This practice contains the design details for fabrication and installation of typical osha regulated stairs for open structures and miscellaneous platforms for regular operational accessegress. Riser height and tread depth shall be uniform within each flight of stairs, including any. What is the impact on doe facilities of oshas updated 29. Intermediate rail at about halfway up must have a toe board. The difference between ibc and osha stairs erectastep. Following osha standard strictly leaves you and your company with a liability should an accident occur. Osha stair code industrial metal stairs for employees.
A while back, we did a post titled why a horizontal lifeline may be the wrong solution. Osha railing requirements avoid problems with osha. Handrails, stair rail systems, and guardrail systems are provided in accordance with 1910. Osha requirements for guardrail and safety railing compliance. Osha stair rail requirements stair railings may serve as handrails, and viceversa. Safrail systems meet osha standards for a height of 42 1067mm from the top of walkway to the top of the guardrail with a 2. The teaser title was click bait, but if you took the time to read the article, you came away with a simple explanation.
Ibc stairs typically have a 7 closed riser and an 11 tread. The osha rules apply to all stairways and ladders used in construction. Osha standards require handrails on flights of stairs with more than four risers, states the u. Osha stairs typically have an 8 open riser and an 9 tread. The height of a handrail above the floor or the nosing of a stair tread, shall be between 900mm and 1100mm. Ada, building codes, and standards relating to handrails and. Osha standards for trail bridge university of montana. In addition, osha regulations prohibit handrail installations that create projection hazards, and the standards require a minimum 3inch clearance around handrails. Oregon osha requires that employees at general industry workplaces be protected from falls to a lower level of four feet or more and from any height above dangerous equipment. The top surface of a stair rail system may also be a handrail. Required if 48 inches or greater drop from walking surface top rail, intermediate rail and posts. Each flight of stairs having at least four risers and three treads must have.
This section covers all stairways including standard, spiral, ship, and alternating treadtype stairs, except for stairs serving floating roof tanks, stairs on scaffolds, stairs designed into machines or equipment, and stairs on selfpropelled motorized equipment. The section of the osha code that specifies most of the primary guardrail requirements and directly relates to safety railing is 1910. Safety railing and guardrail requirements edge fall. Guardrail systems, stair rail systems, and handrails. Stairway landings and platforms are at least the width of the stair and at least 30 inches 76. Osha regulates every factor about a workplace, and below you will find the code that we follow for our fixed, industrial stairs. Oregon osha requires that employees at general industry. A handrail is required on stairs with two or more risers and ada ramps with a rise of 6 inches. When physical features require stairs steeper than those provided for by paragraph b. The height of handrails should not be more than 37 inches or less than 30 inches from the upper surface of the handrail to the surface of the tread. Osha guidelines for fixed stairways in industrial settings.
A stair rail or stair guard is a safety railing or barrier located along the open sides of a stairway. The following requirements apply to all stairways as indicated. Check with your local building department for any changes that go above and beyond the osha standard. The icodes define handrail as being in place to provide guidance. Handrails should be 30 to 34 inches from the top of the stair tread, measured in line with the face of the riser. Guardrail systems, stair rail systems, and handrails in.
Ibc also requires an intermediate landing on stairwells for stairwells over 12. Details for pipe railing for walking and working surfaces. Jul 10, 2017 osha and many building codes use the term guardrail to refer to fall protection for raised platforms and stairways, but the industrial safety industry uses the more specific term handrail, with guardrail used only to refer heavyduty beams of formed steel. Details are at guardrails on balconies, decks, landings a guardrail is shown by the red arrows in our photo at above left. Guardrail can be designed to be suitable for use as a handrail. In highway applications, for instance, guardrails are designed to. Stairs shall have stair railings on both open sides. The round rails are easy to grip and 90o molded corners eliminate sharp edges. At least one handrail one stair rail system with handrail on open side.
