According to ladder safety, how far should the base be from the wall for every four feet of working height?

• A. One foot
• B. Two feet
• C. Three feet
• D. Four feet

Answer: (A)

The key idea is the 4-to-1 rule for ladder safety: for every four feet of working height, place the base one foot away from the wall. This keeps the ladder at about a 75-degree angle, which helps stabilize you and the ladder by optimizing the forces acting on it. If the base is too close to the wall, the ladder becomes too vertical and can tip forward. If the base is too far out, the angle becomes too shallow and the feet can slip or the ladder can slide away from the wall. So for four feet of height, one foot out is the correct setup; for example, at eight feet of working height, the base should be about two feet away, and at twelve feet, about three feet, and so on.