be reported to H&S and shut down and if you were a decent person you would do it.

 

[binky]

The ones that I've seen don't weigh that much actually,, you have more of a problem with the wind catching them IMHO

the smaller panels are around 16kg, the larger panels 20-25kg ie same as bag of cement. It's the combination of weight, size, cos at 1 x 1.6m they are awkward to handle, and as you say, wind that makes this highly dangerous practice.

 

[revjames]

lets go back a couple of decades. would it still be seen as dangerous or just the way everyone went about their job? I went on a roof a couple of weeks ago to fit an aerial to a mast. Should I have insisted on a scaffold?

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

lets go back a couple of decades. would it still be seen as dangerous or just the way everyone went about their job? I went on a roof a couple of weeks ago to fit an aerial to a mast. Should I have insisted on a scaffold?

Just be reminded about what happened to this poor fella.

 

[revjames]

yes but he shouldnt have taken Emu up on the roof to help.....

 

[ProDave]

Well I did my own Solar PV working on my own, from a single roof ladder.

In my defence it was only on the garage roof, so not so far to fall, and I did wear a harness and fall arrester (as I always do when working on a roof.

Were these guys wearing harnesses and fall arresters? if not THAT was the dangerous bit.

My only "problem" was because I was working on my own, I could not work out the logistics of fitting the bottom panel first, so I did things different and fitted the top panels first and worked my way down the roof, to avoid single handed trying to lift the next panel over those already fixed.

Apart from that it was not difficult. I also waited for a calm day so no wind issues.

 

[revjames]

Well I did my own Solar PV working on my own, from a single roof ladder.In my defence it was only on the garage roof, so not so far to fall, and I did wear a harness and fall arrester (as I always do when working on a roof.

Were these guys wearing harnesses and fall arresters? if not THAT was the dangerous bit.

My only "problem" was because I was working on my own, I could not work out the logistics of fitting the bottom panel first, so I did things different and fitted the top panels first and worked my way down the roof, to avoid single handed trying to lift the next panel over those already fixed.

Apart from that it was not difficult. I also waited for a calm day so no wind issues.

Just remember those fall arresters if its the sewn type that unravels need a good few feet to unravel so off a garage roof you would hit the floor before it unravelled!

 

[ProDave]

Just remember those fall arresters if its the sewn type that unravels need a good few feet to unravel so off a garage roof you would hit the floor before it unravelled!

Very true. Probably okay if I was at the top of the roof.

But I counter that problem. When I'm "in position" to do any work I also clip on a second short line, usually just a sling with a Karabina on each end. so I certainly would not fall far with that attached, but unlike the fall arrester, it would be a hard stop when it took up the slack.

My point was if these guys were working from a ladder with no protection, then yes it's very unsafe, but if they are clipped on somehow then nowhere near as dangerous.

 

[revjames]

Ah yes I use those, thats fall restraint rather than arrest, ie preventing you from getting too close to the edge.

 

[Jono Pashley]

lets go back a couple of decades. would it still be seen as dangerous or just the way everyone went about their job? I went on a roof a couple of weeks ago to fit an aerial to a mast. Should I have insisted on a scaffold?

a PV panel is alittle(lot) different to an aerial

 

[hxsarge]

wouldent fancy it my self, i prefer 4x4 tower next to roof then roof ladder. only takes 10 mins to put up. but i havent done any PV so cant comment. just aerials ans satellites and general building work at home

 

[Sidewinder]

Just wondering how you could keep 3 points of contact with a ladder when carrying a solar panel whilst climbing?

 

[revjames]

Just wondering how you could keep 3 points of contact with a ladder when carrying a solar panel whilst climbing?

large rucksack

 

[Sidewinder]

Not possible Rev, they were carrying the panels the OP stated so, thus impossible to maintain 3 points of contact, whether you have a large rucksack or not!