Abstract:

Although stairs are generally recognized as prime locations for accidents in buildings it is only recently that statistical and etiological studies have identified the magnitude of the stair-accident problem and major contributing factors including stair design and use. Reviews of such work in Great Britain, Canada, Japan, Sweden and the U.S.A. are referenced and a short description provided of Canadian field and laboratory studies which have particular relevance to stair-handrail design. Emphasis is given to quantitative design features, features that have been among the first to be considered in revisions of building codes and design standards in the U.S.A. where responsiveness to research findings has been greatest.