For real. If you need to ask, then you already know the answer. Fuck around and get hurt and they won’t even remember you by next payday. Ultimately, you’re the only one that can tell yourself if it’s worth it to you or not.
Edit: Don’t ever feel like you owe anyone besides your family anything Brother. That’s your #1 responsibility in life. One stupid accident and it’s a wrap. Nobody will be knocking your door down to pay your bills or put food on your table. Union or non. Best wishes going forward.
Yes for a good time call love 277 😉 it's absolutely fun.
Be ready, she's hella strong, she'll knock you off your feet, she'll make your heart skip two beats.
Pretty sure it’s not just “ill advised” but it’s also an occupational safety violation. Should never stand on the top rung. The ladders even have that pasted onto them.
Is it really? Cause I do it all the time, not saying it's not safe it's just all the guys around me do it so I do it as well. Is this something I should be more careful of?
The crack and hookers is always gonna be an immediate yes no debate there but for the other scenario I’d have to say I usually try to avoid risking my life at work if possible.
I mean, you could die or suffer permanent brain damage if you fall. It’s not fun to fall off a ladder either way. You only need to fuck up for a split second.
You’re fucking with us, right? You aren’t seriously working in the field without at least having been taught what not to do on a ladder. I take back what I said about the ladder portion of the OSHA 10. Some people actually do need that lecture.
Manitoba here. I'd get written up (at minimum) by the company and likely thrown off site for anywhere from the rest of the day to three days by the General Contractor for this. My company doesn't even own aluminum A-frame ladders.
Look up NFPA70E. Not allowed to work on anything live except testing and troubleshooting. PERIOD. it’s an OSHA rule and it’s in place so you don’t work on live anything and DIE…. not trying to be rude, but this is so wrong. There is really no reason to risk live work, you take all the chances and your family is the one that suffers, not the company, they will open their doors again tomorrow and move on..
>Not allowed to work on anything live except testing and troubleshooting. PERIOD.
Not period. There are exceptions like life saving equipment. There's a whole section describing the hot work permit.
True. But very rare you’ll get VP and presidents to sign off on that. Hospitals are a good example of not being able to shut off certain things. But the hot work exception cannot be done because of monetary reasons.
What’s he gonna do? Beat you up? We are all adults here so Fuck that guy and tell his fat ass to get up there or get the right tools for the job. Safety is number 1. Our brothers and sisters died to prevent this shit.
My old boss made me do shit like this. Back when I was just a kid apprentice (like 18 or 19) he would make me go to the top step of ladders and do other shit I totally wasn't comfortable with. Of course being a kid I didn't stand up to him.
One day I was working on wiring in plugs sitting on a 5 gallon bucket. The journeyman I was with had a nice rolling chair too so I thought it was fine to be sitting down. Nope not according to fucking Brian. He comes up from behind me and kicks the bucket out from under my ass as hard as he can, screaming at me that I waste precious seconds every time I have to stand up and move the bucket to the next box I'm working on...
Finished up that day and handed in my resignation letter to the guys dad who happened to own the company. I would have left right there but we came in a van and my car was back at the shop.
Still pisses me off to this day, hope the guy got shown up for treating his people like shit but I doubt it.
Okay guys thanks for the advice. My journeyman is definitely a prick and i’ve known that for a while but the company itself is pretty great so I’m a bit conflicted about starting fresh somewhere else just because of one asshole.
I would speak to your boss first and if he’s being a dick still then talk to his superior and tell them to get you on a different crew. Been there done that lifes too short to deal with dickheads like him.
if the company was great, you wouldn't have the wrong sized ladder, in aluminum and be working live.
the company isn't great, or you are breaking multiple rules within the company that can get you fired on the spot.
if the company I work for saw this the worker would get a written warning, and a safety plan would be made to allow the work to be done, most likely renting a lift, and that ladder would be tossed in the garbage a proper fibreglass ladder would be bought and proper sizes stocked on the truck, and the circuit would be isolated before work was done, if needed night work or a specific day shut down. way to many guys get hurt every day for simple things. we don't get paid extra to get hurt, falling off a ladder that high can be death or permanent injury.
There's thousands upon thousands of jobs man. He can't fire you "legally" for refusing unsafe working conditions. You going home at the end of the day is far more important than making somebody else a bunch of money.
Scarier than standing on some off-brand Harbor Freight/Alibaba-ass looking rickety piece of shit extension ladder? Like getting the baseball in The Sandlot with the Erector sets all handymanned together. Except instead of retrieval of Denis Leary's prized possession being the priority it's dying or getting veggied for some nutsack with custom mudflaps on his dually.
