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Post by Old Techo on Nov 29, 2023 13:49:12 GMT 10
Below is only one guy's opinion but there are plenty of others with the same view, especially about ladders.
This generalisation no doubt pisses off many blokes, including me. I'm the only person who can accurately assess my abilities and the risk. I've never found the need to exaggerate or lie about this. Using the 'past 70' rule I should have quit 12 years ago... and no doubt one day I will have to throw in the activities towel.
You may remember my polesaw topic and tree tower... acmctf.proboards.com/post/9434/thread Since then I found some tree jobs that were a bit low for the tower so I bought a 3.7 metre stepladder from Bunnings. My plan was to rope it into the back of my old Hilux but still use the polesaw. I finished the first job in late September.
What three things should a person avoid once they are past 70 years old? In my 76th year here. Relatively healthy and hope to stay so. Age changes things whether one cares to admit it or not. My three biggest avoidances are: While driving DON’T ignore your body when it speaks. Can’t see at night? Don’t drive at night. Cars whizzing past you at 80mph makes your palms sweaty? Stay off the interstate. You get the picture. Stay off anything higher than your knees. Past 70, no matter how much you work out or hike or ya, ya, ya, your body injures easier and heals harder and longer. The higher you go, the bigger potential injury. The risk of falling because your reflexes, no matter how quick, have diminished is great at any height. Don’t waste energy being angry at the system. Accept the changes in the way things are done in all aspects of your life. Accept them as your parents had to accept the changes you brought about. The system is about the young and their future. Just as it was for you. Quit complaining and get onboard. If you don’t your life will just keep getting harder and harder.
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Post by stoney on Nov 29, 2023 15:57:15 GMT 10
OT. I will be happy to make it to seventy.
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Post by bazza44 on Nov 29, 2023 15:58:21 GMT 10
I have found that it is a case of doing a certain job a different way to account for age and past injuries. I have no problem with using a ladder as half my working life was spent on ladders and scaffolds. The one thing I am doing now is to always wear boots instead of bare feet or thongs when using a ladder, because about 18 months ago wearing thongs on a ladder I slipped and hung by my left arm until I pulled myself back on to the ladder, this stuffed that arm for 6 months. When removing the 12 inch brake hubs from the van I do not try to lift them anymore I use lifting devices and a trolley to take them inside the shed to work on. Just a matter of thinking outside of the box. Barry
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Post by Old Techo on Nov 29, 2023 17:00:38 GMT 10
Thongs on a ladder Baz
You are lucky I was not your boss
Yes, lifting heavy things is risky. For van brake drums I sit on a very low stool and manage the drums with elbows on my knees. Getting the drums back on needs care and precision to avoid damaging the seal.
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Post by Old Techo on Nov 29, 2023 17:04:23 GMT 10
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Post by nsgnomad on Nov 30, 2023 0:53:24 GMT 10
Yes, lifting heavy things is risky. For van brake drums I sit on a very low stool and manage the drums with elbows on my knees. Getting the drums back on needs care and precision to avoid damaging the seal. From memory, your brake drums are only 10", OT. I am replacing the backing plates on mine at the moment. Mine are 12" and yes the drums are very heavy. I have been sitting on the ground, outside, cross legged at times while I work on them. The number of times I have to get up to to get something from the garage, or wash grease/dirt off my hands, has been a struggle. One of my knees has become sore. I have only now realised as I write this, that it is probably from sitting cross legged.
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Post by loub on Nov 30, 2023 4:05:31 GMT 10
Yes OT getting older has brought its limitations Changing the 4x4s ties are an issue for me.Put air assist bags on the Ute and getting wheels of and on and up and down from the deck took me all day.Your just not as nimble. And I do remember your tree rig ,I cautioned against your idea at the time and suggested professionals.Its still not the fall but the sudden stop that renders you in the do do.
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Post by Frank and Brenda on Nov 30, 2023 6:21:18 GMT 10
I fully agree with you OT, people have been telling me that old men shouldn't go on ladders for the last 8 or 10 years and I'm only 68, it really p!$$es me off I know my abilities and disabilities, I refuse to grow old till my body does, I've seen to many men say, I'm to old I can't do that without trying and before they know it, they can't do anything I may be in pain at the end of the day but I'm doing things to keep going, use it or loose it!
