Every state and county has building codes that must be followed by all property owners and construction companies. Included in these codes are specific requirements regarding stairways.
The following are some of the most commonly regulated elements of stairs in building codes:
- Handrails: Most building codes require handrails for some types of stairs. These handrails are expected to be installed at a certain height and be of a certain width. Even if nothing else is wrong with stairs, reaching for handrails at the wrong height may still cause falls.
- Stair height and depth: Building codes outline maximum and minimum measurements for stair height and depth to ensure consistency in stairs so people are not surprised by a sudden change in measurements. So not only does each individual stair have to abide by these measurements, but there are also limitations in place regarding stair variance from one step to another. People’s brains remember how large the last step was and guide them to automatically take the same type of step going up or down. Even if there’s a relatively slight difference, it still becomes easy for us to lose our balance.
- Stair condition: All stairs must be properly maintained and should not be worn, patchy or weak. Poor stair conditions can cause people to trip and injure themselves.
All property owners should be familiar with building codes and the regulations in place for stairs. For more information on these types of premises liability issues, contact a knowledgeable Bradenton personal injury lawyer with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh today.