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Monday, March 4, 2019

Beware of ladder toe by Robert Hawkins


My client, a national cemetery and crematorium company asked me to do the final inspection on the roof of their new facility in Sherwood Park Alberta. I flew out to Edmonton and friends Chris and Vicki picked me up at the airport, the following morning Vicki dropped me off at the cemetery.

I went inside looking for someone to get me a ladder, there was a meeting going on with the contractor and after a few minutes I was informed that the ladder was set up. I went outside and sure enough there was the extension ladder ready to go, up I went, as I reached the third rung on the extension down it went, I had committed the ultimate sin, I didn’t make sure the latches were engaged.

Now I am at eave height, my left foot is jammed between two rungs and all my weight is distributed on my right foot which won’t allow me to release my left foot, I have no idea what to do so I yell for help, then realize I’m in an effing cemetery. I look around, not a soul in site, alive or dead.

About 10 minutes have passed and I am still stuck, I can no longer feel my big toe, geezus I think I’ll have to have my toe removed if I don’t do something quick so I yell again and again, still no one.

That’s it, do or die. I place my forearms in the eaves trough grab the side rails of the ladder and yank, SUCCESS , I’m free, down the ladder I go, walk a bit, toes sore and numb but I can walk, lock the ladder latches climb onto the roof, complete my work and leave. It took years before the big toe on my left foot felt normal again.

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