When using ladders, you should not carry tools down the ladder.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if the ladder is short
• D. Only with a helper

Answer: (B)

Ladder safety hinges on keeping your hands free and maintaining three points of contact at all times. Carrying tools while you climb or descend increases the chance of losing balance and falling, so the safer approach is to secure tools and use proper methods to move them.

In practice, you should not rely on having tools in your hands as you go up or down. Instead, secure tools in a belt or pouch so your hands stay free, or have someone on the ground pass tools up or lower them with a rope or tool bucket. This keeps your balance and grip intact while still letting you get the tools where they’re needed. Because there are safe ways to move tools without carrying them directly on the ladder, the statement isn’t an absolute rule, making it not universally correct.