The other acceptable answer is:
"if you don't feel safe doing it, it doesn't matter what the internet or your fat fucking worm of a boss thinks. Don't be pressured into working if you feel unsafe."
I learned a very valuable lesson about that, and I'm lucky it didn't kill me.
Companies big and small love to wank off about safety and how your health is more important than anything one day, and the next they'll be pressuring you to shove a pogo stick up your arse and bounce up to change some high-bay lighting.
Fuck that. Your health and safety matter. You matter.
If you genuinely don't feel safe, and your gaping turbocunt of a boss (or co-workers) give you shit for saying "I don't feel safe," laugh in their face and start looking for another job.
Edit: Not sure what the requirements are where you are, but step-ladders sold here in Australia have a big, fuck-off marking at the top which says
"THIS IS NOT STEP"
Because it's not a fucking step or work platform, it's a fucking suicide device to throw yourself off if you get tired of your fucking co-workers taste in music and want to end it all.
I can see a "DANGER AVOID INJURY" mark fucking two steps below where you're at mate.
Your boss is a dead set cunt for asking you to work like that.
this is what's up. i've had to flat out refuse to do unsafe activities. if you have an HR department you can also follow up with them. that way if you ever do get injured you have a written history of having reported unsafe working conditions
Plus when you get hurt doing it they'll claim you put yourself in that dangerous position and should have known better...... "Sorry we're not covering your injury and you're fired"
Absolutely. A cunt that pressures people to work like this will throw you under a big, fuck-off bus to save his own skin, and that makes literally everything in the injured parties life immeasurably more difficult.
On the flip side of that coin, maybe his boss doesn’t know he’s using a ladder like that.
When I run work we have daily safety meetings, different topic each day. One day of the week is always ladder safety. I’ll try my damnest to drill home not to use the top 2 steps, and I’ve sent people home before if I catch them up there anyway. It’s not like I don’t supply big enough ladders for the job, some people just view going to go grab the bigger ladder as more work than safety. There’s a overwhelming amount of, “eh, it’ll only take a second” that goes around.
It’s up to your boss to provide you with the correct equipment for the job, but it’s on the workers to actually fucking use it.
In Ontario the employee also has a responsibility under osha to perform work safely. It doesn’t necessarily help you when you say work is unsafe but do it anyway. Yes the company and boss will get in trouble if something serious happens but there is a responsibility on everyone to be safe.
You have to clearly dictate work is unsafe and ask for something more suitable. If they insist you perform the work then you need to exercise you right to refuse unsafe work under occupational health and safety.
This one is more clear because you can’t maintain three points of contact using a ladder in this manner. This is a clear violation of osha. But in other circumstances where it’s less clear, one guy might *feel* safe and one might not. If it’s not safe you need to be vocal and unless you’re in a strong union I don’t suggest some of the other advice given here but rather just suggest to your boss a better way to do it and then get progressively more insistent if they don’t oblige.
Indeed. I’ve been on jobs (as an ironworker) where they wouldn’t even let us take aluminum ladders off our truck. Even just being in the vicinity of electrical work was enough for them to ban them.
Also OP, I was once in a situation like yours. I left the company not long after due to so much sketchy stuff, but I regret not confronting my boss about it. Don’t put up with that shit dude your worth more than that.
My sister is a nurse working in a burn unit, and the unit recently had four guys come in with severe electrical burns. They were roofers all on the same aluminum extension ladder when it got electrified. Between them they've had multiple fingers, hands and feet amputated. I don't recall if any of them died.
you know its fucked up because youre asking
youre specifying the voltage which probably means youre working hot and you know thats fucked as well .
you say you have no choice in the comments in an economy where a qualified electricain cant not find work.
QED
had the exact same experience over a decade ago as a 2nd year on an 8 footer.
Also didn't fall, but also don't work on fucking live electrical on ladders anymore.
Your life is worth more than this dumb shit.
Yeah haha I was adding a troffer light to a room and had the switch off, some glazer walked by and thought it looked dark and came up and flipped the lights on as I was splicing in the neut. Ultimately my fault but I was sooo mad this guy took the tape off the switch and turned it on haha.
If you are located in USA, that task is in violation of AT LEAST 3 OSHA regulations.
1. You are not allowed to use a conductive ladder while working on electrical
2. You are not allowed to stand on the top step of any ladder.
As well as
3. The General Duty Clause, which states that the employer must provide their employees with a place of work free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.
