Prevent Falls By Making These Changes

n   Mark nosings permanently (not with tape) if they can’t be clearly seen. Paint

a contrasting colour stripe on the nosing of each tread. A painted stripe works very well and looks good even on carpet.

n   Improve lighting (see below).

n   Use lighting that makes tread nosings distinctly visible and does not cause glare or strong shadows.

n   Install a light switch at both the bottom and the top of the stairs.

n   Provide low-intensity night lighting of stairs that does not need to be switched on.

This will usually require removing cushioning under carpets on steps. Soft treads, especially when short and with a large rounding at the nosing, should be avoided.

n   If you are renovating the stairs in your current home, or building a new home that has stairs, consider the relationship between the rise, the run and the tread (see Figure 2 on page 7). Professionals that study stairs advise that a rise not higher than 180 mm (7 in.) with a run not shorter than 280 mm (11 in.) provide increased comfort and safety.*

—an especially common cause of missteps and falls

Generally for interior stairs, any slip-resistant surface material acceptable for normal floors will work on treads (see CMHC’s About Your House fact sheet Accessible Housing by Design—Living Spaces for more information about slip-resistant flooring).

n   Repair or replace tread surfaces.

n   Fasten tread coverings securely. The covering should be tight against the nosing.

Resilient safety tread coverings must be carefully installed and maintained because they tend to crack at the nosing and become an additional hazard.

Where possible, install functional handrails on both sides of stairs.

n   If there are existing handrails which are decorative but not functional, these should be augmented or replaced by functional handrails.

n   Position handrails at about adult elbow height: 900 to 965 mm (35 ½ to 38 in.)

works well for older adults who use the handrail for support (see Figure 1).

n   An adult should be able to wrap his or her hand around—and underneath— the handrails. If you wrap a measuring tape around the railing, it should measure less than 160 mm (6 ¼ in) for adult hands; 100 mm (4 in.) works well for children’s hands.

n   Extend the handrails, without a break, the full length of the stairs, and beyond the top and bottom of the stairs (see Figure 1).

n   Ensure handrails have a tactile indicator that warns users that the stair is coming to the end.

n   Make sure the handrails are easy to see, even in low light or at night.

broken handrails

the post.

n   Repair loose or broken handrails.