In addition, a roof handrail must be able to withstand 200 pounds of force without falling. Here are some basic pieces of information to bear in mind when constructing a handrail to comply with osha standards. These standards for building stairs and ladder systems are set up by osha and ibc. If you need a 42 guardrail you need a lower rail on the stair to grasp. Our railing system meets or exceeds all of these osha requirements. Platforms can be placed at the top, middle, or bottom of a set of metal stairs. Industrial handrail height and australian standards moddex. Both osha and ibc require landings at the top and bottom of the stairs, although ibc landings are larger, typically 4. If a stair has a minimum of four risers, a handrail is required. Safety standard part 32 aerial work platforms a reference to 1926 subpart m fall protection, means construction safety standard part 45 fall protection. Osha vs ibc approved stairs what is the difference, and.
Refer to the complete osha standards for important details. Scope and application the osha rules apply to all stairways and ladders used in construction, alteration, repair including painting. A single bar or pipe supported on brackets from a wall or partition to provide a continuous handhold for persons using a stair stair railing. Handrails requirements for handrails are as follows. What is the difference between osha and ibc approved stairs. Osha standards or the occupational safety and health act of 1970. Riser height and tread width uniform on flight of stairs. Osha guardrail requirements also include that safety railing systems be required even when occasional or temporary work is performed on the roof, whether for repair or for maintenance. Osha requirements for stairs also dictate that any spiral stair must have a handrail. Spiral stairs must meet the vertical clearance requirements in paragraph d. This article explains and illustrates the requirements for continuously graspable handrails on steps and stairs, at landings, and at other locations inside or outside buildings. The handrail system meets osha strength requirements with a 2. Specifically, the following sections are the most relevant to guardrail construction.
Condition topic standard yes no action taken stairways 1910. Handrails are not required on walking surfaces with running slopes less than 1. Guardrails, stair rails, and handrails are common fall protection solutions. When the top edge of a stairrail system also serves as a handrail, the height of the top edge shall be not more than 37 inches 94 cm nor less than 36 inches 91. Occupational safety and health administration osha. November 16, 2018 oshas walking working surfaces standard. Railings used on stairs, balconies, decks, ramps, walks. Osha standard design stairways provide access to the top of the tank from a platform attached to one end of the tank and include nonskid fiberglass grating on the stair treads and platforms. The height of the top of the handrail shall be consistent through the ramp or stairs and any landings. Handrails should be provided with stairs and shall not be more than 37 inches nor less than 30 inches from the upper surface of the handrail to the surface of the tread, in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread. A stair railing shall be of construction similar to a standard railing but the vertical height shall be not more than 34 inches nor less than 30 inches from upper surface of top rail to surface of tread in line with face of riser at forward edge of tread.
Temporary stairs spiral stairways spiral stairways. A vertical barrier erected along exposed sides of a stairway to prevent falls of persons. Do not assume someone else will repair or report it. The requirements of osha safety regulations for the safe use of ladders and stairs subpart x, title 29 code of federal regulations, part 1926. The stringers are notched so that the risers and treads fit into them. A stair is to be designed to span a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. Handrails and the top rails of stair rail systems are capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 200 pounds 890 n applied in any downward or outward direction within 2 inches 5 cm of any point along the top edge of the rail. Frequently asked questions osha standard for walking and. Platforms must be at least 30 inches deep, as measured in the direction of travel. Heights of handrail and stair rail systems occupational. The following definitions from osha 1910, subpart d, shall apply to this practice. Handrails should be between 30 and 37 inches above the step surface, with a clearance of at least three inches between the rail and the wall. For stairs installed before april 3, 1997, this height shall be between 30 and 38 inches.
Stairs wider than 44 inches must have a handrail on each side. Fixed stairs must have a rise and run per table d1 of wac 29624765. Osha requirements for guardrail and safety railing. Existing stairs shall be permitted to remain in use, provided that they meet the requirements for existing stairs shown in table 7. Standard handrails must be provided for stairs with four or more steps. Westhead associates offers numerous osha guardrails and handrails to keep manufacturing operations safe for all workers. New handrails on open sides of stairs must have intermediate rails or an ornamental pattern through, which. Table d2 stairway handrail requirements stair width enclosed one open side two open sides with earth built up on both sides less than 44 inches 1. The osh act covers most private sector employers and their workers and osha standards generally only apply. A stair railing shall be of construction similar to a standard railing but the vertical height shall be not more than 34 inches nor less than 30 inches from upper surface of top rail to surface of. When a door or a gate opens directly on a stairway, a platform is provided, and the swing of the door or gate does not reduce the platforms effective usable depth to. The top rail of the handrail must be a minimum of 42 ref. The osha rules apply to all stairways and ladders used in construction, alteration, repair including painting and decorating, and demolition of work sites covered by osha s construction safety and health standards.
