Bird Ladder Annual Open House May 14th, 2015

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Chuck

I would like to invite you to our annual open house May 14th, 2015. We will again feature our pig roast for lunch. All our equipment will have an additional 10% off that day. We will have factory reps doing demos on their equipment. We will be featuring a couple of new items.

The first is the redesigned shingle hoist from Tranzsporter. It features a new platform, the 200lb model hoist features a 25% increase in lifting capacity, up to 250 lbs(TP250). The new collapsible carriage comes with cam followers for better tracking and handling. Carriage also features an aluminum deck and flap for lighter weight and longer life. A rolled goods/plywood bracket comes with unit and pins into carriage. For heavier roofing materials, the 400 lb. platform hoist features a lighter weight carriage and revised track system. The TP400 carriage has a 30% reduction in weight over previous models. The aluminum deck and flap provide longer life and lighter weight. This carriage also features a re-engineered and simplified cam follower system with less wear parts than other hoists. Rolled goods/plywood brackets comes included and pins into carriage. Tranzsporter has also developed a new roof guard rail system. It’s the quickest and easiest guardrail system to install, tear down and no tools required. Galvanized for the same price or less than competitor’s painted steel guardrails.

We will also be demonstrating the Reechcraft powermast system. The PowerMast is great for mid to high access needs, offering unmatched portability and simplicity for a wide variety of wall access needs, up to 200+ feet. The tools-free mast assembly is not only easy to put together and connect, it is so compact a 65 ft. twin system can fit in the back of your truck or van! We will have a unit set up at the show. We will also be demonstrating the Powerlift. The PowerLift is a triple threat: convenient, secure and easy to use. It provides additional security and safety, while still helping you gain access to difficult-to-reach indoor and outdoor spaces. One person can easily move and operate this equipment up stairs or inclines – it’s the lightest low-level lift on the market.

Knaack reps. will also be demonstrating the new model 118-M Data Vault. A step above the traditional jobsite protection device, KNAACK® DataVault™ mobile provides a highly mobile jobsite connectivity solution, empowering productivity and digital collaboration. KNAACK® DataVault™ arrives on the job ready for use, and is supported with a nationwide manufacture certified support network to bring agile solutions to customers.

We will also have our free ladder safety and fall protection classes again this year. The class times are as follows:

10:00 and 2:00- Ladder Safety 11:00 and 1:00 Fall protection

Please contact chuck@birdladder.com to reserve a spot. The fall protection classes are limited to the first 20 registered.

Four Tips for Safely Using Ladders

Posted on January 28, 2015 by birdladder

Learning how to safely use ladders is crucial for workplace safety, and it’s a great way for homeowners to reduce the chance for injuries while handling minor projects around the home. Falling from ladders is a leading cause of downtime on the job, and instructing employees how to work while at heights is a proactive way to protect workers. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when working at heights. Continue reading →

Roof Guard Rail System

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Chuck

When employees are required to do maintenance on the heating and cooling equipment located on the roof they must be protected from falls. The solution must comply with OSHA (Standards-29CFR) 1910.23 and 1926.502. The simplest way to do this is with a roof guard rail system that is easy to install, requiring no tools and does not damage the roof. Roof Zone has developed a product, the RZ Guardrail System, that meets these requirements. Made in the USA, it’s the quickest and easiest guardrail system to install and remove, requiring no tools, no permanent installation, and galvanized to eliminate rust issues.

The guardrail base mount is hot-dipped galvanized with protective protective vinyl pads attached to protect roof. The base holds two rails and comes with easy grip openings on each for one or two persons to carry. Optional toe board brackets are available. The galvanized guard rail are available in 6 ft., 8 ft. and 10 ft. length. For roof hatch or skylight applications, a swing gate guardrail is available.

For applications where it is required to maintain sight lines while offering fall protection an optional collapsible guardrail bracket is available so the guard rail system can be laid down on the roof to maintain architectural integrity.

Please visit our website for more info or call us at 800-776-3595 for more information.

How Steel Scaffolding Is Engineered To Improve Safety

Posted on November 7, 2014 by birdladder

At Bird Ladder, we realize steel scaffolding is of the utmost importance for the construction of new buildings. Since construction remains a crucial industry, safe scaffolding plays an indirect but important role in bolstering the economy

Safety engineering for steel scaffolding is a unique field in and of itself. Experts in this field take precautions to ensure that construction workers can use scaffolding without facing undue risk. Fortunately, engineers have developed a number of proven methods for making steel scaffolding safe and secure. OSHA has outlined quite a few rules for reasonably safe scaffolding. However, it is up to scaffold designers to elaborate on these guidelines through personal experience. Although scaffold engineering is a fairly deep and complex subject, the basics of safe scaffolding are relatively simple and easy to understand. Continue reading →

Work Safe, Fast, Smart and Easy

Posted on September 24, 2014 by birdladder

Ever get in those difficult to reach situations at work or in the yard? Do you get tired of lugging heavy and awkward stage scaffolding from job to job? The ReechCraft PowerLift system is the ideal solution for these common job-site headaches. It’s easy to setup and move, lightweight and convenient. Ensuring you get the most productivity possible out of your time on the job.

