Just a question

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fillmorr

Member
Location
Mansfield Ohio
This is my first post here and i just have a question. I am new to the trade and most people i have ran into so far has a issue with me cause i have a slight problem with heights. Not everyone is ok with heights are they? i am just asking cause it just seems a problem with everyone i mean im ok with a 8foot ladder an a 12 foot ladder, but my last employer let me go cause he said it was too much of a issue for him. It wasnt too much of a issue till we got to a house with a 24 foot tall entrance way an all we had was a 16 foot ladder and i just wasnt comfortable to get on the ladder with some eles on it with me to set a box. The others i worked with did the work i assisted from the secound floor, they even had to stand on the very top rung of the ladder an still had to stand almost on there tips of there toues to reach to set it.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
If you can not put get past the height issue you may want to try getting a job at a factory as an electrician, they usually stay close to the ground... usually..

But if you want to do electrical construction IMO you have to be able go up high.
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
There is a difference between being afraid of heights when you are working safely (like being on a lift or the proper ladder), and being a afraid of heights when you are cheating death. It sounds like you have a legitimate concern. If you are still afraid of heights when you have the right equipment, then the electrical trade might not be the best pick.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
fillmorr said:
It wasnt too much of a issue till we got to a house with a 24 foot tall entrance way an all we had was a 16 foot ladder and i just wasnt comfortable to get on the ladder with some eles on it with me to set a box.
That's way beyond nuts! An 8' difference? I'm 6'3" and I can just touch an 8' ceiling with my heels on the floor. (Toes, too, wise guys! ;)) There's no way to work properly like that.

The others i worked with did the work i assisted from the secound floor, they even had to stand on the very top rung of the ladder an still had to stand almost on there tips of there toues to reach to set it.
I wouldn't stand on the top of even a 4' ladder. Trust your survival instincts. Never pay for an employer's cheapness with your health. Talk to OSHA if you want to pursue the firing.
 

The Iceman

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Welcome to the forum. I don't like heights either. I don't even like being this tall.:)
Get your licence and have the apprentice get on the ladder. Make yourself valuable in other ways.
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
Welcome to the forum.:)

i just wasnt comfortable to get on the ladder with some eles on it with me to set a box.

Was this ladder designed for two people? If not I wouldn't be comfortable either. There is a difference between a fear of heights and common sense ladder saftey.

Now, as far as a fear of heights, do you feel you are able to overcome this?

I have a fear of heights, but have been able to overcome this fear and work off of 60 foot boom lifts (Still nervous, but able to work). You will find that the more you work with heights the more comfortable you will become.

Chris
 

EBFD6

Senior Member
Location
MA
There are two very different issues brought up in your question.

One issue is having a problem with heights. You need to be able to work on all types of ladders whether it be a 6' step ladder or a 16' step ladder or a 32' extension ladder. You also may be required to work on man lifts of all sorts. There are safe ways to do this, and IMO this is part of the trade. If you have an issue w/ heights you need to deal with it somehow or find a different job.

The second issue you raised, standing on the top of a step ladder, is simply unacceptable and you should not feel the least bit of concern over refusing to do it. There is a safe way to do everything. Standing on the top of a ladder is not it.

To answer your question in certain terms (IMO), yes, you need to be able to work at heights SAFELY to be successful in this trade. It is part of the job.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
The first time I had to work on a 20' scissor lift, I was so scared I held onto the aluminum window framing with both hands all the way up.

By the end of the second day, I was totally at ease up there. It just takes a while to convince myself it's not going to fall over. Mostly. :wink:
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
fillmorr said:
Not everyone is ok with heights are they?
Very true, and it is nothing to be ashamed of.

I have no advice to offer, other than to echo the statements that safety is more important than any other consideration. It sometimes takes more courage to decline to do something that you think is unsafe, especially if you suspect your coworkers will think you are simply afraid to do it.
 

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
was this a double sided ladder, and was it rated to support the weight of both people and tools and material being used on it? refusing to work on a ladder that isnt tall enough or sturdy enough for the job isnt being afraid of heights, would you have been able to handle the height and do the job if he supplied you with scaffold? Dont let someone sucker you into doing something dangerous by calling you chicken because they are too cheap to rent a couple of sections of scaffold for a day. with all that said, if you are truly afraid of heights, you need to get over it, because alot of electrical work is high. I have a feeling by what I read in your post that you probably have a "small" fear of heights that you will probably be able to overcome by just working and getting used to it as long as you have proper equipment.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
I hate heights too.

I got through the apprenticeship with that minor flaw because I did well in school, learned how to read prints and could interact with the engineers well because of it. You won't find many engineers on a ladder or a lift.

As I came through the apprenticeship I found that I could tolerate lifts much better than ladders.

In my first year a journeyman gave me some good advice. Wear gloves when climbing. I don't know exactly why, but it eases some of the fear.

To be accurate, I am not afraid of heights, I am afraid of falling.

But I am not afraid of electricity. It's all good....

EDIT: BTW, there are probably a good deal more electricians that are acrophobic than you realize. It's just that they have learned how to deal with it and for the most part stay firmly attached to terra firma.
 
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JohnJ0906

Senior Member
Location
Baltimore, MD
raider1 said:
You will find that the more you work with heights the more comfortable you will become.

Chris

I agree with this.

I was quite scared of heights when I started in the trade, but, for the most part, I am not bothered anymore.

However, I do not stand on the top rung of ladders, especially 16 foot ones. A 16 foot ladder is not tall enough to work at a 24' height.

And welcome to the forum! :cool:
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Welcome to the Forum !

You should never work over your own arms reach while on a ladder!

I will always check the ladder footings, with my feet/weight on the bottom rung, and with my fore arms extended and holding on, I'll address all the ladders footings & the forward legs (if required) to assure there seated againest my weight, in a equilibrium check!
Sorry wasn't thinking about extension ladders, I will check it, 2 arms, one leg ...;)
 
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cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
I wasn't thinking about extension ladders, with those I'll use 2 forearms and one leg.
Watch the legs, watch them set, check the ladder set ...
Ride the Ladder ...
 

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
My business partner hates anything over a 4' ladder and really prefers to avoid a 4 footer if possible. 40 some years in the trade and no issues, you just need to find a niche that minimizes your exposure to heights.

Safety first.
 

Nickarus

Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
I was given the advice once by my dad that there's an important difference between a fear of heights, and a fear of falling.

It sounds like your employer accused you of being "scared of heights," and therefore unfit for your job. You should fire back (if/when this comes up again) that it really is a fear of falling because of the unsafe conditions.

Having no fear at all (and I've been there) is just reckless and stupid, imho.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
K8MHZ said:
To be accurate, I am not afraid of heights, I am afraid of falling.
"The fall don't hurt; it's that sudden stop at the bottom." ~ Friend in the elevator business.
 

jnsane84

Senior Member
I have an extreme fear of heights/falling as well. Scissor lifts and Genie booms arent too bad but ladders I steer clear of. I worked atone job where I ended up 500+ feet up dropping cable over a rail in a vertical cable tray......felt like I had hand grenades goin off in my gut. That was probably one of my hardest jobs as far as height goes. Dont let it get the best of you......learn to over come it a little at a time.
 
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