Stairs Must Be Safe for the People Who Are Walking on Them

On Behalf of | Jun 18, 2017 | Premises Liability

Walking up and down a stairway is something that is more dangerous than what many people might realize. It is important that all stairways are up to code and safe to walk on.

There are several problems that can occur on stairways. One of these is that the handrails are in good condition. The handrails must be present on all public stairways. They must meet specific requirements, such as being graspable and able to be used the entire length of stairs. Some stairs only require handrails on one side, which others might require them on both sides. Very wide stairways might also require handrails in the middle.

The surfaces of the stairs have to be suitable to walk across. Nonslip strips and other finishes might be necessary for certain stairs. Under no circumstances should stairs have cracks or defects that could lead to tripping.

The height of the stairs and the depth of them must be uniform. When these aren’t even, there is a chance that a person who is traversing the stairs could end up falling or tripping. When the stairway is short, such as when there are only one or two steps, the nose of the steps should be clearly marked with proper taping to show that there is a drop-off.

When people are injured in a trip or fall on stairs, they can sometimes file a premises liability lawsuit in an effort to recover some of the damages they suffered because of the accident. This could be to cover medical care or to get money that they didn’t earn because they had to call off from work.

Source: Robson Forensic, Inc., “Codes & Standards for Safe Stairways – Expert Article,” accessed June 15, 2017

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