What are the legal requirements for handrails?

Spending decades in the barrier industry teaches you a lot of valuable things. One of the most important lessons we have learnt is that customers come looking for items capable of meeting all their needs. With our collection of products, we intend to find the perfect solution for them. It could be a handrail, a barrier, or some other form of edge or corner protection.

The significance of handrails is something people tend to ignore. Without the additional support they offer on staircases though, it is easy to lose your balance. Accidents may follow shortly afterwards. As a result the rails are a necessity for any kind of stairs inside or outside.

However, choosing a handrail system can be trickier than it appears. There are a myriad of requirements that the rails need to meet, especially in public buildings. This is the case because they need to do their job and keep people safe.

Minimum height

There is a minimum height requirement for a handrail. Legally, it is 900mm. But it is not necessary to have a handrail for the initial two steps up. After this though, you definitely need one for the sake of health and safety. In every public building, the handrail's height must be between 900mm and 1000mm. You measure this to the top of your rail, starting above the pitch line of the stairs.

Grip

Something else that is necessary with rails is a comfortable but firm grip. Slippery handrails won't do much good and could be even more dangerous. You need to make it so gripping the railing is easy. So, you must think about the shape. Then, you need to consider the material, ensuring it won't get slippery even if it gets wet.

How many rails?

For certain buildings, you only need a handrail on one side of the stairs. If stairs are wider than 1000mm, they need handrails on both sides. This is because it is more likely that people will be on the stairs at the same time but heading in different directions. With a rail on each side both will have something to hold.

Choose us whether you need a simple or complex handrail

At Barrier Mart, we guarantee the best prices on all our products. We even have account options available for regular customers and local authorities. This makes ordering very easy.

The great thing about shopping with us is we have so many useful products. So, you can shop for a handrail at the same time as looking at gates, guards, crash barriers, and more. Then you can get everything you need in one order.

If you would like to shop with us but need more advice about any products, make sure you get in touch with us. We can advise you about designs, installation, and more.