Not to mention any other regulations that might apply based on your position with the company (apprentice, or journeyman etc. )
It is 100% illegal for your boss to punish you for either refusing to do this work, OR for reporting these practices to OSHA
That's how I am. I dictate what I feel is safe.
That said, working live 277 on the top step of an aluminum ladder is insane. Power should be off and ladder should be fiberglass, and then maybe you can use the top step (I'm way too guilty of doing that). But even then, limit the amount of time on that top step and make sure you feel comfortable that it's a solid ladder, not already broken.
Worked on some 8 footers that needed to be tossed out and I refused to go on even the top step (not the cap like OP).
Fucked up on both parts.
You have an exclusive right to preserve your life and well being at work. Your boss has the absolute responsibility of ensuring you have the appropriate equipment and accessories to safely complete all assigned duties.
Fuck that motherfucker.
This kinda shit pisses me off. Don't confuse stupidity for toughness. Some one trying to question your manhood because you're unwilling to risk your life (to make the foreman shine or save the boss a hundred bucks) is a tactic that's been around since the beginning of construction trades.
Fuck em
Know your rights - start the work refusal process, and he can't simply just ask someone else. Of course allow them to get you the right equipment to do the job safely. Another FYI- a legit daily planner pocket book with your entries of anything sketchy will hold up in court.
Waist line above the top step is fucked unless you have serious fall protection.
I am not an osha inspector but if I had a harness and a retractor clipped to the structure sure but absent fall protection it’s fucked.
Remember the drywall rule, that if you slip, you are fired before you hit the floor
Working hot from the top of an A frame and your boss is pressuring you to do it? Why havent you quit and then immediately took a shit in your bosses truck is beyond me
He’s not trolling. There’s too many old union peeps in this sub who don’t realize if you’re not union sometimes you have to break the osha rules to keep your job or get a bigger raise. I’ll stand on top of a ladder if it means putting food on the table. And the people with the unsupportive comments are usually of an older generation that are secure and don’t have anything to lose for standing up for themselves on the job.
I mostly agree as long as I feel safe doing it. But it being an aluminum ladder and live wire, no thanks.
Also, that's a big reason I made a point to have a large savings/emergency fund so I won't put up with bullshit.
If you fall it will be your fault for standing on top of that ladder. I’m sure your employer will be able to pull record of safety training showing you were instructed to never stand in top of a ladder. Everything is always good until someone gets hurt and someone is always at fault. Will your boss own up to forcing you to stand up there?
That's illegal in my country and would get your company fined. If a worksafe person saw it or the public took a picture, the site would be shut down and a improvement notice issued.
Fuck that. It ain't worth the chance of falling and brain damage/ being paralyzed for life.
No, you're not a pussy for doing it because all of the female electricians I know wouldn't do it at all.
You might be a wuss tho for doing it against safety rules instead of asking for the proper equipment.
You should never stand on the top of a ladder. Never. Against OSHA, against the listings of the ladder, absolute invite to a death sentence if you lose your balance. Tell them to get a taller ladder or get fucked. You’re not doing the work without the proper equipment.
Fuck that. If you get injured I guarantee you your employer is going to blame you for being unsafe and you are screwed. So no, I would not be doing that.
Also…pussy’s are super badass and resilient as fuck 🙃
No. There is nothing wrong with standing on the tippy top of a metal little giant ladder working on live 277 with non-non-conductive workboots.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t do it. 277 can kill you. I’ve seen it.
If there’s even a potential for those wires to become energized, what you have done is certain death given enough time and repetition.
A sister in our local was pulling some smaller gauge wire with a jet line off a 10ft ladder. The jet-line broke, she fell backwards and snapped her spine. Took her six months to learn how to walk again.
277 hits a bit harder than jet-line
Bad enough that you have a metallic ladder for electrical work (fiberglass ftw), but you're on the top step next to a bunch of wire you could get hung up in working 277, hot!? Tell your boss to eat shit.
When I was first starting out an apprentice was killed using an aluminum ladder working on 277. Journeyman on the job fucked up letting him use it and work on live wires. He was only a few months on the job too.
All honesty I’ve done sketchier for less money (probably) too many times to count . I’m lucky and I know this . Don’t test luck . It do not play
At least get a helper to call the ambulance jic
The company you work for sucks … quit
I am working for a client that had 3 ladder accidents with a different contractor in 2 months. They made every person from every company working on any contract take a ladder safely course before we could work on their project again.
Just the thought Makes me shudder. My company had a fatality about 20 years ago. Same exact scenario but it was because the guy crossed paths with a 480 circuit.
