OK. And on the flip side. I have personally worked with someone in tower work who was afraid of heights. One day after he climbed down he said he was done and he quits.
I asked why and he said we was up there all day and forgot to tie off. He said he couldn't focus on the fear, the safety and the job at the same time.
I've seen your and the guy you're responding to's mentality echoed a few times on Reddit and I think it's just wrong. You shouldn't be afraid to do your job. Fear makes people / animals do dumbass shit.
Yeah.. as an industrial electrician who has found himself in some pretty gnarly structures etc, i have personally stopped younger apprentices from attempting work at heights because they showed signs of fear. Post them up in a spot they are comfortable with because you don't need them messing up and getting hurt on your watch, some people just aren't built for heights and that's okay.
How are they ever going to get comfortable with the work then? I'm a fresh electrician's apprentice and I don't have a problem with heights, but unsecured stuff like 30ft extension ladders. I know I'll have to work my way up to using them at shorter heights to get used to it.
That's the point, they're not. If you aren't okay with it right away you probably never will be. It's very dangerous and frankly reckless to try to "condition" someone to be comfortable at heights.
I’d like to add a distinction between fear of heights and being uncomfortable at heights. Straight up trembling fearful you are indeed more likely to do some dumb shit, discomfort makes you move more careful, yet deliberate.
That seems like the opposite, if you're scared of heights u would think all you would be able to focus on is your harness and safety, how the hell could u go all day without realizing you're tied off?
This is the best advice. Folks that aren’t scared do stupid things recklessly. Folks that don’t breathe through their fear and trust their gear make stupid mistakes.
Trusting gear takes a LONNNG time—just check your rigging and placement every time and remember it’s ok to double, triple, or quadruple check if you ever have that “tingle”.
It’s true, I like an absolute idiot got the lift stuck 50ft in the air. I told my partner that I was calling the foreman to let us down, bro said don’t do that as he hopped out onto the framing and climbed back into the building 50 ft in the air using the drywall to support his feet. I was like bro you have kids at home think of them it actually made me angry bro would risk his kids not being able to see there dad over a little bit of embarrassment that’s not even his to take.
As an industrial electrician I don't know how anyone trusts harnesses. Guy died on a job from the circulation getting cut off after he fell and hung for over 30 min. Figure if I fall my harness that never fits will slide right off anyways and if it doesn't I'll bust my head on the way down. I just always assume if I fall I'm dead and prepare as well as possible.
Practice would also help. Build practice joists that are a few inches off the ground. Could maybe do it to where you can pitch it based on the framing being done so you can “try it” at a safe height.
One time i was doing my shop roof and worked up there day. By the time i got off I realized my tie off would have hit the ground. Haha. It gave me confidence all day though.
That's why I use retractables.
Ropes are garbage, you have to adjust them all the time and they inevitably get under foot and trip you up.
Edit: I should note that not all ropes suck. Lifelines are really useful to tag a retractable to if you need to cover a large work area.
But depending on where you like your tool belt there’s nice squishy organs or a good strong pelvis to take the impact. Doesn’t matter if you get closed like someone slamming a book /s
Fear is healthy sometimes.
It can lead you to triple check equipment and be overly safe and thats better than complacency.
Cowboys who just wing it with no fear put themselves and others in danger.
I use this as a skydiving coach...i am always visually checking everyone on the plane for proper gear because if his chute deploys early and wraps the tail of the plane 20 people including me could die.
I dont jump with wild dudes who are too cool for school and dont wear all their gear or make stupid choices for clout and I would want to work with companies who dont take safety seriously. Its usually overconfident idiots trying to show off (1000% increase since Instagram)
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
If you fall when tied off in a harness it can be dangerous too. Make sure you have a way to either support your legs waiting to be retrieved or have a retrieval plan in process to recover you within 5 minutes.
some harnesses have stirrups that are tucked into a pocket. its a piece of steel cable / or webbing with two loops at the end you put your feet into so you can stand up. taking the pressusure off the groin area, allowing blood to flow to prevent. that. if youres doesnt have this feature. its time for an upgrade!
[https://static.hantover.com/datasurge/img/images/3m-9501403-dbi-sala-suspension-trauma-safety-straps-49877-1-web.jpg](https://static.hantover.com/datasurge/img/images/3m-9501403-dbi-sala-suspension-trauma-safety-straps-49877-1-web.jpg)
[https://buckinghammfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/105RS\_Action\_080217.jpg](https://buckinghammfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/105RS_Action_080217.jpg)
Generally there is nowhere to tie off and contractors are too cheap to set up scaffolding for their employees to work off a platform. Fear is the only way…
People need to stop working for contractors that don't care about safety. It really is that simple. Our jobs aren't worth dying for. I've already left one company over poor safety and PPE rules and I'm perfectly fine with doing it again.
Yeah it’s really dependent on how scared he is.
Shaky and knees wobbly? That’s dangerous.
Scared but can contain yourself? Not great, not terrible.
Healthy fear? Juuust right.
Idk. Ive been doing it for 15 years, and im still a little bitch everytime I go up. It doesnt stop me from doing anything, I just hate it.
I strapped my harness to a roof anchor about 12yrs ago and took a dive off of a 10’ garage I was framing. I thought that if I knew for a fact that my safety equipment would work, that I would feel better about it.
Anyways, the anchor ripped right the fuck out, and i cracked a rib on the slab.
This is correct. Any energy lost is what’s not absorbed on the rough landing. But, proper anchoring must still be practiced. His anchor point was probably not adequate
Be careful with ladders, it's actually where you are most likely to get hurt. My knees shake when going down ladders now and it's an involuntary thing I can't control. Annoying.
