Technical Guidance

Question:

Where stairs have tapered treads/winders, is a handrail required to the outside of the stairs?

Considerations:

• A safe handhold is required for the full rise of any stairs with a total rise greater than 600mm.

• A suitable newel post can provide a safe handhold.

Answer:

Single newel

In England, Wales and Scotland where the stairs have between one and four tapered treads/winders and the newel provides a safe

handhold, a handrail is not required to the outside of the stairs.

Double newels

In England, Wales and Scotland where the newels provide a safe handhold, a handrail is not required to the outside of the stairs.

* In Northern Ireland a handrail should be tted to the outside of all tapered stairs (required by building regulations).

Where a handrail is needed to the outside of the stairs, it should be continuous for the whole rise to avoid the need to change

hands. Handrails need not join at corners to be considered continuous provided they extends into the corner and provide an easy

transfer of a handhold from one handrail to the other.