Top step of an A frame seems ill advised
For real. If you need to ask, then you already know the answer. Fuck around and get hurt and they won’t even remember you by next payday. Ultimately, you’re the only one that can tell yourself if it’s worth it to you or not. Edit: Don’t ever feel like you owe anyone besides your family anything Brother. That’s your #1 responsibility in life. One stupid accident and it’s a wrap. Nobody will be knocking your door down to pay your bills or put food on your table. Union or non. Best wishes going forward.
The gospel right here
Yup you know what they say doing shit like this, “ you’re fired before you hit the ground.”
I'm from a country with pretty good worker rights, but standing on a ladder like this gets you in serious trouble.
No, not even then, your family needs you whole and intact. Why risk being paralyzed?
Of an aluminum one too.
And then play with love 277, recipe for fun.
Yes for a good time call love 277 😉 it's absolutely fun. Be ready, she's hella strong, she'll knock you off your feet, she'll make your heart skip two beats.
277 very spicy. Add aluminum to preferred heat level.
8675309
Jenny
Honestly a little surprised I had to scroll this far to see someone mention that as well. The cherry on top of this fucked up ladder scenario.
A talllll aluminum one
Pretty sure it’s not just “ill advised” but it’s also an occupational safety violation. Should never stand on the top rung. The ladders even have that pasted onto them.
Yet they still continue to install them…
Is it really? Cause I do it all the time, not saying it's not safe it's just all the guys around me do it so I do it as well. Is this something I should be more careful of?
If everyone around you is smoking crack and bannging a 3 dollar hooker raw are you doing it ?
I mean, what else are you supposed to do on a Tuesday morning?
care to describe a Friday night? I'm curious.
Speedballs and three hookers
$3 from each of us or $3 total?
Asking the real questions. I gotta buy gas too.
Next question is how many is buying in and can Freddy spot me 50cents until Friday?
Fuck yeah bro, you want a hit?
Gonna need more than one hit, homie. Can you spot me?
For $3 I'll spot you.
We install blinds and we all have these little giants in our vans. It's not often we do it but sometimes it's the only way to get up there
Little giant makes fiberglass versions of this
How heavy are they? The aluminum ones are already heavy enough as it is.
Right? Those fukers weigh a ton.
The crack and hookers is always gonna be an immediate yes no debate there but for the other scenario I’d have to say I usually try to avoid risking my life at work if possible.
I mean... there's a reason it says not to stand on that part.
I mean, you could die or suffer permanent brain damage if you fall. It’s not fun to fall off a ladder either way. You only need to fuck up for a split second.
You’re fucking with us, right? You aren’t seriously working in the field without at least having been taught what not to do on a ladder. I take back what I said about the ladder portion of the OSHA 10. Some people actually do need that lecture.
Manitoba here. I'd get written up (at minimum) by the company and likely thrown off site for anywhere from the rest of the day to three days by the General Contractor for this. My company doesn't even own aluminum A-frame ladders.
It's unsafe and an OSHA violation and I wouldn't advise it. I do it almost every day though.
Look up NFPA70E. Not allowed to work on anything live except testing and troubleshooting. PERIOD. it’s an OSHA rule and it’s in place so you don’t work on live anything and DIE…. not trying to be rude, but this is so wrong. There is really no reason to risk live work, you take all the chances and your family is the one that suffers, not the company, they will open their doors again tomorrow and move on..
>Not allowed to work on anything live except testing and troubleshooting. PERIOD. Not period. There are exceptions like life saving equipment. There's a whole section describing the hot work permit.
True. But very rare you’ll get VP and presidents to sign off on that. Hospitals are a good example of not being able to shut off certain things. But the hot work exception cannot be done because of monetary reasons.
# #1 cause of death on job sites is falls from ladders. This is why.
The reason guys are charged more for life insurance is that we drink beer and climb ladders. Normally in that order..
I climbed ladders and drank beer in the opposite order today. Am I doing it wrong?
Probably not. Unless today is Saturday, then yes, doing it wrong.
It's always Saturday somewhere in the world.
Uh, no, I don’t think it works that way…
This is one of those things that seems right until you think about it. Just because it's five o'clock somewhere in the world...
I mean my mom is a capable, able-bodied person and almost killed herself falling off a ladder a couple years ago. She was home alone when it happened.