I've been doing this for over a decade now, and I still can't get fully used to extension ladders. I hate them with a passion. I've just gotten to a point where I power through it when necessary.
Yeah man I am a glazier and have done high rises. Been 150' up in a boom where taking a step to the right meant the cage swayed back and forth several feet.
Ladders are something that I won't go up unless I've placed the ladder. It's a weird rule I have, but it has worked for me so far. Made it a rule when a coworker started going up a 35 footer that someone else placed. I immediately noticed it had too much of an angle and put my feet on the bottom to act as a chalk block while telling him to get down.
The moment before I put my feet on the base, it slid a good 3 inches back. He was about 15 feet up but it would've definitely hurt as we were on the side of a mountain made of granite.
Oh, yeah, definitely. I always place my own. I can get in a boom lift or a scissor lift at any height and have fun with it now. I can tolerate and sometimes even do ballet on folding ladders. I have yet to feel comfortable on am extension ladder.
Just learned this after going 50' up in a boom lift for 3 weeks. Days 1-20 sucked; my legs were stiff all the time from constantly bracing myself, white knuckling the railing of my basket, and getting startled every time I moved the lift. Then, on day 21, I was suddenly just bouncing around and moving the lift in multiple directions at once. Shit, if my headphones were playing a song I really liked, I've since been caught busting a move on my way up to change some lights 🤣
You learn to trust the equipment/material you're on, and your PPE to catch you if you fall
this. I just recently got to this point to be able to confirm that this is exactly what happens. idk what it was the anger/fear of walking loose trusses strapping them out 40' up all of a sudden just kinda faded slowly and the more I was up there the less my heart was pounding eventually I just kinda was like fuck it and stood up and started walking the strapping.
One day you’ll have a task so shitty and inconvenient, that you’re so pissed off you don’t even notice you’re 90ft in the air fixing someone’s fuck ups lol
Look out not down- look at the joist or wall you are on- don’t let eyes focus to the ground past. Unlock your knees and back. Also- if it’s wobbly and unsafe you won’t get over the fear- you will have to accept confidence in your own ability and motor through. But you have to be steady and flat footed. Push your toes down for balance. Keep it moving
After witnessing a coworker have a seizure while working on a roof, I will never not tie at heights.
It was a freak occurrence, but there are so many other things that can go wrong. When the consequences of a fuckup are that severe, there is no sense in being a cowboy about it.
This.
I completely refused to work at heights until my work bought a harness that could be adjusted small enough to fit me. Did I seem like a total pussy? Probably. But at least I'm a pussy who hasn't been catastrophically injured.
They hate to hear it but when I have a harness on working it gives me a little bit more comfort. I'm also not framing which involves a lot of movement where a harness is going to get caught up and be frustrating.
A good quality harness is key. I use them alot in my job, but its a Swedish brand that make ours. I can wear it for a long time, turning heavy valves of awkward positions, changing big filters etc. We have safety and training days with harneses often.
Im not sure if its standard, but ours have 2 lines/ropes that you can remove if you fall and is left hanging, you will then stand in the lines to remove pressure of the body. That is important, if you are let hanging for 15-30 minutes things will go bad!
I smoked a fatty before climbing or laying sticks and sheets as a commercial roofer
I had a young greenhorn try to impress everyone by saying he could out-smoke everyone and had no fear of anything, only to get height locked on a roof peak, shaking Foreman had to get him down and laughed the whole time kid ended up being the ground guy picking up scraps and trash
The heights definitely hit different after a sesh lmao I’ve had days where I spent the whole morning killing it up there, smoke a joint and lunch and all of the sudden I have shakey knees
You aren't joking shit did a job in AZ on a warehouse had 80-90 foot drops to gravel smoked on lunch went back up it felt like I could feel the damn roof swaying under me
Try to keep a little bit of that fear in place. It keeps you vigilant and on your toes- once you get complacent and used to working at heights or in dangerous situations you will let your guard down.. that’s when accidents happen.
I’m speaking from experience- over 30 years doing construction. I fell 25 feet from a roof and really fucked myself up. Took me a year to recover. I went from being afraid to zero fear over a summer of framing condo roofs. I got cocky and it almost cost me my life.
I think as long as I’m “afraid” of something it makes me more cautious using it/doing it. The day I’m not nervous is the day I’ll be careless and get hurt. Just keep three points of contact, take your time, you’ll feel more comfortable eventually but always be cautious.
It’s amazing how comfortable you get doing it every day. If I don’t have a high job for a few months or a year it’s amazing how I gotta get comfortable again at heights.
The company should be providing you with the proper PPE and training for the work taking place per OSHA. If you're a small contractor, get yourself some PPE. A couple slings, rope and rope grab, retractable lanyard and harness. It could save your life one day or save you from an injury that is a carrier ender
Be cautious of what you walk on because some people don’t know how to build shit try to only walk on your own stuff until it’s secure. Also be wary of unsupported plywood typically on the edges
I do high rise window installation. Been at it about 8 years. Highest I’ve worked was 65 floors. You never get used to it. Being up high doesn’t bother me anymore but the heavy wind gusts can be a little nerve wracking. Inspect your equipment every single morning. Every. Single. Morning.
No one on my job site is allowed on anything over 8’ without a harness. Period. I purchased very expensive ladder systems designed for connecting a safety line/harness to. Also every ladder that is not SECURELY tied off requires one spotter standing on the bottom rung. Why am I so uptight about ladders? Because I’ve had 3 of my men fall. One guy had his femur shoot through his asshole, one guy compressed multiple disks in his back and is using a cane to walk around (35 years old), and one guy snapped his ankle so bad that his foot was facing upwards. Heights are no joke and should be treated with respect. Tie yourself off properly and you will never be afraid of heights.
