Black Ice and ladders

JackEnnisMartin

I have just finished reading the awful story about the chap that fell and succumbed to his injuries. That brings up a subject I have not seen covered in any forum-- Black Ice. Black Ice is the covering of ice over asphalt and everyone who does rooftop work in the winter ,will have to deal with it, sooner or later. I did 25 years ago and I have the now-- healed heel bone --in my left foot to prove it. I placed my ladder on the wall -- just like a thousand times before, and climbed up. It was in that half light,before it gets really dark. I had to go to the truck for something -- who can remember now-- and I found myself in midair ,the ladder slipped away and yours truly went for a twenty foot fall. So be careful ,run your foot along where you are going to put your ladder and make sure it is not smooth. Black Ice ,looks just like dry asphalt in poor light. Blasted foot, still hurts when it's wet and cold-- so be careful and enjoy the holiday season.

JackEnnisMartin

Black Ice and ladders

I have just finished reading the awful story about the chap that fell and succumbed to his injuries. That brings up a subject I have not seen covered in any forum-- Black Ice. Black Ice is the covering of ice over asphalt and everyone ;who does rooftop work in the winter ,will have to deal with it sooner or later. I did 25 years ago and I still have the healed heel bone to prove it. I placed my ladder on the wall -- just like a thousand times before, and climbed up. It was in that half light you get ,this far north ,before it gets really dark. I had to go to the truck for something -- who can remember now-- and I found myself in midair ,the ladder slipped away and yours truly went for a twenty foot fall. So be careful ,run your foot along where you are going to put your ladder and make sure it is not smooth. Black Ice ,looks just like dry asphalt in poor light. Blasted foot still hurts when it's wet and cold-- so be careful and enjoy the holiday season.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Not just on asphault--it happens on concrete as well. Looks wet or even sometimes just a bit shiny.

BAD spot on US 60 between Dexter and Poplar Bluff, MO. Long straight stretch, rather abrupt curve in an area known for common freezing fog. Deep shoulder turns in to flipped SUV and service vehicle "parking" when people hit that curve at 65+ mph. Highway patrol actually makes roadblocks to tell people to slow down.

[Deleted User]

ladders

I hava a friend that worked as a tractor trailer mechanic that set up a ladder to repair the trailers roof..the ladder slipped out below him as it was placed on a concrete surface that was like glass...shattered his jaw and broke his arm in many places...took early retirement and is still hurting. I make a habit of putting the ladder up and nosing the van into the bottom of the ladder to prevent the ladder from slipping, if possible. And always extend the ladder 3 rungs above the edge of the roof for safety.

Aidan

Curiously, black ice is often caused by radiant cooling.

White frost occurs when the air temperature falls below freezing and the water turns from vapour directly into ice in the air, without becoming a liquid. If the air temperature falls below the dew point, but it is still above freezing, the water turns from vapour into liquid, forming dew.

The asphalt/concrete is an efficient radiant heat emitter. On clear nights, the vault of the sky is a very efficient radiant energy absorber. As a result of the black-body radiant heat loss from the road surface to the sky, the asphalt surface temperature can be below freezing even when the air temperature isn’t. The dew will then freeze on it, forming a transparent sheet of ice. One might not anticipate this, if there has been no frost and the air temperature is above freezing.

Radiant cooling on clear nights can also cause problems with condensation inside metal roofs.

http://i4weather.net/aboutfrost.html

Weary old ladders seem to accumulate in plant rooms, like the elephants' graveyard. One place I worked enforced a policy of sawing up any defective ladders. They didn't go in the rubbish heap intact because someone would 'salvage' them. They were regularly inspected and they either passed or they were sawn up.

Larry (from OSHA)

more ladders

OK, I know this is getting beaten to death, but, about a year ago, there was a guy working in his shop. Needed to get something up on a high storage area. Long story short, he grabbed the old metal step ladder, you know, the one with the rubber feet worn off, didn't open it up, just leaned it up against the wall and climbed... to the third step when it slid out. He went backwards, and it's apparently true what they say about the bigger they are the harder they fall. That concrete floor didn't give at all. He left behind a wife and kids. One moment taking a shortcut was his last. Please remind your employees.
Thanks.

Larry

Boiler Guy

even more about ladders

Up here in "The Great White North" we work with ladders on ice sometimes for 6 months. I just got plain tired of trying to stop my ladder from slipping around! So ..... I fabricated a pair of studded boots. 10 years and still going strong! 4" square patch of a studded snow tire screwed to a 4 x 4 x 6" long 16ga metal sleeve. Slip em over the feet, attach with a good ole bungy cord and voila -instant slip resistant ladder boots. Never went "ladder 'bogganing" again (unless of course I was too lazy to go back to the truck to get em)

MIKE6

laddar tip

I use a lug nut wrench the type on a 45* it fits over the first step and is hammered into the ground.Of course doesn't work on concrete etc.
M

James W.Stamo

TelephoneCo ladders

next time you guys see a telephone truck(Verizon for sure) check the ladders they use.They can be used on any weather or surface as a retired telephone repairman believe me I know about ladders.

Dave Yates (PAH)

radiant cooling

Another phenom is the formation of ice in a stream bed - on the bottom! Its cause is radiant cooling.

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