scared myself today

   / scared myself today #1  

mechanic

Silver Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
209
Location
missouri
I was working on my metal building sealing screws when I realized that I could not go any farther up or down. I started to slide no matter what i did. Had rubber shoes, knee pads strapped to my knees and a seprate pad to keep from sliding. I had to stop where I was and not move because it started me sliding toward the edge with a 15 foot drop. Looked higher from up there. My wife came to help she could not even move the ladder. I don't think I could have made to without sliding off anyway. I told her to call 911 and tell them I could not move without sliding off my metal roof. I have been up there before without any problems and could even walk around being carefful. Now I was in trouble. The fire dept came out and used a ladder to hook over the ridge that I used to climb down to the ladder and to the ground. I don't mind telling you I was terrified I was going to slide off. I was talking to the fireman and he thought it might be the pollen that has been blowing around. I could not see any on the roof or feel any. I've never experienced anything like this before. Is this true. I'm very leery about going back up without some kind of safety hold. I don't think a rope would help because I would have to carry it over the ridge. I have to do some thinking.
 
   / scared myself today #2  
Sounds like a sphincter workout! Maybe funny in a few weeks?
Glad you're safe and hopefully the fire department bill won't be too expensive.
 
   / scared myself today #3  
Tie off on far side, throw it over, use as helper for traction.

Ps, glad you didn't fall.
 
   / scared myself today #4  
When I go on my metal roofs, I use vice grip C-clamps to clamp 2" x 6" boards to the bottom of the roof, and I walk on the boards.
 
   / scared myself today
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Fire dept. said no charge was glad to help.
 
   / scared myself today #6  
Tie off on far side, throw it over, use as helper for traction.

Ps, glad you didn't fall.

And if you cannot throw the heavy rope all the way over, use a string and a tennis ball to pull the rope over. put knots every few feet and put carabiners in the rope, then rig up or buy a harness for yourself with your gorilla hook to snap into the carabiners. That way you are always connected, and if you move up move your gorilla hook. Even if your feet go out from under you and you slip down towards the edge you harness will stop you and give you something to pull against to get back up to your knees then your feet to try again. Yes perhaps the pollen could be the "lubricant" that changed the dynamics. Or just some bad luck. Once the pucker factor starts to happen it can be difficult to recover. But if you KNOW you are not going over the edge because of your securely tied off rope and your harness that you trust ( I use a Klien belt) you can recover, without calling anyone. Have fun and be safe... You have had your warning. Work safe from now on.
 
   / scared myself today #7  
Fire dept. said no charge was glad to help.

Well that is 3 good things... 1: they did not charge 2: you did not fall. 3: you have got your warning... don't do it that way again
 
   / scared myself today #8  
When I was young I used to be like a squirrel, until the day I almost slid off my two story roof onto a concrete drive. The gutter saved my bacon. Since that day I'm terrified of heights where you are out in the open over one story.
The big joke my friends had when I was going to re-roof my one story ranch style house, is that I'd roto tilled the ground around the house to soften the fall if I fell.
 
   / scared myself today #9  
Glad you are safe. I've often wondered if there is a "Non-skid" preferred shoe sole or some type of pad to help gain traction.
 
   / scared myself today #10  
When I was 14 I ran right off a ten foot high roof. I was looking up at something I was trying to catch and I just ran off, landed with my arm underneath me on a small tree stump. Broke that arm real bad, plus scraped my face on the adjoining roofs shingles on the way down. Not a good day. But I still get up on the roof now at 58 years old.
 
 
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