Abstract: Stair walking is an important functional movement task that may require considerable amounts of muscle strength/power. [reader] personal correspondence, 9/17/2013, corrected a typographical error in our specification of the minimum outside diameter of a graspable handriling - Ed. , and much more. This is the distance between a single railing and a wall on the other side. Seventeen healthy elderly women (age 72.4 6.4) were tested for MAV, maximal multi-joint counter movement jumping (CMJ), and maximal single-joint isokinetic/isometric muscle moment. 1. Measure this distance from the side of the handrail closest to the wall and extend the line to the wall. Above: at this outdoor stairway built along the wall of a restaurant in Oxaca, Mexico, we noticed that the chimney installer, venting a gas heating appliance, and the handrail installer building along an outdoor stairway wall, simply could not find an accord. The distance between horizontal projections and the bottom of the gripping surface shall be permitted to be reduced by 1/ Kelly Bacon is a licensed general contractor with over 40 years of experience in construction, home building and remodeling, and commercial building. Must I use the guardrail as handrail or I can install a handrail in front of the guardrail in order to achieve continuity. This rule is designed to provide enough walking space up and down the staircase. Ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals, or otherwise arranged so as not to constitute a projection hazard. HANDRAIL GRASPABILITY DEFECT PHOTOS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. Standard Specifications, Section 3214. Below is an inside ninety-degree radiused bend in a handrailing in the same stairway. There are other stair hazards here including the open wall along the right side of the stairs. If I live in a 3 stories home having an internal stair of 3'-0" wide.The handrail is not continuous throughout: From ground floor to first floor the wall mounted handrail is on the LEFT,From first floor to second floor the handrail with the balustrade is on the RIGHT. Even though building code does not require a guard for surfaces that are lower than 30 inches, it is always safest to include one in these situations. 26 no. This example is useful to broaden our understanding of how people use stairs and railings. We include descriptions & definitions of graspability for handrailings, and we illustrate safe and unsafe, graspable and not-graspable handrailings in sketches, photographs, and building code citations. The, Getting a Grip on When Handrails Are Required, While ADA standards outline the basics, youll need to also make sure your building adheres to your local building codes. We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. Try attaching a photo. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Stairwells and Stairs., web search 8/1/12, original source: http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/1626.html, [37] California Building Code, Nonstructural Design Requirements, web search 08/01/12 original source: http://sanbruno.ca.gov/comdev_images/California_Building_Code.pdf. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Stair railings and handrails shall be continuous the full length of the stairs and, except for private stairways, at least one handrail or stair railing shall extend in the direction of the stair run not less than 12 inches beyond the top riser nor less than 12 inches beyond the bottom riser. By contrast, stair guards run horizontally along a flat area, with a drop on the other side. Not so with staircase building code for hand railings and guards. So you know you need a continuous handrail, but youre not sure where to start. Stair guards do not protect stairs but are often used in conjunction with stairs, as with stair landings or elevated walking areas leading to stairs. This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations
their length. Ability to generate forward/backward forces and forward/backward moments increased linearly with increasing handrail height. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, FALL HAZARDS DUE TO UN-GRASPABLE HANDRAILS, ARTICLE INDEX to STAIRS RAILINGS LANDINGS RAMPS, Yale University Is this normal to have rails g half way (4) Stairs that follow the contour of tanks or other cylindrical or spherical structures where the construction requires the inside clearance between the inside stair stringer and wall or tank side to be 8 inches or less, shall not be considered an open side.. You need to provide the hand with a clear, continuous pathway for the entire length of the railing. That's the final legal Authority on questions such as the one you raised. Do you have any ideas as to why this is? ANSI A117.4 Accessible and Usable buildings and Facilities (earlier version was incorporated into the ADA), ASTM F 1637, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, (Similar to the above standard, [22] The Circular Staircase, Mary Roberts Rinehart, [23] Construction Drawings and Details, Rosemary Kilmer. (f) The mounting of handrails shall be such that the completed structure is capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied in any direction at any point on the rail. 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. [24]"The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., [27 Building Stairs, by pros for pros, Andy Engel, [28] A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding, George R. Christina, [29] Basic Stairbuilding, Scott Schuttner, [30] The Staircase (two volumes), John Templar, Cambridge: the MIT Press, 1992, [31] The Staircase: History and Theories, John Templar, MIT Press 1995. no continuous railings top or bottom or on landings. This study aimed to perform a descriptive biomechanical analysis of maximal stair ascent in elderly women and to examine the relationship between mechanical muscle function and maximal stair ascending velocity (MAV). Article 17. The minimum distance for two railings refers to thewalking space between two handrails on the same staircase. See pictures, I have interruption and a small piece the inspector wants a single piece as guardrail and then transitioning as handrail. Stair Rails and Handrails, web search 8/1/12, original source: http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3214.html, [36] California Department of Industrial Relations - CA/OSHA: California Stair & Railing Code details: Subchapter 4. Note that this code requirement works in conjunction with the requirement about the maximum projection of railing from the wall. even where disabled individuals are not the design target. 10). [42] A Field Study of Stair Descent Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications April 1, 2000 8: 11-15 Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications April 2000 vol.
