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Ranting (Again) About Stairs

 

If you know me you have probably heard me ranting over and over about the restricted regulations for stairs.

Any staircase offers an amazing opportunity to create a beautiful element but… the Building Regulations are so tight that we struggle to design something interesting.

I have recently summarised the main changes in the new Part K  of the Building Regulations for an article I wrote for BRegs Blog. This is the part of the regulations that deals with Stairways, Ladders, Ramps and Guards.

The 3 most restrictive aspects when designing stairs are related with the guarding:

1- Guarding should be so constructed that a 100 mm diameter sphere cannot pass through any openings in the guarding;

2- Guarding should not be readily climbable;

3- Where a cut string is used, the triangular space formed by the tread and riser is not allowable to stairs in dwellings and common stairs in blocks of flats.

So, these are some of the stairs we CANNOT design in Ireland:

Stairs not compliant with Part K Ireland

I understand that safety is always in first place and, obviously, some of the designs above hit the extreme, but studies reveal that 88 percent of the injuries are caused by simple falls (mostly slips and trips). Are the restrictions above really necessary?

Isabel Barros

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11 Comments

  1. Isabel Barros
    Isabel Barros

    Ranting (Again) About Stairs

    If you know me you have probably heard me ranting over and over about the… http://t.co/RKebosK1Q7

  2. Rachel
    Rachel

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (Again) About Stairs – http://t.co/SU412kJXUO http://t.co/bOOBpZP447

  3. Mark Stephens
    Mark Stephens

    Check out some of the brilliant (but dangerous) Japanese staircases

  4. Mary Gethings
    Mary Gethings

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (Again) About Stairs – http://t.co/SU412kJXUO http://t.co/bOOBpZP447

  5. RBspecification
    RBspecification

    Nice to know we are not the only #stair ranters 🙂 >Ranting (Again) About Stairs | Isabel Barros Architects – Blog http://t.co/v92NP0pnlB

  6. Isabel Barros
    Isabel Barros

    Ranting (again ) about stairs… Those stairs do not comply with Regs!#RoomToImprove http://t.co/wwzOeaYLuK

  7. Some Dad
    Some Dad

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (again ) about stairs… Those stairs do not comply with Regs!#RoomToImprove http://t.co/wwzOeaYLuK

  8. Kevin Mooney
    Kevin Mooney

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (again ) about stairs… Those stairs do not comply with Regs!#RoomToImprove http://t.co/wwzOeaYLuK

  9. FORMarchitecture
    FORMarchitecture

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (again ) about stairs… Those stairs do not comply with Regs!#RoomToImprove http://t.co/wwzOeaYLuK

  10. Isabel Barros
    Isabel Barros

    @kevinbmooney Agree. Hence my ranting here: http://t.co/SU412l1z2S

  11. Derek Ward
    Derek Ward

    RT @Barros_Isabel: Ranting (again ) about stairs… Those stairs do not comply with Regs!#RoomToImprove http://t.co/wwzOeaYLuK

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