Staircases

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Location and identification

The staircase should be located in a logical position and be easily recognisable.

Location

Staircases should be designed to attract people to use them and be located in a prominent position.

Many ambulant disabled people find it easier to negotiate a suitable staircase than a ramp due to problems walking on a sloping surface.

People who are blind or have low vision may only be able to locate staircases by way of tactile warnings and visual cues. Strong visual contrast on the nosings (both leading edge and top of the riser) will provide visual cues.

By co-locating staircases with step-free routes, those who do not wish to, or cannot, use the staircase have an alternative option nearby.

Identification

Building users who miss the transition between level and stepped surfaces are at risk of serious injury. Often the position of a flight is first identified by seeing the handrail, but this only works if the handrail contrasts with the wall it is mounted on.

The next visual indication may be that the floor finish of the landing contrasts with the material used on the treads and risers. Then as the building user gets closer, contrasting nosings may be seen.

This process can only be successful if the building user is able to see these changes and is looking for them albeit sub-consciously.

Some building users with low vision may be able to see the landing or tread contrast or even be aware of a handrail if sufficient contrast and lighting is provided. However, other means of warning may be required for some users to detect the presence and proximity of the stairs. A change in colour and texture can provide warning of the hazard and distance to the edge of the first step.

Design considerations

• Locate staircases in a prominent position, and visible from the building entry and lift waiting areas 
• Draw attention to a staircase by using higher levels of local lighting. 
• Use different floor finishes to lead to the staircase. 
• Introduce changes in the auditory environment to give notification of the presence of a staircase (e.g. carpet to hard flooring).
• Ensure handrails contrast with wall finishes. 
• Ensure the start or end of a flight can be identified by contrasting the landing finishes with stair finishes and by the change in pitch of the handrails. 
• Install contrasting nosings to treads. This should be applied to the leading edge of the treads as well as on the top edge of the risers.
• Consider the installation of tactile warnings such as a change of texture of the flooring material on the walking surface approaching the stairs. 
• Orientate the staircase at right angles to or away from the direction of travel to reduce the possibility that someone will be unaware of the hazard.

Building Code requirement

Building Code clause D1 Access routes:

D1.3.1 Access routes shall enable people to: (c) move into spaces within buildings by such means as corridors, doors, stairs, ramps and lifts

D1.3.3 Access routes shall: (e) include stairs to allow access to upper floors irrespective of whether an escalator or lift has been provided, g) Have stair treads with a leading edge that can be easily seen.

Building Code clause F8 Signs:

F8.2 Signs must be provided in and about buildings to identify: (d) accessible routes and facilities for people with disabilities.

Ease of use

Staircases need to be easy and safe to use. They need to have certain characteristics to make their use as easy as possible:

• Consistent throughout the building. This will provide consistency and familiarity to building users.
• Wide enough. Staircases need to be wide enough to facilitate the movement of people, and furniture or other bulky objects between floors.
• Uniform. Building users walking up and down stairs get into a rhythm that can be disrupted if the steps are not uniform. Step consistency is particularly important for people who are blind or have low vision.
• Comfortable pitch. Steep staircases with narrow treads and high risers will present significant difficulties to a range of building users.
• Restricted length. Landings are important on long staircases to provide areas to rest.
• Closed risers. Open risers can cause problems for people ascending stairs who risk catching the toe of their shoes beneath open treads or projecting nosings and tripping as a result. 
• Nosings. Contrasting nosings on both the tread and the riser will assist everyone to identify changes in level.
• Straight flights. Spiral staircases cause problems for a variety of users. The centre handrail can be nearly vertical and combined with the restricted central tread length makes it impossible to be used by someone with a weakness on one side. In addition, it would be very difficult if not impossible to carry someone down a circular staircase in the event of an emergency.
• Handrails. Handrails are necessary on both sides of the stair as users who have a weakness on one side may only be able to use the handrail on their strong side. This can be a problem in cinemas and theatres where a second handrail would block access to seating. On narrow flights, two handrails can be used by some with locomotive issues to swing down stairs.
• Intermediate handrails. The provision of additional handrails dividing a wide flight into separate channels allows everyone to be in easy reach of support. This is particularly important when lots of people are using the steps at the same time. 
• Horizontal handrail sections. These give advance warning of the start or finish of a flight and provide support getting on or off the stairs. Without this warning, some building users may stumble and fall.
• A second and lower handrail may be appropriate in some buildings often used by small children.
• Handrail detail. Handrails need to be easy to grasp, give comfortable forearm support and have fixings and supports that do not interrupt use.

Design considerations

• Coordinate the design of different flights of stairs within the same building. 
• Avoid the installation of spiral and helical staircases in public buildings.
• Ensure fixed ladders or paddle type stairs are not available for use in public buildings. 
• Limit the number of steps in each flight and provide level landings of adequate size at the top and bottom of each flight.

Width and headroom

• Ensure the staircase is wide enough and with sufficient headroom for expected use.