The code writers take a more sanguine view: 505.6 Gripping Surface. (e) Handrails projecting from a wall shall have a space of not less than 1 1/2 inches between the wall and the handrail. How Much Carpet Do You Need for Your Stairs? inches (38 mm) minimum below the bottom of the handrail gripping surface. Yes Kak as long as it's actually continuous - that is, the turn isn't interrupted by space. Amendment of subsections (b) and (d) filed 5-10-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. The 31-1/2-inch minimum distance provides a full 4 1/2 inches more width than the double railing minimum. fax to (202) 693-2498. The edge of the handrail that is farthest away from the wall it is mounted on should not project more than 4 1/2 inches from the wall. When you have only one railing, you have more walking path width available than if you had two railings. [33] BUILDING, FIRE, RESIDENTIAL CODES- The 2007 & 2010 California Building Code (Part 2),California Residential Code (Part 2.5)and the California Fire Code (Part 9) of Title 24 are available for viewing online via the following International Code Council web site link: California Codes, Title 24, Part 1, 6, 8, 10, 11 & 12 are also available for viewing and download in PDF form on the California website: [34] "Guard Rail Height", CREIA, California Real Estate Inspection Association, Website: http://ask.creia.org, web search 8/1/12 original source: http://ask.creia.org/index.php?topic=424.0, December 2009, [35] California Department of Industrial Relations - CA/OSHA: California Stair & Railing Code details: Subchapter 7. Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Terminology: Stair Railing and Stair Guards, Maximum Projection of Railing From Wall: 4 1/2 Inches, Minimum Hand Clearance From Wall: 1 1/2 Inches, Minimum Distance Between Two Railings: 27 Inches, Minimum Railing Distance, One Railing: 31 1/2 Inches, Deck Code Guidelines for Guardrails and Stairway Railings, Stair Railing Kits for Interior Stairs and Balconies, 29 Staircase Ideas That Will Elevate Your Home's Design. But in essence, the designer of this stairway focused on the interesting or attractive use of natural wood - in fact the focus of the entire retail store. But there are exceptions to these general handrail continuity rules that may be permitted by the local building code inspector, such as interrupting the handrail at long landings. Your local Building Code Compliance inspector, who is the final legal Authority on this question, might have approved that hand railing as shown in your photo. 5. You can certainly notify your building management so that everyone is on record that in your opinion there's a safety hazard. Amendment filed 5-25-83; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 83, No. The projection from the wall describes how far the handrail is away from the wall that it is mounted on. Otherwise it may be fine. This article explains and illustrates the requirements for continuously graspable handrails on steps and stairs, at landings, and at other locations inside or outside buildings. This article series explains and illustrate the requirements for graspable handrails & railings used inside or outside buildings, including guardrails, hand railings on steps and stairs, and stair rails or stair guards for both interior and exterior stairways. In this case the user does not want to depend solely on the strength of her grip around the handrailing. That's an interesting and unusual question. Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia. In fact, if your building is accessible to the public, any open-sided walking surface more than 30 inches off the ground requires a guardrail. - Simon [This question was originally posted at BALUSTERS, STAIR & RAILING ]. [38] Uniform Building Code Stair Specifications: UBC 1003.3.3.6 1997 or later specify handrail requirements, railing heights, rail widths, baluster spacing, stairway types, and guardrail specifications. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. customerservice@aluminumhandraildirect.com, ADA-compliant Aluminum Continuous Handrail.
