There is no typical stairway investigation. Although many of the same factors are involved in a multitude of stair fall accidents. Some of the more common factors include:

    Stairway tread depth and riser height uniformity;

    Tread and riser geometry;

    Lack of handrail(s);

    Improper handrail height;

    Handrails projection beyond top and bottom of stairs;

    Handrail size (graspability), height and placement;

    Short flights of stairs (1 to 3 risers);

    Slip resistance;

    Poor contrast or delineation between flat walking surface and stair flight;

    Poor lighting.

Ramp fall cases usually involve the allegation of excessive slope, lack of slip resistance and the lack of appropriately designed handrail/guardrail systems.

The three model building codes used in the U.S. address these issues as well as many others. In the year 2000 all of these codes will be unified and published as a single National Building Code. In many localities a Building Code has never been adopted, this is generally not an excuse for poor construction, because of the littany of accepted and recognized construction practices. In general, all of the recognized construction practices mirror each other. There are several sources of standards, practices and codes that apply to stair and ramp construction including the ADA, ANSI A117.1, NFPA Life Safety Code, and the three recognized Building Codes.

Let Vidal Engineering assist you in determining the relevant factors in a fall incident.