Are Railings Required When There is Only One Stair? The Answer is Yes!

In the ADA & ABA Accessibility Guidelines; Final Rule written by the Access Board and published on 07.23.04 (ADAAG; Final Rule), with an effective date of 09.21.04, we find the following section:

Chapter 5 general site and building elements.
505 Handrails.
505.2 Where Required.
“Handrails shall be provided on both sides of stairs and ramps.”

In ADAAG; Final Rule, we also have Section 106 Definitions, but stairs is not defined.


The same is true for ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003:

Chapter 5 general site and building elements.
505 Handrails.
505.2 Where Required.
“Handrails shall be provided on both sides of stairs and ramps.”


There is also the following section in International Building Code (IBC) 2006:

Chapter 10 Means of Egress.
1009 Stairways.
1009.10 Handrails.
“Stairways shall have handrails on each side and shall comply with Section 1012.”
Exceptions:
4.  “In Group R-3 occupancies, a change in elevation consisting of a single riser at an entrance or egress door does not require handrails.”   


So, the IBC does not require handrails at an entrance or egress door where there is one riser in the stair.  What does the Americans with Disabilities Act say, and for that we need to go to Webster’s New World Dictionary, where one finds the definition of a stair:  “a single step, as of a stairway.”  From the definition of stair, in the opinion of ACCESS, handrails are required.

Questions?  Post your comments here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also contact us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.

Hank

The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.