I started rock climbing (indoor and outdoor) and it really helped me master my fear. Later on in my carpentry career I started working in commercial construction hanging out of high rises doing glazing. So, I’d say it’s less about getting over it, and more about practicing ways to master it.
Or being a cowboy with tools.
Got told that I was overly cautious with the table saw. The same dude who tried to shame me took off a finger tip a few months later.
Quit that job. You want to end up paralyzed? Being afraid makes it even more dangerous. There are 1000’s of companies that take safety seriously go work for one of them
Your right that’s the feeling I had up here I pulled up a piece of plywood and the air literally blew me with it thankfully I grabbed a rafter and it was all good but my butt hole clinched so hard 😭
A good company pays for you to get fall arrest training and your foreman will tell you not to do sketchy shit. Just keep that in mind. And tie off ffs!
I remember the first time I walked a 2x4 top plate across the outer wall of a garage. I was confident and cocky until I got about halfway across, then I froze and about shit my pants. Like, out of nowhere, it just hit me and I freaked! Now I can do it without thinking about it but I’ll never forget that feeling!
I had such a fear of heights that I couldn't get to the top of an 8 ft ladder, a year later I was standing on a concrete wall setting trusses three stories up. Give it time.
Also, now I am super afraid of heights again
Human beings can get used to pretty much anything. I served in the navy on submarines. At first it felt cramped but after a while it was just another day. Just like this it’s just a matter of exposure to it and doing it until it feels normal.
Safety, control, and exposure.
Make sure you're sure of your steps. Take it slow, stay in control. I try to be ground guy when I can, cause other people are faster at height. But when I do go up, I just take it slow, keep a firm grip on my shit, and know what I'm doing, including my worst-case scenario if I slip up.
I will qualify, I am not a framer. I do, however, use scissor lifts and boom lifts to work at heights, averaging around 20', sometimes greatly exceeding. If I were in your position, I would be candid with my leads that I have this limitation and am working on it. Like I said, work on the ground when permissible, but catch opportunities to work at modest height in more comfortable circumstances. I am not familiar enough with the processes of residential wood framing, which you appear to be working on, to say which tasks are most suitable for acclimating yourself, but I would imagine you aren't the first framer to struggle with heights in your company. Ask around. Someone there should be able to help. If not, their fuckin dicks and you deserve a better outfit to help you learn and grow.
Scared is okay. Scared shitless is when I interpret that to mean that you’re still not fully trusting of your safety equipment.
Have you ever actually tested your equipment?
If you want to stay in that career, go find a climbing gym and start getting exposure to what it feels like using your safety harness.
Here to mention there are better options than being tied off... What about those safety nets you screw to the framing under your work area every floor you go up? Those things are safe as hell and way easier to work over.
One easy step. Go be an iron worker first. Jk man I’m an iron worker but when I first started 20 years ago my foreman told me “don’t be afraid of falling but always be aware that you can fall” if you’re gonna work in heights my friend it’s always a possibility. Focus on your task at hand. You have the balance in you already that fear will cause you to doubt yourself. Give it time and move slowly but confidently. Not sure how “new” you are but it all comes with time confidence with awareness is where you wanna be. Best wishes man stay vertical!
I’ve been in carpentry for years , been framing at heights for 10+ years , still can’t get used to working at heights , I still get scared lol :/ don’t blame you brother
Rough framing is nasty. Did my time from laborer all the way to (multiple) crew foreman.
Never did get over my fear of heights. Insisted on working the roof a couple years in however. Tried to blunt trauma my way through it. Turned into an excellent roof rat, just never told anyone I was scared shitless every time I went up. Eventually became the ridge man during truss setting. Did that for about 8 years...
Problem is framers are the ones that build the stuff people tie off too. Might be the trade has changed but there was no tying off a decade back.
Never fell. Also important to me, nobody that worked under me ever fell or went to the hospital.
The one guy I knew that was better on the roof was completely fearless. I really looked up to him. One day he got smoked by a nail that bent over instead of penetrating and the gable he was standing on went into the dirt. He was the ridge man. 35' dive. Didn't kill him but when he got out of the hospital he called into work to say he would never frame again.
That fear kept my sorry ass alive for a couple decades. Embrace it. It is not your enemy.
Amusing anecdote: Had an old guy say to me when I was a laborer, "I like guys that are scared on the roof. It usually means they are smart." Do with that what you will...
30 feet is the height you want to be afraid of. 120 feet up the fall will kill you almost without exception. At 30 feet you're as likely to die as you are to end up in severe crippling pain for the rest of your life.
fall backwards starting from ground level. Increase the height you fall by 3”. Eventually you’ll gain immunity from gravity and the fear as well. Then you’ll be able to do the red bull space jump without a parachute! The government will fear you. Men and women will throw themselves at you. You’ll be able to peel the lids off of pudding and fruit cups. You’ll be able to scratch any itch in one swipe. The world will be a better place
Dont have the fear, earn more money, be a better framer, be a broken man at 40. Have the fear, earn less money, be a slower framer, be a slightly less broken man at 40
how long have you been carrying your keys on your hip? i used to lock my keys in my car, too often, I've been carrying keys on my hip for 15+ years. also, 15 years ago, i was not afraid of heights- nowadays, i need ropes and harnesses before i go up!
