How Many Points of Contact Should You Maintain With A Ladder?

If you’re on this page, the likelihood is that you’ve got some important work to do involving a ladder or you happen to have stumbled across scary stats regarding ladders, like those that tell you that a third of all accidents in the workplace involve falling from a ladder. 

While you would expect that those working at height in the workplace would be well aware of the correct safety procedures when using ladders, surprisingly many are not, or simply fail to follow them. It is not usually the ladders themselves that are to blame, but rather human error. 

One of the keys to safety on a ladder is not hard hats, elbow pads, or a mattress surrounding the base of the ladder – but the maintaining of a principle that isn’t always well respected – the 3 points of contact rule.

Ladder 3 Point Contact

The simple answer is three, at all times. Whether you have two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot on the ladder, you should always try to maintain these three points of contact with a ladder at all times.

The reason for this is that having three points of contact will ensure the maximum possible stability whilst working. Generally, only with your free hand should you do any type of work such as painting when on a ladder. Whilst there is a great deal of stabilizing accessories available to help yourself, there is no substitute for this rule as it only keeps the ladder in place. You still have your centre of gravity to contend with, and there’s no special automatic 3-point contact ladder that can change that. 

Often people may be tempted to disturb the ladder 3 points of contact rule because of an inefficient setup. Think about why you might be tempted to break the rule in the first place. Maybe it’s difficulty with accessing tools that you need to use. Perhaps you have trouble orienting yourself? 

Any problems you have maintaining the ladder’s 3 points of contact rule have been another worker’s problem at some point and time, and there has almost certainly been an adaptation for each one. There are options when it comes to ladders that can help you overcome some of these difficulties. Take a look at our step platform, for example, which allows you to adjust how you stand, or you could make use of a platform ladder and make use of the extra space on top. 

Remember, the three points of contact apply not just when working on a ladder but also when ascending or descending the ladder too. Here are some tips to best ensure you maintain the 3-points of contact rule.

Tips to maintain the 3-points of contact with a ladder

Consider what you’re wearing on your feet.
The anti-slip properties of a ladder’s rungs are designed to grip rubber shoes and the grooves that are set into them. As a result, don’t wear something like sandals, or even worse, use the ladder with your bare feet. Footwear shouldn’t necessarily be heavy duty, but thick enough in the soles to protect the underneath of your feet. 

Clean footwear and rungs
You should clear mud and greasy substance off your footwear before climbing and also make sure that the rungs are clean and free of substances that could cause you to slip.

Keep your centre of gravity between the side rails

Centring your body is key when climbing or standing on the ladder, too. By favouring either side of the ladder, you put it at a slant, making it easier for you to become off-balance and fall. 

Don’t overreach

Overreaching similarly puts the ladders at a slant, although at that point you have the added risk of simply toppling from the ladder due to your balance being compromised, rather than the ladders. 

Climb using the rungs
It might seem obvious, but you should always climb using the rungs rather than the frame of the ladder, as the rungs provide added stability in case of your foot slips 

Make a conscious effort to move slowly 

Moving too quickly up and down the structure often results in only 2-point contact, so you should make a conscious effort to move that little bit slower to maintain 3 points of contact on a ladder. Your movement up and down the ladder should be slow and precise. 

Don’t stand on the top 3 rungs

The top three rungs of a ladder shouldn’t generally be stood on, because doing so would mean your arms would extend beyond the top of the ladder breaking the three points of contact rule and creating a highly unstable situation. 

Carry tools in a belt

When climbing the ladder, don’t carry tools or equipment in your hands which could break your contract with the ladder. Where possible, use a tool belt for small tools.

This concludes our review of the basics of what you need to know as far as the three points of contact. Since this all revolves around safety, we’ve added the following section for those who want to maximise their safety at heights on a ladder, or to have ladders that, on their own, provide a lot more safety than what you’d be used to. 

Reinforcing your safety

Certain rules should also be followed in tandem with the three-point rule to maximise the stability of your ladder. For one, put your ladder on even ground. Uneven grounds mean that the balance of the ladder can shift, causing your natural reflexes to kick in. As you might imagine, this can end in your entire ladder toppling as a result of your sudden movement. 

If you need to work on uneven ground, several ladders could boost your safety. The BPS tripod ladder, for example, removes the back two legs in favour of a single, third limb. This third limb can be customised to suit either hard uneven ground, like an old run-down patio, or a lumpy grassed area. You do this by switching between a cylindrical rubber foot for resting and gripping strong surfaces, and a spike for sticking into soft surfaces. 

What are the safest ladders to use? 

The ladder that aims solely at keeping its user safe by far belongs to the platform ladder. This is because the top step of the ladder consists of a platform that comes with a handrail. This means that you have a solid, stable place to stand on and do your work from. Bear in mind that this doesn’t mean that you can break the three-point-of-contact rule. One hand should remain on the handrail at all times for balance. 

If you are using a ladder that relies for its stability on the structure it is leaned against, you can improve the safety aspect with Wall Pads that create a grip between the surface and your ladder. The rubber grip not only prevents the ladder from sliding sideways but also prevents damage or marking on the surface the ladder is leaning against.

Conclusion

Ladder safety guidelines should be well known and followed, but unfortunately, they are not always, potentially putting people at risk. Whether in the workplace or doing DIY, we hope this article encourages you to follow the three-point-of-contact rule to ensure your safety when working at height on a ladder.