The continuous stair handrailing along the left side of the stairs shown above, photographed in a London U.K. building in a beautiful example of a continuous handrailing up a stair and through the landing. Does the shape of the handrail have to be continuous? [40] A. H. Larsen, We speculated that some knuckle head thought that kids would slide down this stairway railing and that the bolts would put an end to that. from its web site at, Subchapter 7. inch (13 mm) of additional handrail perimeter dimension General Physical Conditions and Structures Orders, vary depending on the location of and level of access to your building. General Industry Safety Orders, 2 The very attractive model of a dis-continuous handrailing shown above is in a retail store in San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico where people are not particularly litigious. Could it be to prevent people from sliding down them? For more about metal chimneys and flues start. You can see that it's easier for a stair user to slide their hand continuously along a radiused-bend in a handrail than in one that makes a sharp 90 degree turn. Amendment of section and Note filed 3-4-97; operative 4-3-97 (Register 97, No. 34. Stairway handrailings should be continuously graspable along the run of the stair and in most situations the railing should continue around intermediate stairway landings. In the stairwell shown above, safest would have been a stair railing on both sides of the stairway but we didn't want to give up the passage space to a second rail. No consideration was given to safety. There are Then the rail along stairs to the next floor will begin anew. Approved by State Building Standards Commission 1-24-83. For history of former section, see Register 72, No. Ultimately, your. Shown below in a closer look, the handrailing passes right through the chimney. True? Exception: Handrails and stair rails on flights of stairs serving basements or cellars that are covered by a trap door, removable floor or grating when not in use, shall stop at the floor level or entrance level so as not to interfere with the cover in the closed position. [19] Arts, Crafts, & Theater Safety (ACTS), 181 Thompson Street, #23 There are some exceptions where handrails can be higher than 38 inches, such as continuous transitions between flights or transitions from a handrail to a guard. (5) Guardrails may be erected provided a handrail is attached. 20). 8 no. The minimum height for this guard is 36 inches. Original source: osha.gov/Publications/ladders/osha3124.html. Two age groups were tested: young (20 to 45 years) and elderly (59 years and over), with a total of 35 subjects. [4] Illustrated theatre production guide, John Holloway, Focal Press, 2002, ISBN 0240804937, 9780240804934, [6] OSHA Publication 3124 - Stairways and Ladder, web search 12/21/11, OSHA Publications Office Is this fully complied with Building Regulation and Code of Practice of Canada ?Please advise, many thanks ! Handrail height is theheight of the handrail in relation to the stairs.
