How To Use a Ladder on Stairs Securely
A “ladder aide” is installed on the stairs in case you cannot reach something on the high top of the stairs.
On the stairs, you can use the ladder aide to set your regular ladder on the stairs.
But on the higher floors, the purpose is to “move to a floor where you can escape”. Go downstairs and move to a place where you can evacuate more easily. In some cases, you will have to use a ladder further downstairs.
Since the evacuation ladder is used only in such an emergency, I think that very few people have actually used it. This time, we will introduce how to use a ladder on stairs.
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Is there a ladder aide at your home?
The ladder aide is an extension ladder attachment to use with a ladder to reach the top high on stairs. There is a lid that can be used by people, and it is normally closed properly. The ladder is not always available in every room and you may have to go to the balcony of the next room.
However, even if it is not in your room, there is no problem because the partition between the balconies will be torn. Rooms on the 11th floor and above have different fire protection (such as sprinklers) and generally do not have evacuation ladders.
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How to use a ladder on stairs
I will explain how to use ladder aide on stairs, so even first-time users will not be confused. But it is better to know in advance so that you can respond smoothly. Check and remember as much as possible in advance. If it’s on the balcony, it’s a good idea to check just the location of the lid.
✔️ Open the lid
First, open the lid of your ladder. However, it does not open wide because it is initially “locked” (or child-locked). The place where the lock is located is marked by a sticker on the surface of the lid, so look for that area. The image at the beginning also has a yellow triangular sticker. There is a place to unlock just below it. You can unlock it by removing the hook or chain.
✔️ Fix the lid
The lid can be fully opened by unlocking it. The evacuation hatch is by no means large, so be sure to fully open the lid until it is fixed. There is a lid under the evacuation hatch, but when you open the upper lid, it opens in tandem. There is no problem for the user to open only the upper lid.
✔️ Lower the ladder
The ladder is held down by a stopper, so push it to lower the ladder. You can press with your feet instead of your hands. Be sure to follow the instructions as it says “Which part should I press to extend the ladder?”
At this time, you need to make sure that there are no people downstairs. You can lean over the railing of the balcony and call out, but if you open the hatch, you can also check if there are any people underneath, so take a closer look and say, “I will lower the ladder.” Let’s call attention.
Also, if there are obstacles under the ladder, the ladder will not stretch properly and there is a risk that it will not be available. Therefore, you should be careful not to put anything on the balcony.
✔️ Use the ladder aide
Adjust ladder aide with your ladder. Hold onto the ladder and slowly start climbing. At this time, hold both sides of the ladder. It is stable unlike ordinary ladders, so let’s get off one by one while checking your feet.
If you have luggage, it will be less stable. Give it to the person below first, or drop it if there is no one. If you carry your backpack on your back, you may get caught, so be careful.
If you should evacuate, we recommend shoes that are difficult to remove, such as athletic shoes. I think that sandals are often left on the balcony, but they are not very suitable for evacuation. It may be a good idea to keep old shoes for evacuation.
✔️ Check the ladder in your apartment!
You may not usually care about your ladder, but it is very encouraging in case of emergency. Make sure to check it with the eyes of the whole family. Also, if you have children, please be careful not to mischief them. Make sure that children of a certain age understand what they mean and that they need to be valued in order to help them.
In order to evacuate smoothly, it is very important not to put anything on the evacuation ladder. If your balcony is full of things, or if you have potted plants, avoid the evacuation ladder and keep it as spacious as possible.
