The use of steps and stairs by pedestrian traffic is thought to pose a greater risk to pedestrian safety than walking on level ground, as the consequences of a slip or fall are likely to be far more serious. Workplace accidents involving slips, trips or falls on stairs reported to HSE are not classified as stair accidents, due to a limited number of ‘Kind of Accident’ categories currently in use. Stair accidents cannot be classified as ‘Slips, trips and Falls on the Same Level’, and so are generally grouped within the ‘Falls from a Height’ category. Recent HSE statistics show that ‘Falls from a Height’ were the largest cause of fatal injuries and the second highest cause of non-fatal major injuries in 1998/99 (provisional figures). Recent ‘non-workplace’ statistics for injuries in the home suggest that the annual number of stair accidents in the UK is roughly equivalent tothe number of slips, trips and falls on the same level (both ~250,000) (indeeed, recent statistics (The Architects Journal, 22.6.00, source: DTI) show that around 1000 pedestrians are killed through domestic stair accidents in the UK per annum). It is therefore reasonable to suggest that stair accidents account for a large proportion of the ‘Falls from a Height’ accidents reported to HSE. HSE’s understanding of workplace slips and trips is growing, but very little is currently known about the risks associated with staircase use, the assessment of the associated risks, and means of stair accident prevention.

Boycott the elevator. Walking up stairs for an average of six minutes a day will lower your cholesterol by 10 to 15 percent - and make you 10 to 15 percent fitter, according to a new study at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown.

Professor Colin Boreham and his team have found that bursts of short, intermittent exercise - like climbing a few flights of stairs - can lower cholesterol.

They conducted a seven-week study into the effect of stair climbing on the fitness levels of 22 sedentary women.

We measured the women’s height, body mass, heart rate, blood lipids and oxygen uptake before, during and after the programme, said Professor Boreham.

The major findings were the important indicators of cardiovascular fitness and health, were enhanced by the stair climbing exercises. The programme also resulted in beneficial effects on the women’s cholesterol levels.

What is intriguing is that these improvements came as a result of really very little exercise, said professor Boreham.

The women only did a maximum of 13 minutes of stair climbing per day over the seven week research programme - and even those 13 minutes were not done all at once.

Stair climbing is a particularly efficient way of incorporating health-promoting exercise into an individual’s lifestyle.

You don’t need to go to a gym, or have to change clothes, or any of the time-consuming things associated with traditional gym-based exercise routines, he said.

It is a message that will be warmly welcomed by figure conscious people everywhere.

Objectives

The overall aim of this project is to improve the safety in use of non-domestic and domestic stairs. The specific objectives are - to determine the potential of slip resistant nosings to reduce the risk of injuries associated with slips on stairs - to highlight additional hazards that might be introduced by including slip resistant nosings on stairs and provide guidance as to the best practice for safer stairs - to investigate the benefit of nosing profiles for the ambulant disabled, including those designs shown in Approved Document M and draft BS 8300 (also to investigate the benefit of the traditional nosings used on domestic timber stairs, with and without carpet coverings).

Description

This project is required to meet DETRs objectives of promoting innovation & culture change, business improvement, construction process improvement, social impact, best practice, sustainability and to address safety & health issues in the construction sector as described in Prospectus 2000. The Priority Area and Theme relevant to this project are Evaluation of Risks to Safety and Health, Social Impact Theme. The results from this project will determine the effect of stair nosings on stair accidents and provide best practice guidance on stair nosing design. Current practice for building managers and building planners is to apply proprietary nosings to all stairs where there may be a risk of falls, and hence injuries, to the public or to the workforce. These nosings were originally designed to protect carpet from wear in use, as the nosing area is easily worn where there is substantial pedestrian traffic on stairs. They have subsequently taken on the appearance of a safety device by including slip-resistant properties into the materials used for the nosings. There is however no evidence that these devices provide safer conditions for users and in some cases have been known to introduce new risks to the users. The materials are known to have slip resistant properties but these apply to walking on the level only (the gait applied when walking on the level is different to walking on stairs). It is believed that most accidents that occur when descending stairs occur because of overstepping rather than slipping on the tread. The type of material on the nosing edge may have an influence on such accidents, either preventing them or potentially increasing the likelihood of harm by causing the victim to fall forward rather than backwards if the fall occurs during descent. Nosings on stairs with short treads can present a hazard to people descending the stairs as the effective width of the tread is reduced and heels may catch on the nosings. Protruding nosings may also present a hazard to some people ascending the stairs, including the ambulant disabled, where the foot is dragged up the riser, the toe may catch on the nosing. Slightly rounded leading edges allow for light modelling for better visibility and will reduce injuries if one should fall against the tread. There is also the question of the shape of the leading edge, which should not have such a large radius that there is a tendency to slide over the edge. Approved Document M and draft BS 8300-2:Section 8 give guidance on profiles for risers and key stair dimensions. The validity of this guidance should be verified. Guidance exists in Approved Document M on nosings for the ambulant disabled. This and other guidance should be evaluated in order to determine the need for amendments to Approved Documents K or M. This should include the dimensions of nosing and guidance on colour, luminance and contrast for visually impaired users. The work will follow as an extension to an existing project that is jointly funded by the Health & Safety Executive. The existing project is assessing the safety of different goings on stairs. The new project will extend the work to include nosings in a variety of environments, including non-domestic and residential (housing) properties. It will also assess the existing guidance contained in Approved Document M, Access and facilities for disabled people, regarding the profile of nosings.

