How to Climb a Ladder

• 1). Place the ladder on a stable surface (unless this is a rope ladder or similar hanging ladder; in this case, secure it properly to the applicable surface). Examples include a wood floor, concrete and nonslick tile. Avoid using ladders on soft soil and other surfaces that might give or shift under your weight as you climb.
  
  
• 2). Check that all hinges are in locked position (if the ladder is a fold-out model). Lock extension ladders as well. Do this before you use the ladder so that the extended areas do not slip down as you climb. You should check the ladder for stability before taking even one step on the first rung.
  
  
• 3). Place two hands on a rung at chest height. Place one foot in the center of the bottom rung. The two-hands-and-one-foot method (or two feet and one hand) is called three-point contact and is suggested by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for safe ladder climbing. Always maintain this degree of contact with the ladder.
  
  
• 4). Move yourself up the ladder, one rung at a time. Keep your balance centered as you climb. Leaning to one side or the other may cause some ladders to shift, resulting in a dangerous fall. Keep centered by stepping near the center of the rungs as you climb, rather than to one side or another, and facing the ladder---don't twist your body to one side or another as you climb.
  
  
• 5). Climb only as high (or low) as you need to go. When you are finished with your task, climb back down (or up) with the same care you used before. Stay facing the ladder---do not lean backward (which can happen accidentally if you look over your shoulder). Maintain your grip on the rungs all the way.