Treads and risers

• Ensure that the dimension of risers and treads are uniform with a comfortable pitch. 
• Ensure treads are long enough to take the placing of a full foot.
• Ensure that the risers are closed with no projecting nosings.
• Ensure nosings are uniform and easy to identify against treads, risers and landings.
• Ensure tread finishes are plain and contribute to the identification of nosings.

Handrails

• Ensure handrails are continuous and provided to each side of a stair throughout its length (including intermediate landings where this does not obstruct the use of adjoining access routes) with no sudden changes of height or position.
• Ensure handrails are easy to identify visually against their background.
• Position handrails at heights suitable for all users.
• Ensure handrails have horizontal extensions at the top and bottom of a flight protected by adjacent walls.
• Ensure handrails are easy to use and grip without the hand slipping.
• Ensure handrail design allows for continuous holding, unobstructed by handrail fixings.
• Ensure the ends of handrails terminate in a way that signifies that the top or bottom of a flight of stairs has been reached. 
• Consider the installation of domed buttons on the surface of a handrail at the end of a flight to give tactile warning of the end of the handrail.

Building Code requirement

Building Code clause D1 Access routes:

D1.3.3 Access routes shall:

(e) include stairs to allow access to upper floors irrespective of whether an escalator or lift has been provided,
(f) have stair treads, and ladder treads or rungs which

(i) provide adequate footing
(ii) have uniform rise within each flight and for consecutive flights, (g) have stair treads with a leading edge that can be easily seen,

(h) have stair treads which prevent children falling through or becoming held fast between treads, where open risers are used,
(i) not contain isolated steps,
(j) have smooth, reachable and graspable handrails to provide support and to assist with movement along a stair or ladder.

D1.3.3 Access routes shall:

(j) shall not apply to isolated steps,
(k) have handrails of adequate strength and rigidity as required by Clause B1 Structure,
(l) have landings of appropriate dimensions and at appropriate intervals along a stair or ramp to prevent undue fatigue,
(m) have landings of appropriate dimensions where a door opens from or onto a stair, ramp or ladder so that the door does not create a hazard.

D1.3.4 An accessible route, in addition to the requirement of Clause D1.3.3, shall:

(g) not include spiral stairs, or stairs having open risers,
(h) have stair treads with leading edge which is rounded,
(i) have handrails on both sides of the accessible route when the slope of the route exceeds 1 in 20. The handrails shall be continuous along both sides of the stair, ramp and landing except where the handrail is interrupted by a doorway.

Staircase safety

The design of the staircase should make its use as safe as possible.

User awareness: Being aware of the presence of a staircase is an essential part of reducing the risk of injury. A significant number of "air step" falls occur because the presence of a limited change in floor level is not perceived. This is a particular problem with single steps which are often not seen.

Contrasting the landing finish or texture with those of the tread and riser will give people advance warning of the start of a staircase. 

Contrasting nosings on both the tread and the riser will assist building users to identify a staircase and determine where there are changes in floor level. 

For people who are blind or have low vision, contrasting and tactile warnings assist with the detection of the presence and proximity of stairs. 

Alignment and length. Building users who are distracted or who are blind or have low vision run an increased risk of falling up or down a staircase which is aligned in the direction of their travel. For longer flights the risk of injuries in a fall are greater when flights are continuous. Landings are important on long staircases to provide areas to rest and to help limit the distance down the stairs that someone might fall.

Predictable. The design of the staircase needs to be predictable and enable building users to stay on the staircase trafficable surfaces.

Width. The staircase needs to be wide enough for expected traffic. When medical emergencies occur, ambulance officers may have to use staircases to move patients on stretchers.

Underside of stairs. Building users who are distracted, have a vision impairment or are using a long cane run the risk of colliding with the underside of stairs and landings which are not physically protected.

Risers. A minor variation in riser height can cause someone to stumble. Excessively high risers can require too much strength for some people to climb and result in strain being placed on knee and hip joints when descending flights of stairs. Some people may feel insecure or dizzy when looking through open risers and assistance dogs might refuse to proceed. Open risers, and balustrades that have openings or can be climbed, increase the risk of children being injured.

Treads. Adequate tread depth is essential for stairway safety. Analysis of stairway related accidents shows that overstepping of treads is a common cause of accidents. The likelihood of an overstep decreases significantly with increasing tread depth. There is a risk of stumbling if frictional characteristics change too much (for instance, between treads and landings.

Handrails. Handrails need to be easy to identify, contribute to movement and within reach for all users. Handrails help building users keep their balance and provide leverage when ascending or descending stairs. They help people avoid or correct missteps and may reduce the extent of a fall. The ends of handrails that are not returned to the wall or floor present a potential hazard. This could increase the risk of clothing being caught or children being injured by running into them. The sudden termination without warning of a handrail being used for support could cause building users to stumble and fall.

Obstructions. Doors and windows which open onto staircases can pose a serious hazard when they are opened. Fixtures such as fire extinguishers are easy to walk into and should be located away from areas where people may walk.