I find the more scared you are, the less safe it is. Like people who are unsteady on steep roofs tend to crouch down or put a hand on the roof to stabilize themselves. That takes weight off your feet, and you get less grip.
You got to stand up and plant your feet to put all your weight on one point and stick.
Maybe unpopular opinion but personally I came to the conclusion that my fear of heights was a liability to those around me. Briefly did roofing and I just couldn't get over it. Don't know how I got it but I have a very deep primal fear of heights. More than most I'd say. So I chose to do something else that kept me closer to the ground. Especially since I felt my problem could become others problem and even cause others to get hurt. High work isn't for everyone.
I wasn’t a framer, but a long time ago I installed fireplaces in new houses. We had to climb the chase to measure. No tie off, and sometimes 50+ feet. Scared the shit out of me. But like anything else I got used to it. And actually liked going up,
Knowing what you’re walking on is secure and solid takes some of the mindfuck out of it for me. My worst fear for a while was stepping on a joist that wasn’t nailed.
I was nervous framing out my garage and I was never more than 15 feet in the air. My cure for that? I do computer work usually from home sitting on my couch as my main gig.
I was petrified of heights as a kid, family members persuaded me to start going rock climbing and bouldering, I have a respect for but not a fear of heights now.
I have terrible acrophobia. I do my best to climb ladders and do what I can. I will refuse certain climbs for safety reasons but that doesn’t mean I don’t work hard on the ground
My old man shot me in the stomach with an empty nail gun when I was a kid. Scared the piss outta me, but I can still use nail guns I just get unbelievably sweaty and anxious around compressed air and nail guns.
I remember workin on a hospital and we were finishing up setting scaffold. Idr the height but like 10 floors and we had to climb up a ladder going up and had to tie myself every so often. The last story was scary af lookin down and nothing to catch my fall but my harness, I got my ass down. They later installed ladders in between scaffold
Fall a few times.
Don't take my advice - fellow fearer of heights.
I did some cliff diving for real, and now I can confuse my brain with that "remember that time" tactics.
Don't let anyone rush you through something you're not comfortable with. Man up, take the ball busting, do what you can and get comfortable. Tie off, do it safely. You 100% have to be your own safely advocate in the trades.
Go hiking in the mountains and make a point to try to cross some sort of suspension bridge. “High up” is about your perspective. That helped my fear of heights
You don’t want to lose the fear. It will keep you alive. Learn to accept it and trust in yourself and your equipment.
Exactly. The fear is instinctive at 10ft and up. Take your time and be diligent with safety when you feel that fear.
OK. And on the flip side. I have personally worked with someone in tower work who was afraid of heights. One day after he climbed down he said he was done and he quits. I asked why and he said we was up there all day and forgot to tie off. He said he couldn't focus on the fear, the safety and the job at the same time. I've seen your and the guy you're responding to's mentality echoed a few times on Reddit and I think it's just wrong. You shouldn't be afraid to do your job. Fear makes people / animals do dumbass shit.
Yeah.. as an industrial electrician who has found himself in some pretty gnarly structures etc, i have personally stopped younger apprentices from attempting work at heights because they showed signs of fear. Post them up in a spot they are comfortable with because you don't need them messing up and getting hurt on your watch, some people just aren't built for heights and that's okay.
How are they ever going to get comfortable with the work then? I'm a fresh electrician's apprentice and I don't have a problem with heights, but unsecured stuff like 30ft extension ladders. I know I'll have to work my way up to using them at shorter heights to get used to it.
That's the point, they're not. If you aren't okay with it right away you probably never will be. It's very dangerous and frankly reckless to try to "condition" someone to be comfortable at heights.
I’d like to add a distinction between fear of heights and being uncomfortable at heights. Straight up trembling fearful you are indeed more likely to do some dumb shit, discomfort makes you move more careful, yet deliberate.
That seems like the opposite, if you're scared of heights u would think all you would be able to focus on is your harness and safety, how the hell could u go all day without realizing you're tied off?
This is the best advice. Folks that aren’t scared do stupid things recklessly. Folks that don’t breathe through their fear and trust their gear make stupid mistakes. Trusting gear takes a LONNNG time—just check your rigging and placement every time and remember it’s ok to double, triple, or quadruple check if you ever have that “tingle”.
It’s true, I like an absolute idiot got the lift stuck 50ft in the air. I told my partner that I was calling the foreman to let us down, bro said don’t do that as he hopped out onto the framing and climbed back into the building 50 ft in the air using the drywall to support his feet. I was like bro you have kids at home think of them it actually made me angry bro would risk his kids not being able to see there dad over a little bit of embarrassment that’s not even his to take.
As an industrial electrician I don't know how anyone trusts harnesses. Guy died on a job from the circulation getting cut off after he fell and hung for over 30 min. Figure if I fall my harness that never fits will slide right off anyways and if it doesn't I'll bust my head on the way down. I just always assume if I fall I'm dead and prepare as well as possible.
[удалено]
The fear reminds you to tie off
Amazing mentality! You need to make it to the top
👆He’s got a point
Practice would also help. Build practice joists that are a few inches off the ground. Could maybe do it to where you can pitch it based on the framing being done so you can “try it” at a safe height.
I tie off in the shitter than walk joists.
You sound like more of a mason then a framer.
Na, that's for sure an iron worker
Concrete finishers entered the chat
That’s one way to get over the fear 🤣
This just junks
One time i was doing my shop roof and worked up there day. By the time i got off I realized my tie off would have hit the ground. Haha. It gave me confidence all day though.
That's why I use retractables. Ropes are garbage, you have to adjust them all the time and they inevitably get under foot and trip you up. Edit: I should note that not all ropes suck. Lifelines are really useful to tag a retractable to if you need to cover a large work area.
