6.6 Staircases
This chapter gives guidance on meeting the Technical Requirements for staircases.
Definitions for this chapter#
| Balustrading | The collective name for the complete assembly of handrails, baserails, newels, spindles and caps |
| Common (communal) stair | A staircase serving more than one property |
| Continuous handrail | Using lengths of connected handrail, the handrail flows over the tops of newel turnings, creating a continuous run of handrail |
| Going | The depth from the front to the back of the tread, less any overlap with the next tread above |
| Guarding | A barrier that denies pedestrians or vehicle access to another area, eg the floor below |
| General access stair | A stair intended for all users of a building on a day-to-day basis, as a normal route between levels |
| Newel post | A post at the head or foot of a flight of stairs, supporting a handrail |
| Nosing | The edge of the tread projecting beyond the face of the riser |
| Pitch | The angle between the pitch line and the horizontal |
| Pitch line | A notional line connecting the nosings of all treads in a flight of stairs |
| Private stair | A staircase wholly within one dwelling |
| Rise | The vertical distance between the floors or landings connected by a flight. The individual rise is the vertical measurement from the top of a tread to the top of the next tread |
| Riser | The board that forms the face of the step |
| Spindle | A vertical member, plain or decorative, that acts as the infill between the handrail and baserail |
| Staircase | The entire structure relating to a stair, comprising steps, treads, risers, strings, balustrading, landings, etc |
| Stairway | The space/void provided for the stairs |
| Step | The tread and riser combined |
| Tread | The top or horizontal surface of a step |
| Utility stair | A staircase used for escape, access for maintenance, or purposes other than moving between levels on a day-to-day basis |
| Winders | Radiating steps, narrower at one end, that are used to change the direction of stairs through 90° or 180° |
Clauses for 6.6 Staircases
- 6.6.1 Compliance
- 6.6.2 Provision of information
- 6.6.3 Fire precautions
- 6.6.4 Lighting
- 6.6.5 Glazing
- 6.6.6 Structural design
- 6.6.7 Headroom and width
- 6.6.8 Design of steps
- 6.6.9 Landings
- 6.6.10 Guarding
- 6.6.11 Handrails
- 6.6.12 Staircases made from timber and wood-based products
- 6.6.13 Concrete staircases
- 6.6.14 Steel staircases
- 6.6.15 Proprietary staircase units
- 6.6.16 Protection
- Figure reference table
Last updated: 2nd January 2024