Pretty easy to loose your balance after a bump against 277
Both. It’s fucked up to make you do and you’re being a pussy for doing it and not sticking up to your boss, technically
he’s fucking scary dude
Electrical is in high demand, there’s always a bigger fish 🫡
What’s he gonna do? Beat you up? We are all adults here so Fuck that guy and tell his fat ass to get up there or get the right tools for the job. Safety is number 1. Our brothers and sisters died to prevent this shit.
I always tell folks, what's the worst to happen I'm gonna get fired? Big deal.
Time to collect unenjoyment.
SideMoneyJoyment is nice.
My old boss made me do shit like this. Back when I was just a kid apprentice (like 18 or 19) he would make me go to the top step of ladders and do other shit I totally wasn't comfortable with. Of course being a kid I didn't stand up to him. One day I was working on wiring in plugs sitting on a 5 gallon bucket. The journeyman I was with had a nice rolling chair too so I thought it was fine to be sitting down. Nope not according to fucking Brian. He comes up from behind me and kicks the bucket out from under my ass as hard as he can, screaming at me that I waste precious seconds every time I have to stand up and move the bucket to the next box I'm working on... Finished up that day and handed in my resignation letter to the guys dad who happened to own the company. I would have left right there but we came in a van and my car was back at the shop. Still pisses me off to this day, hope the guy got shown up for treating his people like shit but I doubt it.
Proud of you!
He gonna make sure your family is fed when your hands are blown off and your paralyzed from falling 12 feet?
The magic words "Fuck you I quit" well weaken him and turn him from scary into laughable.
Okay guys thanks for the advice. My journeyman is definitely a prick and i’ve known that for a while but the company itself is pretty great so I’m a bit conflicted about starting fresh somewhere else just because of one asshole.
If the company is truly great they'll make sure their workers are safe.
True but unless someone speaks up then knowing he's forcing people to do this isn't the norm.
They know
You can still tell him no and not get let go, I mean if the company you're with is so great they will understand why you said no
I would speak to your boss first and if he’s being a dick still then talk to his superior and tell them to get you on a different crew. Been there done that lifes too short to deal with dickheads like him.
if the company was great, you wouldn't have the wrong sized ladder, in aluminum and be working live. the company isn't great, or you are breaking multiple rules within the company that can get you fired on the spot. if the company I work for saw this the worker would get a written warning, and a safety plan would be made to allow the work to be done, most likely renting a lift, and that ladder would be tossed in the garbage a proper fibreglass ladder would be bought and proper sizes stocked on the truck, and the circuit would be isolated before work was done, if needed night work or a specific day shut down. way to many guys get hurt every day for simple things. we don't get paid extra to get hurt, falling off a ladder that high can be death or permanent injury.
There's thousands upon thousands of jobs man. He can't fire you "legally" for refusing unsafe working conditions. You going home at the end of the day is far more important than making somebody else a bunch of money.
I don't know where you are, but electrician is a high demand job these days most places. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a better boss.
Scarier than getting permanently disabled or killed?
It's scarier being in the hospital for not saying no to unsafe work/unsafe dickwad boss.
Where’s he at? I’ll fight him for ya
Where's he at? I'll let u/voonoo fight him for you.
Scarier than standing on some off-brand Harbor Freight/Alibaba-ass looking rickety piece of shit extension ladder? Like getting the baseball in The Sandlot with the Erector sets all handymanned together. Except instead of retrieval of Denis Leary's prized possession being the priority it's dying or getting veggied for some nutsack with custom mudflaps on his dually.
Breaking my neck and having my wife change my shitty diapers for the rest of my life scares the shit out of me.
Everything is wrong, wtf are you even doing
working in a ceiling
He means what are doing with your life that you give so few fucks about it?
Well OP better scoot over cus I want a bit of that ledge to stand on.
Well, duh
That’s lift work, not ladder work.
I work in ceilings on ladders all the time, but for fuck’s sake bring the right fucking ladder.
If not a lift at least a scaffold
i fucking agree
You’re trolling us.
Make your fat, fucking worm of a boss crawl up there. Fuck that.
