Home Page link

Stair railing clearance?

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Stair railing clearance? bidalah 04-15-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by on April 15, 2007, 7:24 pm


Hi,

Does anyone know if there are OSHA requirements for the minimum
clearance between a starway railing and the wall it is attached to?
There are no local requirements in my area, and the only OSHA
requirement I can find refers to a 3" clearance for a temporary stair
railing. I need to install a railing in a fairly narrow stairway, and
I would really like to make the clearance narrower if I can get away
with it.


Plumbing 468x60
Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on April 15, 2007, 8:45 pm



> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know if there are OSHA requirements for the minimum
> clearance between a starway railing and the wall it is attached to?
> There are no local requirements in my area, and the only OSHA
> requirement I can find refers to a 3" clearance for a temporary stair
> railing. I need to install a railing in a fairly narrow stairway, and
> I would really like to make the clearance narrower if I can get away
> with it.

Can I assume this is an industrial application? Does it have to be ADA
compliant? In my house, there is 1 1/2" clearance and it is quite
sufficient. I'm not sure of OSHA minimums and I don't have the book at home
but I did find this:

Section 1926.1052 (Stairways) states:
(c) Stairrails and handrails.

* * *
(6) The height of handrails shall be not more than 37 inches (94 cm) nor
less than 30 inches (76 cm) from the upper surface of the handrail to the
surface of the tread, in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge
of the tread.
(7) When the top edge of a stair rail system also serves as a handrail,
the height of the top edge shall be not more than 37 inches (94 cm) nor less
than 36 inches (91.5 cm) from the upper surface of the stair rail system to
the surface of the tread, in line with the face of the riser at the forward
edge of the tread. [Emphasis added.]
This states 3" but when you read the rest of it stating 1 1/2" is going to
be the new standard. Note the 1978 date: OSHA Instruction STD 1-1.6
October 30, 1978
3. Background

a. The present Standard, 29 CFR 1910.23(e)(5)(iii), states in part: "The
length of brackets shall be such as will give a clearance between handrail
and wall or any projection thereon of at least 3 inches. " 29 CFR
1910.23(e)(6) states: "All handrails and railings shall be provided with a
clearance of not less than 3 inches between the handrail or railing and any
other object."
b. The proposed changes to Walking-Working Surfaces, will allow all
handrails and railings to have a clearance of at least one and one-half
inches between the handrail or railing and any other object.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=DIRECTIVES&p_id=1760



You will find some ADA information here
http://www.collinsclubs.com/rcrv/ramp/rampguidelines.pdf



Posted by 3G on April 16, 2007, 6:42 am



| Hi,
|
| Does anyone know if there are OSHA requirements for the minimum
| clearance between a starway railing and the wall it is attached to?
| There are no local requirements in my area, and the only OSHA
| requirement I can find refers to a 3" clearance for a temporary stair
| railing. I need to install a railing in a fairly narrow stairway, and
| I would really like to make the clearance narrower if I can get away
| with it.


Handrails adjacent to a wall shall have a space of not less than 1½
inches (38 mm) between the wall and the handrail.

Stairway handrails shall have a circular cross section with an outside
diameter of at least 1¼ inches and not greater than two inches.



Posted by mm on April 16, 2007, 1:26 pm



>
>| Hi,
>|
>| Does anyone know if there are OSHA requirements for the minimum
>| clearance between a starway railing and the wall it is attached to?
>| There are no local requirements in my area, and the only OSHA
>| requirement I can find refers to a 3" clearance for a temporary stair
>| railing. I need to install a railing in a fairly narrow stairway, and
>| I would really like to make the clearance narrower if I can get away
>| with it.
>
>
>Handrails adjacent to a wall shall have a space of not less than 1½
>inches (38 mm) between the wall and the handrail.

Sometimes there is no space at all, or not enough to get my fingers
in, and I hate that.

>Stairway handrails shall have a circular cross section with an outside
>diameter of at least 1¼ inches and not greater than two inches.

"Circular" seems to exclude a lot of pretty bannisters. Isn't a
bannister a kind of handrail? Even a lot of handrails don't have
circular cross sections. Does some code not permit them to be
installed anymore?

Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on April 16, 2007, 9:35 pm



>>Stairway handrails shall have a circular cross section with an outside
>>diameter of at least 1¼ inches and not greater than two inches.
>
> "Circular" seems to exclude a lot of pretty bannisters. Isn't a
> bannister a kind of handrail? Even a lot of handrails don't have
> circular cross sections. Does some code not permit them to be
> installed anymore?

The ADA does not permit them, but under some circumstances, OSHA does. I
don't know about residential as codes can vary locally.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Italy and we stopped at a fairly new shopping
center, less than a year old. We went down some outdoor concrete steps that
were between two walls. There was no handrail at all. In the US, it would
not have been allowed to open.



Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
Stair railing September 10, 2007, 3:28 pm
Stair railing estimates January 22, 2008, 9:16 am
Question- indoor stair railing and baluster July 16, 2005, 2:23 am
Deck stair railing using steel stringers June 30, 2007, 11:00 pm
Low clearance drilling February 21, 2008, 10:46 am
Toilet Flange Clearance May 22, 2007, 12:50 pm
Clearance in front of elec meter? August 3, 2005, 10:35 pm
4" centermount bathroom faucet and clearance August 11, 2006, 3:26 pm
Standoff Post Base Clearance 1" vs. 1 5/8" October 1, 2006, 6:05 pm
Sweet clearance at home depot online February 2, 2006, 11:42 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap