Pro Tool Reviews: Using a ladder requires you to be on flat ground, but not all jobsites are perfectly level. To fix this issue, there are several ladder levelers and other accessories on the market from a variety of brands. If you primarily use Werner ladders, the brand’s new LevelSafe Pro addresses some common pain points for industry pros working on uneven ground. I’m looking at this ladder accessory to see how it could benefit you and your team.
4 comments:
If the functionality of the Werner LevelSafe is what it is described as, this seems like a no-brainer purchase to make for any outdoor ladder work, even if uneven ground isn’t a dramatic problem to be addressed. What I’m most curious about though are the safety precautions built into this equipment that prevent the ladder from becoming unlevel as they aren’t discussed here. Further, that it would be an interesting idea to have the LevelSafe have a locking mechanism based on the weight placed on it, ensuring that if someone is on a ladder that none of the adjustable mechanisms can be operated. But overall, it seems that this tool is not incredibly apt for theater work unless in very particular circumstances where the only option is to put a ladder on an uneven surface or make a platform to make an even surface for the ladder to rest on. As such, this might be worth the $200 investment, but likely will not be a standard use piece of equipment.
This feels like an incredibly useful safety accessory to use for ladders on uneven surfaces, and I can definitely see the applications in theater and entertainment at large. I have been in and around a number of relatively precarious situations with ladders that could have been solved in a productive sense with this tool. While it is on the pricier side in some aspects, in terms of the balance between personnel safety and price I think it’s a worthwhile investment. I think that sometimes we forget the damage that could be done with a stray ladder accident and having tools to mitigate and/or prevent this are incredibly useful. While this is only specifically applicable to one brand of ladders, the brand is common enough that it could be applicable at a large number of locations and job sites. I look forward to continuing to see innovations like this to contribute to safer workplaces for all of us.
This is a nifty little thing here, but I don’t know how applicable it is to theater. It’s certainly important to have a stable, level extension ladder, and anyone who’s cut down a tree or cleaned gutters knows the struggle of moving the base of the ladder until both feet touch. However, I just can’t imagine a theater company buying this for $200 – I don’t feel like it would be worth it for what we do. Very rarely, I think, is there a situation where the we can’t use a ladder because the floor is so off level. Then, even if it is off level, it’s a lot cheaper to shove some blocks under the feet to make it level. The point being, it seems like this is designed more for the non-flat conditions of working outdoors than it is the relatively benign conditions of working in a theater. That being said, I certainly don’t think it would hurt to have it – I just don’t think a theater company would buy it.
I used a ladder like this for the first time this summer, and I was very interested. Instead of an attachment, it looked like it was already built into the ladder made by Little Giant. The electricians had to go into toe house to focus lights in the alcoves, and the place they were putting their ladder had a rake which would have made it very unsafe without the feet leveling. It's very cool to see these also come as attachments that make it more accessible price-wise. I'd assume that these attachments have a higher load rating than the ladder itself, which would make it so the ladder would fail before these. As someone who hates being on ladders at height, I think any way to make it safer is best for everyone in and out of the industry.
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