Residential Stairway with Landing. The top of the handrail must be located between 34 and 38 inches above the ramp surface or the stair nosing (the edge of a stair tread that projects over the riser). All handrails must have a gap of 1 1/2 inches from the wall. “Winders”. Stairs complemented with accessibility ramps do not always require handrails, though at certain slopes, those ramps will require handrails to meet code standards. Winders refer to treads within a straight flight that are used to change direction of the stair. 410.6.1 ; ". Much like the ’80s movie Field of Dreams—“If you build it, he will come”—if a guard or handrail is available, an occupant will expect it to bear their weight. The way this is measured is to begin at the leading edge of the stair nosing and run an imaginary vertical line upward until it reaches the top of the railing. Handrails are an important feature of an accessible ramp and they are required for ramps with a rise greater than 6 inches. Stair rails, or handrails as they are sometimes called, are required any time stairs have a total rise of 30 inches or more above the lower ground surface, or if there are four or more risers. According to Section 505, handrails are required on both sides of ramps. Handrails are to have no obstruction to the passage of a hand along the rail. Quebec’s handrail height must fall between 34” and 38” high. The pitchline is defined as ‘the line joining the leading edge or nosings of successive stair treads’. ... a guardrail is required and must be placed no more than 36 inches horizontally from the outer edge of the structure. IBC 1011.11: Stairways shall have handrails on each side which comply with section 1014. Though this won't eliminate the backstage handrail; considering the small size of the stage the 2012 (commentary below) allows a single MOE as applicable. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.23 includes requirements for ladders, when handrails are required on platforms and how high safety railings must be. Handrails should project 300mm from the end of the stair; Stairs should have a handrail on at least one side if they are less than 1m wide. For clarification, a “riser” is the vertical portion of a stair. Projections into the required width shall not be limited above the minimum headroom height required in Section 1011.3. IBC 1011.11 Key Exception: Stairways within dwelling units are permitted to have handrail on one side only 3. Sloped aisles with seating on both sides can go as steep as 1:8 or 12.5% without handrails. Handrails are required on each side of new ramps and new stairs, but they are not required on landings, except at inside turns on stairs and as a short horizontal extension of the stair handrail. The handrail does not need to be continuous on the landing between flights as long as there is a newel post. Standard railings shall be provided on the open sides of all exposed stairways and stair platforms. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Sanji Kanth at (202) 693-2135 or kanth.sanji@dol.gov . Drawing: Kelly Dunton Q: I’m building stairs on a new deck and want to clarify if the building code requires a handrail. Handrails are no longer automatically required by the FHA -- they're considered cosmetic repair rather than automatic repair requirements. The building code does not refer to the number of “steps” but it does require a handrail when there are two or more “risers”. Only one railing is required for private homes or if the stairs are less than 44 inches wide When are Handrails Required? Ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals. Balustrades, Handrails & Stairs A balustrade is a vertical upstand which protects users of a building next to a vertical displacement between horizontal building surfaces or on the side of a stair. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. The codes are based on the International Building Code and the International Residential Building Code, and deck railings and guards must meet or exceed the minimum requirements. When is a handrail required? By Mike Guertin Issue 257 - Feb/Mar 2016. Ramp Handrails. Guards are required on the open side of stairs and on landings and balconies which are more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below. That is, heights of handrails and top rails of stair rail systems installed prior to any future FRN that meet either Figure 1 or 2 will be deemed compliant and will not need to be retrofitted. 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