Summary of results

1. This project undertook practical trials on a variable going stair rig to determine the potential for slips, trips and falls on stairs with different going size, stair material and surface contaminants. It also examined the use of different proprietary nosings and the potential missteps that might occur in an overstep situation. The final report drew together the results from this project and from earlier work (CC1570, 1994 and 1997) and presented recommendations for changes to Approved Documents K and M. These are summarised as: - an increase in the minimum going for private and public stairs - a decrease in the maximum rise for private and public stairs - a maximum difference between successive goings on a flight - introduction of the concept of acceptable and non-acceptable handrails - an increase in the height of stair guarding, and extension of handrails beyond top and bottom nosings - definition of the maximum pitch for dwelling stairs - definition of the minimum clear stair width at handrail height in dwellings - the adoption of closed risers in dwelling stairs - the banning of winder flights in dwellings In addition the project produced valuable guidance on choosing the right proprietary nosings for non-domestic stairs.
   These are summarised as:
   - an increase in the minimum going for private and public stairs
   - a decrease in the maximum rise for private and public stairs
   - a maximum difference between successive goings on a flight
   - introduction of the concept of acceptable and non-acceptable handrails
   - an increase in the height of stair guarding, and extension of handrails beyond top and bottom nosings
   - definition of the maximum pitch for dwelling stairs
   - definition of the minimum clear stair width at handrail height in dwellings
   - the adoption of closed risers in dwelling stairs
   - the banning of winder flights in dwellingsIn addition the project produced valuable guidance on choosing the right proprietary nosings for non-domestic stairs

It may come as a surprise that as long ago as 1992 The Guardian listed John Templer’s work The Staircase as one of its publications of the year. The depth of information and research that the book contained also prompted The Los Angeles Times to write a double page article about it. Now an acknowledged source of reference, it draws attention to an element of construction which continues to present a health and safety problem.

Of the many statistics about slips, trips and falls, perhaps the most poignant is that they account for around a quarter of all major injuries in the workplace. Running and walking injuries are not, industry specific. In schools, where pupils tend to be oblivious to hazards, there has been no distinct rate of reduction. In 2005/6, for example, there were 8367 injuries resulting from slips and trips, 5440 of them involving children, and 1357 involving employees. The statistics are much the same whether you look at further/higher, secondary and primary education.

Construction associated accidents attributable to slips and trips increased every year between 1997 and 2003, in total by 68%. Falls from height in construction understandably attract attention due to the fatalities and serious injuries which result from them, but the number of ‘over 3-day’ accidents resulting from slips and trips has consistently been greater (1975 compared to 804 in 2005/6).

Requirements for stairs and handrails in buildings other than dwellings, set out in Approved Doc Part M, now mean that handrails must be designed to accommodate all users. They must be continuous and terminate beyond the top and bottom of a flight in a way that reduces risk, for example, of clothing being caught. In addition to being sited either side of a stairway, additional rails to divide the flight into channels not less than 1.0 metre wide takes account of the particular needs of busy environments such as schools. It may not be possible to ensure that rails are used, but narrower isles control traffic flow and place stair users in closer proximity to a point of safety.

In addition to the need for handrails which are continuous to grip, adequate visual contrast must be provided against their background. Research has shown, however, that for the partially sighted, ability to appreciate visual differences is more reliably achieved through a surface’s light reflectance value (LRV) rather than just its colour. In the 2004 edition of AD M and the 2005 amendment of BS 8300, reference to difference in LRV became the preferred way of expressing guidance on visual contrast. Roy Bradburn, Operations Director for the Handrail & Balustrade Division of Laidlaw Solutions Ltd, commented “The LRV is measured on a scale of 0 -100, with jet black equivalent to zero and a perfect white 100. These values, however, are never achieved in practice and the 2005 amendment to BS8300 recognised that visual perception is affected by the relative area of surfaces and whether they are textured, curved, metallic or glossy. BS8300 is shortly to be updated and LRV’s will be almost certainly be covered in greater detail”.

In terms of effective use of handrails, there is some debate about what constitutes an appropriate diameter rail. If the size is to be reduced say to 35mm, risk is greatly increased of hands catching against uprights. In situations where the need exists to resist higher horizontal loads, a 3kN system requires a 60mm (as against a standard 38-40mm) diameter rail anyway.