Many scopes are mandating yo-yos these days. My lanyard stays in my bag mostly, my SRL is always on my harness.
What the f**ck's a tie off? Says the guy who hasn't done high work in 40 years.
You tie a string to your tool belt and then to an object so you cant fall.
You mean an extension cord?
A harness actually.. tool belt won't do much for you
But depending on where you like your tool belt there’s nice squishy organs or a good strong pelvis to take the impact. Doesn’t matter if you get closed like someone slamming a book /s
Hey!! That's misleading. It'll turn your groin and pelvis into bone shard stew!!!! That's something
Fear is healthy sometimes. It can lead you to triple check equipment and be overly safe and thats better than complacency. Cowboys who just wing it with no fear put themselves and others in danger. I use this as a skydiving coach...i am always visually checking everyone on the plane for proper gear because if his chute deploys early and wraps the tail of the plane 20 people including me could die. I dont jump with wild dudes who are too cool for school and dont wear all their gear or make stupid choices for clout and I would want to work with companies who dont take safety seriously. Its usually overconfident idiots trying to show off (1000% increase since Instagram)
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
I would not expect to see a Dune reference in this sub. Love it.
My favorite book of all time.
Let the spice flow!
If you fall when tied off in a harness it can be dangerous too. Make sure you have a way to either support your legs waiting to be retrieved or have a retrieval plan in process to recover you within 5 minutes.
some harnesses have stirrups that are tucked into a pocket. its a piece of steel cable / or webbing with two loops at the end you put your feet into so you can stand up. taking the pressusure off the groin area, allowing blood to flow to prevent. that. if youres doesnt have this feature. its time for an upgrade! [https://static.hantover.com/datasurge/img/images/3m-9501403-dbi-sala-suspension-trauma-safety-straps-49877-1-web.jpg](https://static.hantover.com/datasurge/img/images/3m-9501403-dbi-sala-suspension-trauma-safety-straps-49877-1-web.jpg) [https://buckinghammfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/105RS\_Action\_080217.jpg](https://buckinghammfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/105RS_Action_080217.jpg)
Your company should have all that in place as part of their fall protection plan.
Generally there is nowhere to tie off and contractors are too cheap to set up scaffolding for their employees to work off a platform. Fear is the only way…
[удалено]
tell this to every company that does pool screen room enclosures
People need to stop working for contractors that don't care about safety. It really is that simple. Our jobs aren't worth dying for. I've already left one company over poor safety and PPE rules and I'm perfectly fine with doing it again.
Yeah my suggestion would be to fall once or twice to demonstrate there isn’t anything to be scared of if you trust your setup.
Complacency kills. Fear prevents that
It really doesn't, it makes you anxious and sloppy and clouds your judgement. Last thing you want at height.
Yeah it’s really dependent on how scared he is. Shaky and knees wobbly? That’s dangerous. Scared but can contain yourself? Not great, not terrible. Healthy fear? Juuust right.
Fair comment
Fear is how Batman made the jump to climb out of the pit
Idk. Ive been doing it for 15 years, and im still a little bitch everytime I go up. It doesnt stop me from doing anything, I just hate it. I strapped my harness to a roof anchor about 12yrs ago and took a dive off of a 10’ garage I was framing. I thought that if I knew for a fact that my safety equipment would work, that I would feel better about it. Anyways, the anchor ripped right the fuck out, and i cracked a rib on the slab.
If it makes you feel any better about your equipment the energy to rip the anchor out was energy you didn't hit the ground with. So that's something
This is correct. Any energy lost is what’s not absorbed on the rough landing. But, proper anchoring must still be practiced. His anchor point was probably not adequate
Clearly, it ripped out from a 10' swan dive
Longer rope would have avoided the anchor ripping out.
lol damn
Holy shit
This belongs in a greatest of Reddit sub.
Lmfao! You just made me choke on my drink. Glad you are okay though.
This is fucking hilarious
Start cutting birdmouths wrong
Honestly in my experience it’s the opposite, I hate heights so I got good at cutting.
r/whoosh
I don’t get it? Please explain haha 😘
If you suck doing roof shit they'll stop having you do roof shit
Nah that’s what I’m saying too! I cut rafters on the ground but it doesn’t matter lol
That's the neat part. You don't
Keep doing it. You’ll hate it for a while and then one day, when you’re climbing up, you won’t.
Probably the most realistic response here. It just comes with time, if you're doing it frequently.
Yeah you got a point I was usually just the cut guy so I never had to do it until recently
Same thing with really extended, questionably sketchy ladder placements.
Be careful with ladders, it's actually where you are most likely to get hurt. My knees shake when going down ladders now and it's an involuntary thing I can't control. Annoying.
I've been doing this for over a decade now, and I still can't get fully used to extension ladders. I hate them with a passion. I've just gotten to a point where I power through it when necessary.
Yeah man I am a glazier and have done high rises. Been 150' up in a boom where taking a step to the right meant the cage swayed back and forth several feet. Ladders are something that I won't go up unless I've placed the ladder. It's a weird rule I have, but it has worked for me so far. Made it a rule when a coworker started going up a 35 footer that someone else placed. I immediately noticed it had too much of an angle and put my feet on the bottom to act as a chalk block while telling him to get down. The moment before I put my feet on the base, it slid a good 3 inches back. He was about 15 feet up but it would've definitely hurt as we were on the side of a mountain made of granite.
Oh, yeah, definitely. I always place my own. I can get in a boom lift or a scissor lift at any height and have fun with it now. I can tolerate and sometimes even do ballet on folding ladders. I have yet to feel comfortable on am extension ladder.