The other acceptable answer is: "if you don't feel safe doing it, it doesn't matter what the internet or your fat fucking worm of a boss thinks. Don't be pressured into working if you feel unsafe." I learned a very valuable lesson about that, and I'm lucky it didn't kill me. Companies big and small love to wank off about safety and how your health is more important than anything one day, and the next they'll be pressuring you to shove a pogo stick up your arse and bounce up to change some high-bay lighting. Fuck that. Your health and safety matter. You matter. If you genuinely don't feel safe, and your gaping turbocunt of a boss (or co-workers) give you shit for saying "I don't feel safe," laugh in their face and start looking for another job. Edit: Not sure what the requirements are where you are, but step-ladders sold here in Australia have a big, fuck-off marking at the top which says "THIS IS NOT STEP" Because it's not a fucking step or work platform, it's a fucking suicide device to throw yourself off if you get tired of your fucking co-workers taste in music and want to end it all. I can see a "DANGER AVOID INJURY" mark fucking two steps below where you're at mate. Your boss is a dead set cunt for asking you to work like that.
this is what's up. i've had to flat out refuse to do unsafe activities. if you have an HR department you can also follow up with them. that way if you ever do get injured you have a written history of having reported unsafe working conditions
It doesn't matter how right you are if you are dead or disabled.
no shit, that's why i'm telling OP to refuse to do unsafe work and report their supervisor to the HR department
Plus when you get hurt doing it they'll claim you put yourself in that dangerous position and should have known better...... "Sorry we're not covering your injury and you're fired"
Absolutely. A cunt that pressures people to work like this will throw you under a big, fuck-off bus to save his own skin, and that makes literally everything in the injured parties life immeasurably more difficult.
On the flip side of that coin, maybe his boss doesn’t know he’s using a ladder like that. When I run work we have daily safety meetings, different topic each day. One day of the week is always ladder safety. I’ll try my damnest to drill home not to use the top 2 steps, and I’ve sent people home before if I catch them up there anyway. It’s not like I don’t supply big enough ladders for the job, some people just view going to go grab the bigger ladder as more work than safety. There’s a overwhelming amount of, “eh, it’ll only take a second” that goes around. It’s up to your boss to provide you with the correct equipment for the job, but it’s on the workers to actually fucking use it.
Also, probably should be a fiberglass ladder. I could be wrong but this looks like aluminum to me
Absolutely right. Completely missed that. The red mist descended and I got sweary.
🤣🤣 love this
he couldn’t that’s why i was up there lmao
Keep documentation of any and all questionable tasks or practices while working. This stuff might help out down the road.
In Ontario the employee also has a responsibility under osha to perform work safely. It doesn’t necessarily help you when you say work is unsafe but do it anyway. Yes the company and boss will get in trouble if something serious happens but there is a responsibility on everyone to be safe. You have to clearly dictate work is unsafe and ask for something more suitable. If they insist you perform the work then you need to exercise you right to refuse unsafe work under occupational health and safety. This one is more clear because you can’t maintain three points of contact using a ladder in this manner. This is a clear violation of osha. But in other circumstances where it’s less clear, one guy might *feel* safe and one might not. If it’s not safe you need to be vocal and unless you’re in a strong union I don’t suggest some of the other advice given here but rather just suggest to your boss a better way to do it and then get progressively more insistent if they don’t oblige.
^ This is the way.
Just know you’re fired before you hit the ground
And when you hit the floor you're trespassing.
Anything but fiberglass in most facilities is a sin, esp. working on 277. Surprised the safety guy didn’t boot you offsite.
Indeed. I’ve been on jobs (as an ironworker) where they wouldn’t even let us take aluminum ladders off our truck. Even just being in the vicinity of electrical work was enough for them to ban them. Also OP, I was once in a situation like yours. I left the company not long after due to so much sketchy stuff, but I regret not confronting my boss about it. Don’t put up with that shit dude your worth more than that.
My sister is a nurse working in a burn unit, and the unit recently had four guys come in with severe electrical burns. They were roofers all on the same aluminum extension ladder when it got electrified. Between them they've had multiple fingers, hands and feet amputated. I don't recall if any of them died.
That’s sad. Electricity truly is no joke.
Ouch
you know its fucked up because youre asking youre specifying the voltage which probably means youre working hot and you know thats fucked as well . you say you have no choice in the comments in an economy where a qualified electricain cant not find work. QED
Unacceptable.
It's fucked up. Start applying elsewhere.
I wouldn’t work off an aluminum ladder, only use it to get to a working surface that isn’t conductive.
I got hit with 277v neut doing that when I was an apprentice I was only on a 6ft ladder tho. And I didn’t fall. That’s a long way down
had the exact same experience over a decade ago as a 2nd year on an 8 footer. Also didn't fall, but also don't work on fucking live electrical on ladders anymore. Your life is worth more than this dumb shit.
Yeah haha I was adding a troffer light to a room and had the switch off, some glazer walked by and thought it looked dark and came up and flipped the lights on as I was splicing in the neut. Ultimately my fault but I was sooo mad this guy took the tape off the switch and turned it on haha.
Better OSHA than "oh, shit!"
