Following a spate of shocking stories of deaths, paralysis and injury caused by falls on stairs, new technical guidance on stair design and safety will be launched at an important CPD accredited seminar for architects, designers and builders on Wednesday 3 May at the Building Centre, London.
At the evening event, the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Stair Scheme will present on the key findings of its new stair design guide, covering regulatory compliance and the design of safe timber stairs for communal settings such as blocks of flats or non-domestic buildings.
Hannah Mansell, BWF Stair Scheme manager, will update delegates on the current range of standards and regulations which have an impact on stairs. This will include a review of relevant building regulations, the dimensional layout of stairs, fire safety and material selection. Other speakers at the event will include structural engineer Dr Luke Whale, managing director of C4Ci.
It is estimated that there is a fall on stairs every 90 seconds in the UK, and a further estimated 250,000 non-fatal accidents which are serious enough to merit a trip to A&E. Even worse, according to Government statistics there were 787 deaths in England and Wales in 2015 caused by a fall on steps or stairs – that’s more than two people dying every day.
Critically, the rules and regulations for the manufacture and installation of common stairs are different from stairs for individual private dwellings. A variety of factors also need to be taken into consideration when designing stairs for commercial buildings such as fire safety, increased loadings and accessibility for all users.
Users of common stairs may have a wide variety of requirements in order for them to safely use the stair. In addition, they may not be familiar with the stair and there may be a higher volume of users to contend with. Tiny details and dimensional limitations within the design are critical to ensuring that the stair is safe for all, and compliant with relevant regulations.
Delegates attending the stair safety seminar will be guided through the latest advice on best practice and will also receive a free copy of the BWF Stair Scheme design guide.