A Step Ladder is basically a standard ladder which is folded in half, to form a V shape, upside down.
Normal ladders work by leaning them up against something, and are normally much larger than a step ladder.
The biggest issue with a standard ladder is that you are unable to work on something that is out in the open.
For example, if you wanted to cut a branch off that was three meters away from the trunk of the tree and 5 meters in the air, you would have no way of getting to it with a standard ladder.
With one that is designed in a V shape though, you are able to set it up anywhere, meaning that you can get to the branch that you want to! These are used primarily for fitting lights, working on overhead beams and various other jobs which are not able to support a normal ladder.
These have been around for a long time, and they can be purchased in aluminum, steel, fiberglass, plastic, timber and a combination of each.
They range from about a meter right through to near on 5 meters.
These are very handy, and are found in most work places.
Most of these have two bars running across the V, to ensure that the ladder can't fold in or fold out once it is set up.
Using a ladder leveler will help to stop any sideways movement on these ladders too.
More than just a few people have been injured using these, so you need to use them carefully.
Never go above the second top rung, always have at least 3 points of contact and ensure that you set them up correctly.
Falling from even two meters can easily break bones, so take it carefully and think about the job at hand!