Lighting. Good artificial and natural lighting is essential and assists safe use. Poor visibility of both risers and treads can lead to misreading the stair edge which can cause faulty foot placement and an accident.

Design considerations

User awareness

• If the installation of tactile warnings at the top and bottom of stairs is being considered, ensure there is not a great difference in frictional resistance between the warning surface and the stair. 
• Ensure any tactile hazard warning surfaces installed provide a visual contrast as well as tactile contrast. Tactile warning should be installed correctly for accurate interpretation or the user could be at risk of falling.
• Consider a change in the floor finish approaching a staircase to give advance warning of nearby stairs (eg. from carpet to a level hard surface).
• Single steps should not be installed. In existing buildings where changes cannot be made ensure maximum warning is given.

Alignment and length

• Ensure stairways are placed perpendicular or at the side of the path of travel to limit the risk that someone will accidentally fall down them.
• Ensure the number of risers in each flight is limited.
• On longer flights, staircases should incorporate changes of direction at landings.

Predictable

• Ensure treads and risers are uniform and the number of risers in each flight the same.

Width

• Ensure that stairs are wide enough to be usable by expected traffic and ambulance staff carrying someone on a stretcher.

Underside of stairs

• Ensure the area beneath a flight of stairs is enclosed.

Risers

• Ensure riser heights are limited. While this will increase the footprint of the staircase, it will allow and encourage more people to use it. 
• Avoid open risers in new buildings. For existing staircases, ensure the risers are divided to restrict their opening size.
• Ensure the slip resistance of the landings, treads and nosings is uniform. 
• Ensure nosings are visually evident across the whole width of the stair. 
• Avoid nosings comprising two parallel strips of different colours.

Treads

• Specify tread depth to be as long as practicable. Whilst this will increase the footprint of the staircase, it will reduce the accident rate.
• Ensure the surface of treads is level, with nosings set in to the tread and not planted on it. 
• Avoid the use of pattered carpets (including those with lines parallel to the nosing) and patterned surfaces which will make the identification of nosings very difficult.

Handrails

• Ensure handrails and stairs are protected by adjacent walls or upstands and do not project into circulation space.
• Ensure the ends of handrails are returned back on themselves or are returned to the walls.
• Divide wide flights with central handrails (subject to means of escape requirements). 
• Match handrail heights with the range of arm movements. 
• Where floor level changes require the use of two steps, treat these as a staircase and provide handrails to each side.
• Ensure handrails are continuously graspable along their entire length without obstruction.
• Ensure handrails are easy and comfortable to grip without sharp edges, and able to provide adequate resistance to hand slippage.
• Ensure handrails are strong enough to support users and fixed to the structure in a way that supports the required loading. 
• Provide balustrades for protection.

Obstructions

• Ensure stairs and landings are designed to be free of permanent and temporary obstacles. 
• Position doors and windows such that they do not pose a hazard to those using the staircase.

Lighting

• Ensure artificial lighting is provided with switches which are easy to identify and reach at the top and bottom of each flight.
• Ensure artificial lighting is even and bright enough to distinguish treads and risers with no glare from wall lights, spotlights, floodlights or low-level light sources.
• If time-delay or sensor-operated lights are used in stairwells ensure that the timings accommodate the needs of all users.
• Locate the staircase away from areas where natural lighting could cause glare problems from low sun etc.

Building Code requirement

Building Code clause D1 Access routes:

D1.3.3 Access routes shall:

b) Be free from dangerous obstructions and from any projections likely to cause an obstruction,
d) Have adequate slip-resistant walking surfaces under all conditions of normal use,
(e) include stairs to allow access to upper floors irrespective of whether an escalator or lift has been provided,
(f) have stair treads, and ladder treads or rungs which
(i) provide adequate footing (ii) have uniform rise within each flight and for consecutive flights,
(g) have stair treads with a leading edge that can be easily seen,
(h) have stair treads which prevent children falling through or becoming held fast between treads, where open risers are used,
(i) not contain isolated steps,
(j) have smooth, reachable and graspable handrails to provide support and to assist with movement along a stair or ladder.

D1.3.3 Access routes shall:

(j) shall not apply to isolated steps.
(k) have handrails of adequate strength and rigidity as required by Clause B1 Structure,
(l) have landings of appropriate dimensions and at appropriate intervals along a stair or ramp to prevent undue fatigue,
(m) have landings of appropriate dimensions where a door opens from or onto a stair, ramp or ladder so that the door does not create a hazard,

D1.3.4 An accessible route, in addition to the requirement of Clause D1.3.3, shall:

(g) not include spiral stairs, or stairs having open risers,
(h) have stair treads with leading edge which is rounded.
(i) have handrails on both sides of the accessible route when the slope of the route exceeds 1 in 20. The handrails shall be continuous along both sides of the stair, ramp and landing except where the handrail is interrupted by a doorway.