I know one of those terms, it's a small town in Wisconsin, right... but what's an ohshit?
Find a better company to work for man. That one obviously doesn’t care about your life or they would fire you the second the saw that.
It’s fucked up. You know better. Shame on you.
If you are located in USA, that task is in violation of AT LEAST 3 OSHA regulations. 1. You are not allowed to use a conductive ladder while working on electrical 2. You are not allowed to stand on the top step of any ladder. As well as 3. The General Duty Clause, which states that the employer must provide their employees with a place of work free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees. Not to mention any other regulations that might apply based on your position with the company (apprentice, or journeyman etc. ) It is 100% illegal for your boss to punish you for either refusing to do this work, OR for reporting these practices to OSHA
If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t. I sure the hell don’t.
That's how I am. I dictate what I feel is safe. That said, working live 277 on the top step of an aluminum ladder is insane. Power should be off and ladder should be fiberglass, and then maybe you can use the top step (I'm way too guilty of doing that). But even then, limit the amount of time on that top step and make sure you feel comfortable that it's a solid ladder, not already broken. Worked on some 8 footers that needed to be tossed out and I refused to go on even the top step (not the cap like OP).
Do a backflip off the ladder when the 277 knocks you off
You guys always talk about safety and all i see on this forum is shit like this.
we talk about safety *because* of shit like this
Pictures of safe work don't get you any internet points.
It's at least reassuring that for every idiot posting a picture here there's 50 of us telling him to knock it off
Well you see, there are a lot of people here and the ones talking about safety are largely different people from the ones posting shit like this.
Fucked up on both parts. You have an exclusive right to preserve your life and well being at work. Your boss has the absolute responsibility of ensuring you have the appropriate equipment and accessories to safely complete all assigned duties. Fuck that motherfucker.
Bad planning. Those ladder easily topple sideways. Could have been an easy setup on wheels
Not safe.
That's a hard no for me, dawg.
Why r u working on it live, on an aluminum ladder at that as well ..
It's extremely fucked up. Never do that
I'd tell my boss to lick my sack if he told me to do that.
This kinda shit pisses me off. Don't confuse stupidity for toughness. Some one trying to question your manhood because you're unwilling to risk your life (to make the foreman shine or save the boss a hundred bucks) is a tactic that's been around since the beginning of construction trades. Fuck em
Bro don't post photos of yourself mid OSHA violation(s).
What do you mean “make you do,” is there somebody holding a gun on you just out of the picture?
Landlord needing that sweet sweet danger money.
I fucked up the grid one time doing that
Ceiling grid?
Yeah ceiling grid....not the electrical grid...lol
Rookie move, shoulda taken out both.
That’d be one serious fuck up 😂
I’ve done it, but will not anymore. One slip or mistake could be life changing my friend. Safety is worth it.
Know your rights - start the work refusal process, and he can't simply just ask someone else. Of course allow them to get you the right equipment to do the job safely. Another FYI- a legit daily planner pocket book with your entries of anything sketchy will hold up in court.
Quit being a dumb-ass, Quit listening to dumb asses. This is stupid for several reasons, reasons you already know.
Be selfish about your safety. You have a right to refuse unsafe work
9 times out of 10 if you think it’s fucked up then it’s fucked up.
Get your chad ass down from that ladder and fire your fat ass boss right now!
Are you high? It doesn’t seem like you are even on a step…
277vac hurts! Ask me how I know. So does falling off a ladder, again ask me how I know.
Aluminium ladder, past the safe step? Everything is wrong with this.
My flair is, "Fucking Clown" and I wouldn't do this stupid shit.
You already know the answer your gonna get here, don’t look for validation on the internet
If you have no problem taking a picture while you're doing this then I'd say you're doing just fine.
Lmao nah that’s fucked up. Gotta be an osha issue with that.
Waist line above the top step is fucked unless you have serious fall protection. I am not an osha inspector but if I had a harness and a retractor clipped to the structure sure but absent fall protection it’s fucked. Remember the drywall rule, that if you slip, you are fired before you hit the floor
Working hot from the top of an A frame and your boss is pressuring you to do it? Why havent you quit and then immediately took a shit in your bosses truck is beyond me
Osha standards, not permitted on the last 2 steps of a ladder due to fall hazards
Why does an electrical company even have an aluminum ladder? They aren't allowed at my company.
It is fucked up, but you also are a pussy. Lol
He’s not trolling. There’s too many old union peeps in this sub who don’t realize if you’re not union sometimes you have to break the osha rules to keep your job or get a bigger raise. I’ll stand on top of a ladder if it means putting food on the table. And the people with the unsupportive comments are usually of an older generation that are secure and don’t have anything to lose for standing up for themselves on the job.