In our photo above, perhaps because this intermediate stair landing is more than 3 ft. long in the direction of travel, New York City building code inspectors who (presumably) have inspected this concert hall may have approved this installation. When you have two railings (one on each side of the stairwell) those railings must be at least 27 inches apart from each other, measuring between the inside (stair-side) surfaces of both handrails. So, the staircase code dictates that there must be handrails on the incline portion of stairs and guards on the horizontal parts. I've been told that correction 2. Handrail height on the stairs should be no less than 34 inches and no greater than 38 inches. The bottoms of handrail gripping surfaces shall not be obstructed for more than 20 percent of When youre building a flight of stairs, a balcony, a deck, or another raised surface, railings arent optional. He is a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board. The aricle also discusses the effect of handrail support brackets on the continuity of grip along the railing. Of course that's not entirely true since using a handrail while ascending or descending the stairs can either prevent or can help interrupt a stair fall. Why is there a rag tied around the handrail support bracket shown above? Railing that projects farther than this willcrowd the walking path, especially when there is a railing at the other side of the stairs, limiting the walking space. 49). At Aluminum Handrail Direct, we offer an, Ready to purchase a continuous handrail for your building? If you follow this article Siri you'll see that I'm also not an Enthusiast of cables used as guard railings as I'm not sure that they are child safe. 6 705-714, Authors are at West Park Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. (1) Stairways less than 44 inches in width may have one handrail or stair railing except that such stairways open on one or both sides shall have stair railings provided on the open side or sides. Telephone: (212) 777-0062 22). BaThe answer to your question lies with your local Building Code Compliance inspector. In other words, can I morph the shape of the handrail mid stairs and still be to code as long as both shapes meet the size and spacing critieria? Stair railingruns on the stair incline, up and down. 6. Note that some sections of stair railing code work in conjunction with other sections of stair code. Our 6 story 1956 co-op has an interior stairway in each of four wings. Above: a more modern continuous handrailing on location in the CIA in Hyde Park, New York. But in my opinion, the interruption shown in the handrailing at the top of these same stairs is unsafe. Guards are the rails that protect users from falling off of high areas, such as landings. The distance between the stair nosing and top of the railing. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. M.S. EmSure, I could see a local building official approving that railing provided the width of the stairway doesn't require railing on both sides. ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, (3) Stairways giving access to portable work stands less than 30 inches high. If you have questions about when handrails are required or if you are searching for a handrail system that fits your needs, call us at. IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyens Comments Box code - now fixed. This is a minimum only. https://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html. Of course if your landing also has handrails (as would be required at least on a landing that had an open side (that is, no building wall), then we'd expect the stair rail to connect to the landing or balcony railing except where interrupted say by a doorway or an open floor on that level. But a stair user who needs to keep continuous grasp of the handrail along these stairs has to let go and re-position her hand, reducing the handrailing's help in protecting against a fall. Below we illustrate a stair handrailing support bracket design that affords extra depth to allow comfortable sliding of the hand along the handrail. E-Mail: ACTSNYC@cs.com, web search 5/9/12, website: http://www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/ - Quoting: ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. And where there is no newel post (railings are attached to the building wall) most jurisdictions will also require a handrail "return" that connects the end of the hand railing to the interior wall so that someone who grasps the railing during a fall won't have their hand slip off of the railing end. This clearance is represented by a line that extends from the wall to the nearest part of the handrail. available from the publisher, Lawyers ^ Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com. While normally we want the hand to be able to slide past the supporting bracket beneath the railing, this occupant depends on being able to slide her hand against this bracket to slow her descent in the stairwell. In short, handrail and guard code is a type of building guidea set of commonsense ideas that you can follow when building your stairs. Mod. Purchasing code-compliant handrail brackets will guarantee that you maintain the perfect distance from the wall. New York, NY 10012-2586 Hi Our stair rail photo (above left) is from a stairwell that we just completed at a home in New York (courtesy of Eric Galow Homes, Lagrangeville, New York). Continue readingat I can't predict whether your local Building Code Compliance inspector will accept that or not. The user climbing the stairs has no continuous grasp up onto the next floor level. Also, while not specified by code, make sure that the handrail brackets do not interfere with hand movement. 8 (a) Stairways shall have handrails or stair railings on each side, and every stairway required to be more than 88 inches in width shall be provided with not less than one intermediate stair railing for each 88 inches of required width. Horizontal walking surfaces with a drop-off more than 30 inches down must be protected by a guard. This code is important because it provides enough room for a person to walk and carry items up or down the stairs. A better installation would be to install a continuous handrail Bend in that corner. We show examples of breaks in the handrail and discuss when the local building inspector is likely to permit such interruptions - or not. Abstract: An experimental study was performed investigating the influence of handrail height on the ability of stairway users to generate stabilizing forces and moments, with the aim of improving stairway safety by developing better handrail design standards. However it's not a nice installation in that the user cannot continuously grab the handrail. 29). Note: Local building standards may require 4-inch spacing of intermediate vertical members. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Marie:Your local building inspector is the final legal authority, but in my opinion, in general you're permitted to install a handrail alongside of or in addition to a guardrail along a stairway, as long as the intruded-on space is still of sufficient width. What I mean to say is that there may be practical reasons for a railing to change sides from one stairwell to another in a building. The experiments involved measurement of the maximum forces and moments that subjects were able to exert on a handrail while they stood stationary in an upright position. Stair railing and stair guards, though they may sound like the same thing, are different. In a private home, would a handrail that jogs like this picture be code compliant? Railings should not be interrupted by posts within the "run" of the railing. Based on the results, an optimal design range for handrail height was estimated. Stair railings on open sides that are 30 inches or more above the surface below shall be equipped with midrails approximately one half way between the steps and the top rail.
