Ladder-related falls are the leading cause of disabling falls to lower levels and the second-leading cause of fatal falls to lower levels. The goal of this research was to quantify the impact of ladder configurations and human factors on slip and fall risk during ladder climbing. These studies included a combination of biomechanical analyses of unperturbed climbing, slips during climbing and simulated missteps to assess fall risk. Furthermore, we have developed methods for quantifying the traction between ladder rungs and shoe surfaces. The findings of this research increased the knowledge of the impact of ladder design and human factors on fall risk. The data collected in this study served as preliminary data in a NIOSH proposal.