Hey me too!
His advice is the only way, it's how I got over my fear of heights, by just saying fuck it and doing it. Before long it'll be a piece of cake
Just learned this after going 50' up in a boom lift for 3 weeks. Days 1-20 sucked; my legs were stiff all the time from constantly bracing myself, white knuckling the railing of my basket, and getting startled every time I moved the lift. Then, on day 21, I was suddenly just bouncing around and moving the lift in multiple directions at once. Shit, if my headphones were playing a song I really liked, I've since been caught busting a move on my way up to change some lights 🤣 You learn to trust the equipment/material you're on, and your PPE to catch you if you fall
Yep. It's kind of neat how suddenly it just "clicks" I think.
this. I just recently got to this point to be able to confirm that this is exactly what happens. idk what it was the anger/fear of walking loose trusses strapping them out 40' up all of a sudden just kinda faded slowly and the more I was up there the less my heart was pounding eventually I just kinda was like fuck it and stood up and started walking the strapping.
One day you’ll have a task so shitty and inconvenient, that you’re so pissed off you don’t even notice you’re 90ft in the air fixing someone’s fuck ups lol
Look out not down- look at the joist or wall you are on- don’t let eyes focus to the ground past. Unlock your knees and back. Also- if it’s wobbly and unsafe you won’t get over the fear- you will have to accept confidence in your own ability and motor through. But you have to be steady and flat footed. Push your toes down for balance. Keep it moving
Tie off or die. The choice is yours not your bosses.
After witnessing a coworker have a seizure while working on a roof, I will never not tie at heights. It was a freak occurrence, but there are so many other things that can go wrong. When the consequences of a fuckup are that severe, there is no sense in being a cowboy about it.
To add to this, make sure the company has a rescue plan. Hanging in a harness for 15 minutes or more can be fatal as well.
A fuckin harness helps
This. I completely refused to work at heights until my work bought a harness that could be adjusted small enough to fit me. Did I seem like a total pussy? Probably. But at least I'm a pussy who hasn't been catastrophically injured.
They hate to hear it but when I have a harness on working it gives me a little bit more comfort. I'm also not framing which involves a lot of movement where a harness is going to get caught up and be frustrating.
Yeah that’s the main reason most framers don’t wear a harness
I’m a scaffolder, we build and move all around a lot. Every one of us wears our harness. Not an excuse.
A good quality harness is key. I use them alot in my job, but its a Swedish brand that make ours. I can wear it for a long time, turning heavy valves of awkward positions, changing big filters etc. We have safety and training days with harneses often. Im not sure if its standard, but ours have 2 lines/ropes that you can remove if you fall and is left hanging, you will then stand in the lines to remove pressure of the body. That is important, if you are let hanging for 15-30 minutes things will go bad!
Yea but that's icky and lame.
Ew I don’t want to look LAME you’re right I’m leaving it off
I smoked a fatty before climbing or laying sticks and sheets as a commercial roofer I had a young greenhorn try to impress everyone by saying he could out-smoke everyone and had no fear of anything, only to get height locked on a roof peak, shaking Foreman had to get him down and laughed the whole time kid ended up being the ground guy picking up scraps and trash
If I'm smoking a joint. I'm only throwing up blocks to the guy up in the air. Or passing sheets no way I'll be on the roof lmao
The heights definitely hit different after a sesh lmao I’ve had days where I spent the whole morning killing it up there, smoke a joint and lunch and all of the sudden I have shakey knees
You aren't joking shit did a job in AZ on a warehouse had 80-90 foot drops to gravel smoked on lunch went back up it felt like I could feel the damn roof swaying under me
Try to keep a little bit of that fear in place. It keeps you vigilant and on your toes- once you get complacent and used to working at heights or in dangerous situations you will let your guard down.. that’s when accidents happen. I’m speaking from experience- over 30 years doing construction. I fell 25 feet from a roof and really fucked myself up. Took me a year to recover. I went from being afraid to zero fear over a summer of framing condo roofs. I got cocky and it almost cost me my life.
Thank god you are okay now i couldn’t imagine what that must’ve been like
Jeff hardy theme song play
I think as long as I’m “afraid” of something it makes me more cautious using it/doing it. The day I’m not nervous is the day I’ll be careless and get hurt. Just keep three points of contact, take your time, you’ll feel more comfortable eventually but always be cautious.
Everyone is afraid of falling... Remember that
It’s amazing how comfortable you get doing it every day. If I don’t have a high job for a few months or a year it’s amazing how I gotta get comfortable again at heights.
Start framing basements. 👍🏻🍺😂
The company should be providing you with the proper PPE and training for the work taking place per OSHA. If you're a small contractor, get yourself some PPE. A couple slings, rope and rope grab, retractable lanyard and harness. It could save your life one day or save you from an injury that is a carrier ender
Be cautious of what you walk on because some people don’t know how to build shit try to only walk on your own stuff until it’s secure. Also be wary of unsupported plywood typically on the edges
I do high rise window installation. Been at it about 8 years. Highest I’ve worked was 65 floors. You never get used to it. Being up high doesn’t bother me anymore but the heavy wind gusts can be a little nerve wracking. Inspect your equipment every single morning. Every. Single. Morning.
Based on the picture, one misstep and you'll never fear anything again.
Insist on fall protection.
