- First, made sure your ladder is in good shape before climbing it. Don't use a ladder with cracks or bent pieces, and be sure to tighten nuts on reinforcing rods if a ladder feels wobbly.
- On soft ground, put a wide board under both of the ladder's feet to stabilize it.
- Better yet, pound some six inch nails into a 1 x 4 about 12 inches long. Once the ladder is in place, push the 1 x 4s against each leg stabbing those spikes into the grass/soil. That will add extra protection from those rubber feet sliding on the grass.
- Put a flat, firm block under the ladder's lower foot on uneven ground.
- Position a straight ladder so the distance between the wall and the base of the ladder is one-quarter the ladder's height.
- Don't overreach: Keep your hips within the span of the ladder's side rails. Don't lean to the side or reach too far: Move the ladder instead.
- Always climb up and down facing the ladder and use both hands. Carry tools on a belt or haul them up in a bucket.
- When using a stepladder, open fully and lock the braces. Do not use the top step.
Even the most height phobic homeowner sooner or later usually finds himself or herself on a ladder. Here are some tips to using ladders safely:
