To provide for safety, ladders should be ___.

To provide for safety, ladders should be ___.

• A. used as designed and intended
• B. selected based on the task
• C. both a and b
• D. neither a nor b

Answer: (C)

Safety with ladders comes from two things working together: using the ladder as it was designed and selecting a ladder appropriate for the task. Ladders are built with specific purposes, load ratings, and usage instructions. Following those design guidelines keeps the ladder’s structure and safety features intact and reduces the risk of failure. At the same time, the task you’re doing drives what kind of ladder you need—the height you must reach, whether the environment is electrical or wet, the surface you’ll stand on, and how much weight will be on the ladder. Choosing the right type, material, and duty rating ensures you won’t overload it or be in a position that makes you overreach or lose balance. Using both principles together covers the main safety risks: misusing a ladder beyond its design limits and using a ladder that isn’t suited to the job.

Safety with ladders comes from two things working together: using the ladder as it was designed and selecting a ladder appropriate for the task. Ladders are built with specific purposes, load ratings, and usage instructions. Following those design guidelines keeps the ladder’s structure and safety features intact and reduces the risk of failure. At the same time, the task you’re doing drives what kind of ladder you need—the height you must reach, whether the environment is electrical or wet, the surface you’ll stand on, and how much weight will be on the ladder. Choosing the right type, material, and duty rating ensures you won’t overload it or be in a position that makes you overreach or lose balance. Using both principles together covers the main safety risks: misusing a ladder beyond its design limits and using a ladder that isn’t suited to the job.