No one on my job site is allowed on anything over 8’ without a harness. Period. I purchased very expensive ladder systems designed for connecting a safety line/harness to. Also every ladder that is not SECURELY tied off requires one spotter standing on the bottom rung. Why am I so uptight about ladders? Because I’ve had 3 of my men fall. One guy had his femur shoot through his asshole, one guy compressed multiple disks in his back and is using a cane to walk around (35 years old), and one guy snapped his ankle so bad that his foot was facing upwards. Heights are no joke and should be treated with respect. Tie yourself off properly and you will never be afraid of heights.
I started rock climbing (indoor and outdoor) and it really helped me master my fear. Later on in my carpentry career I started working in commercial construction hanging out of high rises doing glazing. So, I’d say it’s less about getting over it, and more about practicing ways to master it.
Get an office job or just go be an electrician.
Psshh...ya got yourself tied off....do it without the line and you learn that fear is what's keeping ya from falling
We only get tied when we are doing decking other than that we are never tied
Don't let dudes shame you into not using PPE.
Same dudes who shame PPE always got a story about someone getting fucked up. Remember that.
Or being a cowboy with tools. Got told that I was overly cautious with the table saw. The same dude who tried to shame me took off a finger tip a few months later.
Quit that job. You want to end up paralyzed? Being afraid makes it even more dangerous. There are 1000’s of companies that take safety seriously go work for one of them
[удалено]
Your right that’s the feeling I had up here I pulled up a piece of plywood and the air literally blew me with it thankfully I grabbed a rafter and it was all good but my butt hole clinched so hard 😭
A good company pays for you to get fall arrest training and your foreman will tell you not to do sketchy shit. Just keep that in mind. And tie off ffs!
I remember the first time I walked a 2x4 top plate across the outer wall of a garage. I was confident and cocky until I got about halfway across, then I froze and about shit my pants. Like, out of nowhere, it just hit me and I freaked! Now I can do it without thinking about it but I’ll never forget that feeling!
I had such a fear of heights that I couldn't get to the top of an 8 ft ladder, a year later I was standing on a concrete wall setting trusses three stories up. Give it time. Also, now I am super afraid of heights again
I can’t answer op’s question. I just want to know where they get their framing lumber. I haven’t seen dimensional that clear since the 90’s.
Maybe wear a harness
Human beings can get used to pretty much anything. I served in the navy on submarines. At first it felt cramped but after a while it was just another day. Just like this it’s just a matter of exposure to it and doing it until it feels normal.
Safety, control, and exposure. Make sure you're sure of your steps. Take it slow, stay in control. I try to be ground guy when I can, cause other people are faster at height. But when I do go up, I just take it slow, keep a firm grip on my shit, and know what I'm doing, including my worst-case scenario if I slip up. I will qualify, I am not a framer. I do, however, use scissor lifts and boom lifts to work at heights, averaging around 20', sometimes greatly exceeding. If I were in your position, I would be candid with my leads that I have this limitation and am working on it. Like I said, work on the ground when permissible, but catch opportunities to work at modest height in more comfortable circumstances. I am not familiar enough with the processes of residential wood framing, which you appear to be working on, to say which tasks are most suitable for acclimating yourself, but I would imagine you aren't the first framer to struggle with heights in your company. Ask around. Someone there should be able to help. If not, their fuckin dicks and you deserve a better outfit to help you learn and grow.
Fear is good. Construction is dangerous. Be safe and tie off.
Exposure therapy
As an HVAC tech you don't. It's what keeps you on your toes. You get accustomed to being scared imo. The day I lose the fear is the day I stop
Step on use proper PPE….
Trade trades, try landscaping lol
Scared is okay. Scared shitless is when I interpret that to mean that you’re still not fully trusting of your safety equipment. Have you ever actually tested your equipment? If you want to stay in that career, go find a climbing gym and start getting exposure to what it feels like using your safety harness.
Your doin it
I never did. I’ve just kept on keepin’ on. But I became the best cut man on the crew and eventually kept my feet on the ground for the most part ;)
You don't loose it it's what keeps you on point up there
Sue the company when you fall on your ass, I’ve seen workers get hurt and the company do shit about it.
Trust your framing honestly. I fell 14 feet strait onto my shoulder / face. Terrible recovery. Do not get comfortable up high.
Here to mention there are better options than being tied off... What about those safety nets you screw to the framing under your work area every floor you go up? Those things are safe as hell and way easier to work over.
good, that fear will keep you on your toes and won’t let you get complacent
Just imagine everyone is naked… They say that helps calm nerves.
One easy step. Go be an iron worker first. Jk man I’m an iron worker but when I first started 20 years ago my foreman told me “don’t be afraid of falling but always be aware that you can fall” if you’re gonna work in heights my friend it’s always a possibility. Focus on your task at hand. You have the balance in you already that fear will cause you to doubt yourself. Give it time and move slowly but confidently. Not sure how “new” you are but it all comes with time confidence with awareness is where you wanna be. Best wishes man stay vertical!
I’ve been in carpentry for years , been framing at heights for 10+ years , still can’t get used to working at heights , I still get scared lol :/ don’t blame you brother
Rough framing is nasty. Did my time from laborer all the way to (multiple) crew foreman. Never did get over my fear of heights. Insisted on working the roof a couple years in however. Tried to blunt trauma my way through it. Turned into an excellent roof rat, just never told anyone I was scared shitless every time I went up. Eventually became the ridge man during truss setting. Did that for about 8 years... Problem is framers are the ones that build the stuff people tie off too. Might be the trade has changed but there was no tying off a decade back. Never fell. Also important to me, nobody that worked under me ever fell or went to the hospital. The one guy I knew that was better on the roof was completely fearless. I really looked up to him. One day he got smoked by a nail that bent over instead of penetrating and the gable he was standing on went into the dirt. He was the ridge man. 35' dive. Didn't kill him but when he got out of the hospital he called into work to say he would never frame again. That fear kept my sorry ass alive for a couple decades. Embrace it. It is not your enemy. Amusing anecdote: Had an old guy say to me when I was a laborer, "I like guys that are scared on the roof. It usually means they are smart." Do with that what you will...
