Shop and store accessibility. Part 2

Design considerations 

1.14 People with impaired sight risk tripping or losing their balance if there is no warning that steps provide a change in level. The risk is most 

hazardous at the head of a flight of steps when a person is descending. 

1.15 The warning should be placed sufficiently in advance of the hazard to allow time to stop and not be so narrow that it might be missed in a single stride.  

1.16 Materials for treads should not present a slip hazard, especially when the surface is wet.  

1.17 People should be able to appreciate easily where to place their feet by highlighting nosings and avoiding open rises.  

1.18 People who wear callipers or who have stiffness in hip or knee joints are particularly at risk of tripping or catching their feet beneath nosings. People with a weakness on one side or with sight impairment need the dimensions of the tread to be sufficient for them to be able to place their feet square onto it. If the going is towards the upper end of the dimensional range, the flight may rise to a greater height without the need for an intermediate landing, as the tread is sufficiently deep to allow a person to stand and rest at any point within the flight. It should be noted that excessive rounding of nosings reduces the effective going.  

1.19 Many ambulant disabled people find it easier to negotiate a flight of 

steps than a ramp and, for these people, the presence of handrails for 

support is essential. Note: Guidance is given in BS 8300 on: – lighting stepped access; and – slip resistance  

Provisions 

1.20 A stepped access will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if: a. a level landing is provided at the top and bottom of each flight; b. the unobstructed length of each landing is not less than 1200mm; c. a ‘corduroy’ hazard warning surface is provided at top and bottom landings of a series of flights to give advance warning of a change in level; d. where there is side access onto an intermediate landing, a ‘corduroy’ hazard warning surface 400mm deep is provided either on the intermediate landing 400mm from both upper and lower flights, if there is sufficient space to accommodate the surface outside the line of the side access, or within the side access 400mm from the intermediate landing if there is a continuous handrail opposite the side access; e. no doors swing across landings; f. it has flights whose surface width between enclosing walls, strings or upstands is not less than 1.2m; g. there are no single steps; h. the rise of a flight between landings contains no more than 12 risers for a going of less than 350mm and no more than 18 risers for a going of 350mm or greater ; i. all nosings are made apparent by means of a permanently contrasting material 55mm wide on both the tread and the riser; j. the projection of a step nosing over the tread below is avoided but, if necessary, not more than 25mm; k. the rise and going of each step is consistent throughout a flight; l. the rise of each step is between 150mm and 170mm, except adjacent to existing buildings where, due to dimensional constraints, the case for a different rise is argued in the Access Statement; m. the going of each step is between 280mm and 425mm; n. rises are not open; o. there is a continuous handrail on each side of a flight and landings; p. additional handrails divide the flight into channels not less than 1m wide and not more than 1.8m wide where the overall unobstructed width is more than 1.8m. Note: In respect of 1.33(l) and (m), for school buildings, the preferred dimensions are a rise of 150mm, and a going of 280mm. 

Handrails to external stepped and ramped access 

Design considerations 

1.21 People who have physical difficulty in negotiating changes of level 

need the help of a handrail that can be gripped easily, is comfortable to touch and, preferably, provides good forearm support.  

1.22 Handrails should be spaced away from the wall and rigidly supported in a way that avoids impeding finger grip.  

1.23 Handrails should be set at heights that are convenient for all users of the building and should extend safely beyond the top and bottom of a flight of steps, or a ramp, to give both stability and warning of the presence of a change in level. Consideration should be given to the provision of a second handrail on stairs in a wide range of building types, and particularly in schools, for use by children and people of short stature. 

Provisions 

1.24 Handrailing to external ramped and stepped access will satisfy 

Requirement M1 or M2 if: a. the vertical height to the top of the upper handrail from the pitch line of the surface of a ramp, or a flight of steps, is between 900mm and 1000mm, and from the surface of a landing is between 900 and 1100mm; b. where there is full height structural guarding, the vertical height to the top of a second lower handrail from the pitch line of the surface of a ramp, or a flight of steps, is 600mm, where provided; c. it is continuous across the flights and landings of ramped or stepped access; d. it extends at least 300mm horizontally beyond the top and bottom of a ramped access, or the top and bottom nosing of a flight or flights of steps, while not projecting into an access without being highly reflective; f. its surface is slip resistant and not cold to the touch; g. it terminates in a way that reduces the risk of clothing being caught ; h. its profile is either circular with a diameter of between 40 and 45mm, or oval preferably with a width of 50mm (see Diagram 7); i. it protrudes no more than 100mm into the surface width of the ramped or stepped access where this would impinge on the stair width requirement of Part B1; j. there is a clearance of between 60 and 75mm between the handrail and any adjacent wall surface; k. there is a clearance of at least 50mm between a cranked support and the underside of the handrail; l. its inner face is located no more than 50mm beyond the surface width of the ramped or steppedaccess.  

Hazards on access routes  

Design considerations 

1.25 Features of a building that occasionally obstruct an access route, 

particularly if they are partially transparent and therefore indistinct, or cause a danger overhead, should not present a hazard to building users. 

Provisions 

1.26 Requirement M1 or M2 will be satisfied if: a. where there is a projection of more than 100mm, during normal use, onto an access route, windows and doors (excluding fire escape doors) that swing outwards towards an access route, or other projecting features, are protected by guarding, which incorporates a kerb or other solid barrier that can be detected using a cane at ground level to direct people around the potential hazard (see Diagram 8); b. areas below stairs or ramps where the soffit is less than 2.1m above ground level are protected by guarding and low level cane detection, or a permanent barrier giving the same degree of protection.  

Acces for All