Work Safe
The ReechCraft PowerLift system is fully compliant with the ANSI safety guidelines. A fully enclosed basket with metal guardrails and a harness anchor point means you’ll be safe and sound high in the air. Feeling a sense of security and having a stable platform from which to work will increase productivity and decrease workplace accidents or injuries. If the power goes out, there is a secondary manual crank to lower the lift. Continue reading →

Warehouse Rolling Ladders Improve Safety

Posted on July 1, 2014 by birdladder

Working in a warehouse requires using potentially dangerous equipment, like forklifts, that can lift pallets of stock and other items high up on storage racks. Although the pallets of goods can be easily stored on industrial racks designed to hold thousands of pounds, workers still will need to climb up to rearrange stock, move fallen items, clean and perform other tasks. Using a good warehouse rolling ladder is one of the safest and most useful ways for workers to safely step up to higher areas and carry items up or down with a sturdy platform beneath their feet. Rolling ladders use a unique design that uses a metal base rolling on four wheels that supports the actual ladder structure on heavy duty springs that rise up and allow the ladder to roll when no one stands on it. Continue reading →

Self Closing Safety Gate

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Chuck

The best way to stop a fall is to eliminate the hazard. By using a self closing safety gate many falls can be prevented. Applications for a safety gate would be: ladderway openings, stairwell openings, equipment access ladders, scaffolding, mezzanines, and working platforms to name a few. Safety gates can be ordered painted safety yellow, hot-dipped galvanized, stainless steel, or aluminum. They are shipped fully assembled, meet OSHA standards, self closing, and are easy to install. They feature dual stainless steel springs, adjustable lengths, and reversible swing direction by simply inverting gate. Such a simple solution to eliminate a fall.

Bird Ladder Open House May 15th

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Chuck

Bird Ladder will be having their annual open house May 15th. Every year we have customer appreciation day which includes a truck load sale on everything. Werner ladders, pump jacks, planks, Granite scaffolding, MBW compactors, trowels and mixers, Werner fall protection, Acro roofing equipment, Tie down shingle hoists, Van Mark brakes, Knaack job boxes, Weatherguard truck and van equipment, Reechcraft PowerPole, PowerLift and PowerMast to name a few.

We will also have factory reps demonstrating their products. We will be introducing new products at the show. The NEW Knaack 118 data vault will be on display with demonstrations. We will also have the new Reechcraft Powermast set up. They also have a new free standing base that will be shown. We will also have new MBW plate compactors on display.

Free safety classes will also be returning this year. We will offer ladder safety courses, fall protection courses and also a presentation by Acro products on use of their roof edge protection. Cards will be issued for the ladder and fall protection training. We are also attempting to have a representative from OSHA here to answer questions.

We also serve lunch from 12:00 till the food runs out. So bring your shopping list, save money, get trained, and have lunch.

OSHA Seeks Partners for June 2-6 National Stand-Down on Construction Falls

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Chuck

OSHA will conduct a national safety stand-down June 2-6 to raise awareness among construction employers and their workers about the hazards of falls, the leading cause of fatal incidents for the industry.

OSHA is seeking partners for the stand-down, and it has stocked a national safety stand-down website with information about how to conduct a successful stand-down. After it takes place, employers will be able to provide feedback and receive a personalized certificate of participation.

An OH&S webinar on April 3 is another way to get information about preventing construction falls. Three experts from OSHA (Jim Maddux, Directorate of Construction director); NIOSH (Dr. Christine Branche, Office of Construction Safety and Health director); and CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training (Pete Stafford, executive director) will discuss OSHA’s ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign and the latest information about the causes of falls in the U.S. construction industry.

“Falls account for more than a third of all deaths in this industry,” said Dr. David Michaels, the OSHA assistant secretary. “We’re working with employers, workers, industry groups, state OSH plans, and civic and faith-based organizations to host safety stand-downs that focus on recognizing hazards and preventing falls. We are getting the message out to America’s employers that safety pays and falls cost.”

The stand-down is part of OSHA’s ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign, which was started in 2012 and was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda program.

“We are pleased to join again with OSHA and our NORA partners to focus on fall prevention at construction sites,” said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. “Preventing falls in the construction industry benefits everyone, from the worker, to the employer, to the community at large. This safety stand-down serves as an important opportunity for everyone to take the time to learn how to recognize and prevent fall hazards.”

Bus Maintenance Scaffold

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Chuck

Many of the new commercial bus designs require maintenance access to roof panels. Keeping employees safe while doing this is a safety issue. Granite Industries and Bird Ladder Co. have developed a bus maintenance scaffold systems to keep maintenance employees safe and meet OSHA requirements. It is a mobile system that is manufactured to the specifications of the bus being used. We have sold units to City of Milwaukee Transit, Marta and City of Omaha Metro. Each operation had different requirements. All units have stairs, guard rails, and toe boards. Employees have safe access to work being done on top of bus. Please contact us for more information.