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Post by bazza44 on Nov 30, 2023 7:14:38 GMT 10
OT I knew at the time it was wrong as I was washing the top of the cruiser with car wash so soapy water everywhere. Just can't help being stupid sometimes. Learnt my lesson.
As Roger said there is a big difference in weight between 10 inch and 12 inch drums. I made a jig to fit on a small trolley jack to be able to lift and slide the drum back on and line up the seal. No lifting involved.
Barry
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Post by Old Techo on Nov 30, 2023 7:43:55 GMT 10
Baz,
Excellent idea, but it sounds like you have the luxury of concrete to roll a trolley jack. I have to work on dirt that I spread screenings(crushed rock) over quite a few decades ago.
Although the 10" drums are not that heavy they are testing on my dicky back if managed bending over or on my knees. Sitting on the little (less than a foot high) wooden stool that my kid made at school and having the van up on stands makes drum access more comfortable and no back bending
General comment.
As for ladder accidents... how/why do they occur? Presumably either the ladder falls or the operator falls off the ladder. What is the excuse for either?
As I have stated before, ladder use must begin with commonsense and there is not enough of that around
In my favour is my constant fear of heights. I think that ensures careful safety assessment with any elevated task. Understanding basic physics is also essential. Whilst I can still stand on one leg to dry the toes of my other foot after a shower is a reasonable balance test.
I was in hospital recently to have a Sarcoma (rare cancer) removed from my ear and some ear taken with it. I was asked the usual pre-Op questions including when did I have my last fall. They always seem to assume that old people frequently fall over. I find that rather insulting. My standard answer is... when I was a teenager.
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Post by ancientmariner on Nov 30, 2023 9:02:40 GMT 10
At 82 if I get on ladder my wife stands behind me and holds on to the ladder, I do not go over 3 rungs. Fortunately I have a low set villa in a retirement village and anything higher the maintenance man will gladly do it for me. I have never been afraid of heights of any kind and when I was Dockmaster at a dock in Brisbane the operator had an episode in the cabin of a 50 ton crane and the jib was swinging wildly in danger of crashing into buildings and contrary to safety regulations I climbed up the outside of the crane beams. Fortunately I made it and all ended well. I was admonished but on the spur of the moment I did what I did. I have seen a lot of accidents with ladders and most of them preventable. Mind you I was much younger at the time.
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Post by GerryP on Nov 30, 2023 9:19:07 GMT 10
Ladder safety... a workmate, at his home, was using one of those old steel ladders with the pressed steel steps and the chain to hold the legs in place. Unfortunately for him, he didn't bother to attach the chain. He had his hand wrapped around one of the steps just as the legs parted and crashed to the ground. He lost all four fingers on that hand... sliced them all off on the sharp edge under the step.
They only managed to to save one finger, which they sewed back on, but in a different spot so he could still sort of grip. I cringe every time I think of this.
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Post by bazza44 on Nov 30, 2023 10:23:24 GMT 10
OT I had a similar situation for working on the van, so when I was about 70 I had a concrete pad about 4.5m x 4.5m put down outside the shed to move the van onto for when doing maintenance, make's it easier for an old man to do his work. Barry
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Post by Frank and Brenda on Dec 1, 2023 7:29:10 GMT 10
Ladder safety... a workmate, at his home, was using one of those old steel ladders with the pressed steel steps and the chain to hold the legs in place. Unfortunately for him, he didn't bother to attach the chain. He had his hand wrapped around one of the steps just as the legs parted and crashed to the ground. He lost all four fingers on that hand... sliced them all off on the sharp edge under the step. They only managed to to save one finger, which they sewed back on, but in a different spot so he could still sort of grip. I cringe every time I think of this. I still have one of those and took it to Adams block, the chain was changed for a welded link one years ago as I never trusted the wire type chain that was on it
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Post by jr on Dec 1, 2023 9:40:32 GMT 10
Yes, putting those brake drums on without hurting the seal is difficult and very difficult with 12” drums. 12”, 2 piece, 3tonne drum hub and bearings 21Kgs. Just went up my ladder to get onto the house roof to blow all the leaves off the roof. Did this while my wife was at craft but we have a Google doorbell with camera and she got the person at front door alarm on her phone so she had the phone out watch me go up and down the ladder just cannot win. I know I should not be using a ladder any more but here are some things you just need to do. JR
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