When climbing a ladder, you should face the ladder and

• A. Keep your knees straight
• B. Climb with hips to the side
• C. Maintain three-point contact when climbing
• D. Use only one hand

Answer: (C)

Facing the ladder and keeping three points of contact is the safest way to climb. Three-point contact means at any moment you have two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand on the ladder, giving you a stable grip and support as you move. This reduces the chance of slipping if you lose your grip or footing and helps keep your body’s weight close to the ladder for better balance.

Other approaches weaken stability: keeping knees straight makes it harder to absorb movement; climbing with hips to the side shifts your center of gravity away from the ladder; using only one hand removes one of the critical contact points, greatly increasing fall risk. So, the best practice is to maintain three-point contact while you're climbing.