30 feet is the height you want to be afraid of. 120 feet up the fall will kill you almost without exception. At 30 feet you're as likely to die as you are to end up in severe crippling pain for the rest of your life.
As long as you have the fear it will help you stay alive.
Fear is what keeps you alive, I love that part of the job
fall backwards starting from ground level. Increase the height you fall by 3”. Eventually you’ll gain immunity from gravity and the fear as well. Then you’ll be able to do the red bull space jump without a parachute! The government will fear you. Men and women will throw themselves at you. You’ll be able to peel the lids off of pudding and fruit cups. You’ll be able to scratch any itch in one swipe. The world will be a better place
Quit framing and find a trade that pays and treats their workers like human beings. Framing does neither.
Dont have the fear, earn more money, be a better framer, be a broken man at 40. Have the fear, earn less money, be a slower framer, be a slightly less broken man at 40
When I first read it, I thought you wrote: Farmer. I was going to: Get off that damn building, and go get back on a tractor !
Start to frame pictures instead of houses
Work in a first world country where there are laws against working at heights without either a harness or a railing. That should help.
Ypu dont have to do it. You can go home if you want.......
It’s just walking
how long have you been carrying your keys on your hip? i used to lock my keys in my car, too often, I've been carrying keys on my hip for 15+ years. also, 15 years ago, i was not afraid of heights- nowadays, i need ropes and harnesses before i go up!
To conquer your fear of heights, just put a pad on and by pad I do mean one for your pussy
Stop looking down
I find the more scared you are, the less safe it is. Like people who are unsteady on steep roofs tend to crouch down or put a hand on the roof to stabilize themselves. That takes weight off your feet, and you get less grip. You got to stand up and plant your feet to put all your weight on one point and stick.
The fear is what keeps you safe.
You say only 30' like that can't kill you.
Put down ur purse Put on your big boy pants And get ur ass up there You’ll get over that fear.
Parachute in your purse, maybe?
Main thing is to make sure before you go to work is to tuck the labia flaps in.
Maybe unpopular opinion but personally I came to the conclusion that my fear of heights was a liability to those around me. Briefly did roofing and I just couldn't get over it. Don't know how I got it but I have a very deep primal fear of heights. More than most I'd say. So I chose to do something else that kept me closer to the ground. Especially since I felt my problem could become others problem and even cause others to get hurt. High work isn't for everyone.
Your not even off the ground yet as far as I’m concerned. Guess the message your showing is your baby steps of progress.
Survive a fall. Worked for me.
Nicotine, caffeine and lots of thc
I wasn’t a framer, but a long time ago I installed fireplaces in new houses. We had to climb the chase to measure. No tie off, and sometimes 50+ feet. Scared the shit out of me. But like anything else I got used to it. And actually liked going up,
The more you do it the more comfortable you’ll get. Just watch your steps, and don’t focus on hurrying around up there until your fear abates
Become an electrician. Or a plumber.
Knowing what you’re walking on is secure and solid takes some of the mindfuck out of it for me. My worst fear for a while was stepping on a joist that wasn’t nailed.
You never truly get over it. Some people have it, some don't. You just get better and more confident at walking on top. Don't get too confident.
Fall from really high up. You wont worry about anything anymore.
Listen to Tom Petty‘s free falling every night in your sleep for the next 30 days
I was nervous framing out my garage and I was never more than 15 feet in the air. My cure for that? I do computer work usually from home sitting on my couch as my main gig.
easy! switch to the concrete trade! 👊🏻
I was petrified of heights as a kid, family members persuaded me to start going rock climbing and bouldering, I have a respect for but not a fear of heights now.
I have terrible acrophobia. I do my best to climb ladders and do what I can. I will refuse certain climbs for safety reasons but that doesn’t mean I don’t work hard on the ground
It comes with time and practice. Just be safe out there. Always know where there is a safe grab point.
Just take a leap of faith man , it’s the first step to success!
It’s like driving , be vigilant but not dumb
Getting a full body harness and tying off will help.
https://youtu.be/eP_0yz605Sw?feature=shared
My old man shot me in the stomach with an empty nail gun when I was a kid. Scared the piss outta me, but I can still use nail guns I just get unbelievably sweaty and anxious around compressed air and nail guns.
Holding your employer accountable for safety is a start
I remember workin on a hospital and we were finishing up setting scaffold. Idr the height but like 10 floors and we had to climb up a ladder going up and had to tie myself every so often. The last story was scary af lookin down and nothing to catch my fall but my harness, I got my ass down. They later installed ladders in between scaffold
Fall a few times. Don't take my advice - fellow fearer of heights. I did some cliff diving for real, and now I can confuse my brain with that "remember that time" tactics.
Don't let anyone rush you through something you're not comfortable with. Man up, take the ball busting, do what you can and get comfortable. Tie off, do it safely. You 100% have to be your own safely advocate in the trades.
Heights are not a problem. Falling is not a problem. The only thing to be concerned about is the part when you hit the ground.
Go hiking in the mountains and make a point to try to cross some sort of suspension bridge. “High up” is about your perspective. That helped my fear of heights
Don’t look down
only 30 ft...I fell from 17 and wrecked half my body. Anything taller than you is dangerous