the handrailing is interrupted by a capped bolt sticking up in the center of the railing along the stair passage. used on stairs, balconies, decks, ramps, walks. (b) A stair railing shall be of construction similar to a guardrail (see Section 3209) but the vertical height shall be in compliance with Section 3214(c). We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. At first glance, some building codes might seem capricious, even impenetrable and mysterious. The theory is that a person may become injured by falling off of an 18 inch-high deck, for example, but nowhere near as severely as if that person fell 8 feet down. Skate block? However, because communities often adopt and adapt the model code, it is necessary to check with your local building code authority (usually the city building department) for code that pertains to your community. This is the distance between two railings on two walls, opposite to each other. In other words, this is the area where your hand goes. Both the handrail and the chimney are unsafe. In other word would it be against code to build a handrail next the a guardrail to achieve continuity? Yet, if the railing is pushed out too far, there is the risk of violating another section of code that provides for 27 inches of walking width between the two railings of a double-railing staircase. 2 11-15, [43] Brian E. Maki, Sheryl A. Bartlett, Geoff R. Fernie, "Research Note Effect of Stairway Pitch on Optimal Handrail Height:, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society June 1, 1985 27: 355-359, Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. Article 2. that exceeds 4 inches (100 mm). I have guardrail interrupted by a half newel post which does not allow for continuity. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 2 When you have just one railing on a staircase, the inside (stair-side) edge of the railing must be at least 31 1/2 inches away from the wall on the other side of the staircase. L. Puggaard, were required. H. Srensen, Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code; and Section 18943(b), Health and Safety Code. I agree that it's a bit awkward. - D.G., Berlin, Germany, 20 Feb 2016. Below, in a photograph sent to us by reader D.G., Where provided, horizontal projections shall occur 11/ [copy on file as http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20Stair%20IRC%20SCREEN.pdf ] -, [12] Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011, [15] Common Sense Stairbuilding and Handrailing, Fred T. Hodgson, [16] Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences, Lawyers & Judges Publishing, (June 2002), ISBN-10: 0913875430 ISBN-13: 978-0913875438, [17] Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011, [18] Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. We look forward to hearing from you! Amendment filed 7-16-76; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 76, No. Ramps, Runways, Stairwells, and Stairs, Section 1626. If a handrail makes a 90 degree bend along the stair run, is that considered to be continuous, This Q&A were posted originally at GRASPABILITY of HANDRAILINGS. The same measurement applies to all of the stair nosings, thus resulting in a railing that is parallel to the stairs. Thanks to reader Craig Sharp who contributed technical review & clarifications regarding the distinctions among handrailing, stair rail and guardrail 2/1/2-13. they are integral to crash rails or bumper guards. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. TheInternational Residential Code for One-and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC) address staircase railings. Furthermore, CMJ assessment seemed well applicable in healthy elderly individuals to distinguish between differentiated levels of maximal stair walking capacity. Handrail gripping surfaces shall be continuous along their length and shall not be obstructed along their tops or sides. Landings can be intermediate horizontal sections within a staircase or terminal sections at the top or bottom of a staircase. 1. [39] Teruo Uetake & Masahiro Shimnoda, Experimental Study on the Grip and Hold Strength for Staunchions and Handrails in Buses", J. 25). Please re-post the image if you can. Provide at least 1 1/2 inches of clearance between the wall and the railing for easy grasping by the hand. The wider handrail atop the guardrail along the open or right side of this stairway might be a bit too large for easy grasping.
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