Concerning OSHA not the ladder set up. One time I rented a lift for a very quick job I set the lift up and semi blocked slow moving traffic. Had out cones individual directing traffic and and I didn't have a permit to block the street. In a hurry I set the lift up jumped in it went up and was making an exclusion when I realized I never put my harness on. I was working fast to get done before anyone saw me when a man with an id in his hand screaming at me about osha, the harness, violating the law and I figured I wasgoing to pay big time.
He began to question me while I was still up there about whether I was a sole proprietor, was I the owner? I answered apolegeticall yes.
He told me I was exempt from the harness requirement but it wasn't smart and he was very sensitive about safety. A agreed and apologized again. Said I wouldn't do it again and he left before I came down. I have never forgot the harness again. Since then I have been told by peoples opinion I respect that I was not exempt.
That my personal experience. Whats the law?
I'm getting ready to start only doing moles and horse farms because I know I am only one fall away from disability or cremation and a lot of people need me working...cremating might work but I can't afford to be disabled.
I'd rather be in a gunfight than a fight with gravity.
I have done worse things than Pesky's video not bragging just fact but I'm not telling anymore.

Seeing that link I posted is to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration's website, I think it's safe to say it's the law.

So what if you hire someone from a temp agency? Just someone to help set that 40 foot ladder and hold it? This is why I have NO EMPLOYEES!

Sole proprietors are exempt from OSHA requirements .

Drink a lot of coffee to get through an OSHA 30 class. In this state it is only good for 5 years. You need to take the OSHA 10 class to renew it. If construction was done 100% according to OSHA nothing would ever get built. I just checked, Been six years wonder if I will have to take the 30 again? In the carpenters union up here everyone has to have OSHA 10, foreman need the 30.

Have any of you been asked to show your OSHA cert. on any commercial jobs?

I'm on mostly spanish tile roofs down here. I'm always afraid to throw a ladder hook in fear of breaking the tiles.

Wow! Interesting topic, great viewpoints. The best one is Paul Brooker's "I'd rather be in a gunfight than a fight with gravity." Gravity never sleeps. Thanks for your comments, Jordan.

Sounds like things must be differnt in other states OSHA doesn't stop people from working here , roofers dont use a harness they use two pieces of foam rubber to stay on the roof , I went to trade school then worked over twenty years in constuction and still have never seen OSHA or any body with a harness system , we do wear them deer hunting , Michigan was a getter done state ,now we're down the toilet , house are selling for 30 cents on the dollar . Poeple are loosing jobs faster than every , had three poeple in one day last week tell me they just lost there job . Cant really see this state coming back , GM ford ect starting pay now is 11 bucks ahour and 14 tops and most of them jobs went to Mexico anyway , nice thing lots of good fishing around there's hardly anybody out there anymore . You know your broke when you can't even fish ,

The law changed last year...and change is in the air.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/lara_wsh_enforce_policy_355668_7.doc

what ever the case may be, just be careful guys. Be smart about it, use common sense.

I use a ladder stabilizer to keep off the gutters, a ladder stop on the ground to keep it from kicking and then a ladder hook with a shorter aluminum ladder. The ladder stops are a pain because they are expensive and it's inevitable that an employee is going to keep leaving them in someones driveway to get run over.

Accidents happen no matter how safe you are. I was 3/4 the way up a 48 ft ladder with a ladder stop on the ground and was taken out by a teenager in a car. My ladder was secured to the home with bungees as well. I even had my truck partially blocking the driveway. Guess he didn't mind ruining mom and dad's lawn. Luckily I landed on my head!

Jerry, were you serious about the head part?

That was sort of sarcasm. It wasn't lucky to land on my head. It was such a mess that I don't exactly know how I landed. Between my legs falling through the latter and it whipping out from under me the lights went out.