Infill choice is particularly important as AD K requires buildings likely to be used by children under 5 to be safe against climbing the balustrade guarding. Far greater use of structural glazing has resulted, even in environments such as universities where its use might not be considered essential. Tinted and acid etched glazing provides scope for more contemporary design, but the visual clarity and security which it provides are its greatest attributes. The extent, however, to which structural glazing and handrail and balustrade upgrades will have a positive effect on falls and slips on stairs remains to be seen. The contribution of individual elements can be hard to measure and, as always, the human nature is the biggest potential limiting factor. But as Roy Bradburn concluded “A combination of effective visual, tactile and touch characteristics can only help handrails and balustrades act as a catalyst to a change in safety attitudes. We firmly expect the next round of statistics to reflect the contribution that upgraded handrails is making.”

There are two different classes of stairs. The first class is a mill-made stair, which is usually fabricated in a mill shop and shipped to the job site as a kit, ready for assembly and installation. The second class, a carpenter-built stair, is just that — a stair built on site by a carpenter. This type of fabrication is less expensive and allows the stair to be covered with carpet. A carpenter-built stair can be dressed up with a hardwood or paint-grade skirt board. And simple wall-mounted railing is a popular option to complete either type of stair.

When constructing a stair, functionality is the most important consideration. Extreme accuracy must be used for a safe design. Before beginning construction, you should consult not only the national building-code requirements, but also the local building-code requirements. Some municipalities have stricter codes than others, and checking first will eliminate the need to rebuild later.

After determining the correct code requirements for your stair, consider the stair’s design aspects. Remember, the construction materials that you use will dictate the outcome of your finished product, and quality materials will produce a quality job. Do not mistakenly think that because the material will be covered with carpet and no one will see it, the quality of construction materials doesn’t matter; it does. When you use a lower grade of material that contains knots and voids, the stair may encounter cracking at a later date. Most lumberyards carry stock used specifically for the construction of stairs.

Layouts and Calculations

After you have determined the proper codes to follow for your municipality, you are ready to begin the layout and calculations of your stair. Grab a pencil and commit your plans to paper, sketching a rough blueprint of your staircase.

For the purpose of this example, this project will be a straight stair. The building code that we are implementing for this project is BOCA 96 for residential use. This code states that you may have a maximum riser height of 7 3/4 inches and tread run of no less than 10 inches.

First determine the size of your stairwell, making sure to allow for the proper headroom to accommodate the stairs. Headroom is very important; you need to be able to ascend and descend the stair safely. Many a stair has been torn out due to incorrect calculation of this item before the stair is built and installed. There is nothing worse than having some common stair-building sense knocked into you by bumping your head. For this example the nosing will be a standard 1 1/4 inch, the tread run will be 10 inches each, and the headroom will be 6 feet, 8 inches

Assuming the distance from one finished floor to the other (total rise) measures 118 inches, find out the number of risers needed by dividing the total finish rise by 7.5. The resulting number equals the number of risers. Then divide that number into the total finish rise.

Example:  Total rise 118”/ 7.5 = 15.73  — round up the total number of risers to 16

                  Total rise 118”/16 risers = 7 3/8” each rise

Knowing the number of risers tells you the number of treads — 15 (the sixteenth riser will be positioned approaching the upper floor with no tread on top). The run of the stair will then be 15 treads at 10 inches per tread, or 150 inches of total run. To determine the actual total length of the stair, you must add the nosing of the bottom step and the thickness of the top riser.

Example:  Total tread run 150” + 1 1/4” nosing + 3/4” top riser = 152” total stair length

Next, calculate the length of the stairwell, or the width of the upper floor’s vertical shaft in which the stairs are located. This is a two-step calculation.

First, account for the required headroom and the upper-floor construction, including floor-joist height, floor thickness and drywall thickness. For the purpose of our example we will calculate the upper-floor construction to be a total thickness of 12 1/2 inches. This figure (12 1/2 inches) added to the desired headroom height of 80 inches will total 92 1/2 inches. Take this dimension and divide it by the riser height.

Example:  92 1/2” / 7 3/8” = 12.542 

The answer you get (12.542) is the number of treads needed in the clear opening to make headroom. This would mean that you now have 2.45 treads that are located under the header.  By multiplying 12.542 (number of treads in clear opening) by 10 inches (tread depth dimension) and adding 1 1/4 inch for the nosing and 3/4 inch for the top riser, you will achieve the stairwell length needed for the proper headroom. The result for our example is 127 7/16 inches for stairwell length.  Most stairs that are located between two walls have a finished width of 36 inches. To accommodate this finished width you will need to make your rough opening 37 inches.

The end result of our layout procedure is: 10” run, 7 3/8” rise, 127 7/16” stair well length, 37” stair well width, 36” stair finish width.