Allowing employers to use stair rail top so they are able to maintain a firm grasp rails as handrails under these conditions on the handrail while. It only makes sense that, if you are high enough to need a 42 guardrail on a flat surface, you need a 42 guardrail to guard the edge of a stair. At least one handrail must be provided for stairs with four or more risers or 30 inches of ascent. X stairways and ladders division 3 ao 32015 oregon administrative rules oregon occupational safety and health division 4370030001 x 2 4370030001 or osha admin. How can you tell if a handrail meets osha standards. The basic requirements for railings, including handrails, and toeboards used for guarding floor and wall openings and holes are set out in osha standard. Should be part of permanent structure shall be equipped with handrail offset to prevent walking where tread is less than 6 see osha standards 1926. Handrailing continuity requirements at landings and other. Ada, building codes, and standards relating to handrails. For these stair rail systems, the top rail may serve as a handrail, provided the top rail is 36 to 38 inches in height as measured at the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the top rail and meets all other handrail requirements in 1910. Osha, known as the occupational safety and health administration, is a united states federal agency that regulates and enforces workplace safety and health. Following is a summary of the osha stairway guidelines for industrial settings.
May 10, 2019 the height of a handrail, measured vertically above the floor, walkway surface or the nosing of a stair tread, shall not be less that 900mm or greater than 1100mm, as shown in figure 5. Stairways and ladders national interagency fire center. The osha loading requirement for both guardrail and handrail is a 200 pound 890 n concentrated load at any point or direction on the top rail. Top rail may also serve as handrail if height of the system is between 36 and 38 inches. Handrails and top rails of the stair rail systems must be able to withstand, without failure, least 200 pounds 890 n of weight applied within 2 inches 5 cm of the top edge in any downward or outward direction, at any point along the top edge. A guardrail is a safety railing or barrier located along a horizontal surface such as a balcony, deck, or porch. Update on stairhand rails and ladders in 2016, the occupational safety and health administration osha revised its general industry standards addressing slip, trip and fall hazards found in subpart d, otherwise known as the walking working surfaces standard.
A rail fixed parallel above the pitch line at the sides of a stair. The height of a handrail, measured vertically above the floor, walkway surface or the nosing of a stair tread, shall not be less that 900mm or greater than 1100mm, as shown in figure 5. Stairway landings and platforms are at least the width of the stair and at least 30 inches 76 cm in depth, as measured in the direction of travel. They also specify when stairways and ladders must be provided. Handrails and provisions for anchoring stairway to a support pad are also included. Fixed stairs having four or more risers shall have stair railings or handrails complying with 1917. A stair is a system of steps by which people and objects may pass from one level of a building to another. As an experienced designer and assembler of custom mezzanines, equipment platforms, modular inplant office buildings, and many other types of custom steel fabrications, our knowledge of ibc building codes and full compliance with osha.
Some of the functional requirements of staircases are. Handrails can become loose and may need to be resecured or replaced. Highland tank fabricates standard and custom stairs to facilitate access to tank fill ports and manways. Osha railing requirements for standard railing noted as guard in building codes. Handrail is rail that provides a handhold on a platform, walkway, stairway or step ladder. The osha standard does not meet most local building codes. Know your railings, toeboards and handrails 1 july 15, 2016. We show examples of breaks in the handrail and discuss when the. They are required on both sides of stairs and ramps. Handrailing continuity where are breaks permitted in handrailings. D stair rail return round handrail system the safrail round handrail system is a round fiberglass system that is ideal for any high traffic area where handrail is needed. Handrail and stair rail systems if a stair has a minimum of four risers, a handrail is required.