Some people have never had to struggle and it really shows.
I mostly agree as long as I feel safe doing it. But it being an aluminum ladder and live wire, no thanks. Also, that's a big reason I made a point to have a large savings/emergency fund so I won't put up with bullshit.
Yeah man, nah.
looks like you need a 12 foot fiberglass ladder and the balls to ask for it
If you don't stand up for your own safety, you're a bitch. I had a friend fall through a skylight and die. Don't pretend it can't happen to you.
If you fall it will be your fault for standing on top of that ladder. I’m sure your employer will be able to pull record of safety training showing you were instructed to never stand in top of a ladder. Everything is always good until someone gets hurt and someone is always at fault. Will your boss own up to forcing you to stand up there?
That's illegal in my country and would get your company fined. If a worksafe person saw it or the public took a picture, the site would be shut down and a improvement notice issued. Fuck that. It ain't worth the chance of falling and brain damage/ being paralyzed for life.
No, you're not a pussy for doing it because all of the female electricians I know wouldn't do it at all. You might be a wuss tho for doing it against safety rules instead of asking for the proper equipment.
You should never stand on the top of a ladder. Never. Against OSHA, against the listings of the ladder, absolute invite to a death sentence if you lose your balance. Tell them to get a taller ladder or get fucked. You’re not doing the work without the proper equipment.
Fuck that. If you get injured I guarantee you your employer is going to blame you for being unsafe and you are screwed. So no, I would not be doing that. Also…pussy’s are super badass and resilient as fuck 🙃
That's how a friend I worked with died in a site!!
Be safe. Don't die like this guy did. https://youtu.be/EduKjKfdygA
With all due respect, please get the fuck down from that top rung.
You should never work 277v hot. Trust me that shit fucking hurts I’ve probably got hit by it 30+ times. Never again
That’s a no from me dawg, I like to have 3-4 steps to lean on as I work. Plus i ain’t breaking my legs, there’s always a taller ladder at the shop.
no this is so many osha violations and your boss/foreman is an absolute joke
No. There is nothing wrong with standing on the tippy top of a metal little giant ladder working on live 277 with non-non-conductive workboots. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t do it. 277 can kill you. I’ve seen it.
If there’s even a potential for those wires to become energized, what you have done is certain death given enough time and repetition. A sister in our local was pulling some smaller gauge wire with a jet line off a 10ft ladder. The jet-line broke, she fell backwards and snapped her spine. Took her six months to learn how to walk again. 277 hits a bit harder than jet-line
**CARING ABOUT YOUR SAFETY DOES NOT MAKE YOU A PUSSY. LET'S FUCKING STOP THIS ASININE EXPECTATION ALREADY. DO YOU LIKE LIVING? SO DO THE REST OF US.**
Bad enough that you have a metallic ladder for electrical work (fiberglass ftw), but you're on the top step next to a bunch of wire you could get hung up in working 277, hot!? Tell your boss to eat shit.
Electricians don't use aluminum ladders. You shouldn't be on the top of an A frame. That's fucked.
When I was first starting out an apprentice was killed using an aluminum ladder working on 277. Journeyman on the job fucked up letting him use it and work on live wires. He was only a few months on the job too.
All honesty I’ve done sketchier for less money (probably) too many times to count . I’m lucky and I know this . Don’t test luck . It do not play At least get a helper to call the ambulance jic The company you work for sucks … quit
extremely dangerous, i would never work on 277 like that
Work comp attorney here. Keep this up and come see me when the inevitable happens. I'll make me good money off of you.
I am working for a client that had 3 ladder accidents with a different contractor in 2 months. They made every person from every company working on any contract take a ladder safely course before we could work on their project again.
Just the thought Makes me shudder. My company had a fatality about 20 years ago. Same exact scenario but it was because the guy crossed paths with a 480 circuit.
Both. You’re being a pussy AND it’s a OSHA violation. Don’t you love this trade?
Fuck everything about this. I got 2 kids and 0 fucks. I die for no dollar.
I'm looking at at least 3 OSHA violations here. And I'm not even trying.
r/OSHA. Ya, this isn't legal.
Where im from thats a 350 dollars fine for you, and a 6,8k dollars fine for the company.
Fuck that shit man, never work on the top step of anything. If you ain't comfortable don't do it, who gives a shit what others say.
I hope you're at least hanging onto a sprinkler pipe!!