What Are the OSHA Stairway Regulations?
Slipping or falling on a set of stairs in the workplace can cause serious injury to employees and lost productivity. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set forth guidelines for stair safety in the Code of Federal Regulations.
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Temporary Stairways
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Temporary stairways used for construction purposes shall have landings at least 30 inches long and 22 inches wide after every 12 feet of vertical rise.
Allowable Slopes
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The slope of stairs can range between 30 to 50 degrees either above or below a horizontal plane.
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Safety
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Stairways must be free of all hazardous projections such as nails and slippery conditions that could cause a fall.
Rails
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Stairways with four or more steps rising more than 30 inches must have at least one hand rail. They also must have stair rails for each edge not directly adjacent to a solid surface.
Winding and spiral stairways must have handrails within reach of areas that allow foot traffic to remain in areas where steps are greater than six inches wide.
Stair rails shall not be less than 36 inches above the surface of the steps
Industrial Stairs
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Industrial stairs, or interior or exterior stairs around machinery, tanks and other equipment must be a minimum width of 22 inches and be able to safely carry a moving load of 1,000 pounds.
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