Industrial stairs provide access to areas in manufacturing plants and other facilities that would be offlimits without them. It is crucial that these stairs be properly built and maintained or else workers are at risk of being injured. It is possible that falls might occur if the stairs aren’t properly installed and maintained. It is also possible that the stairs could collapse beneath the workers, which could also lead to injuries.
There are very specific laws and requirements for industrial stairs in Florida. The stairways must be at least 22 inches wide. They must be able to handle a load of at least 1,000 pounds, but should be able to accommodate at least five times what the anticipated load weight is that will move on the steps. If the steps are fixed, they must be no less than 30 degress and no more than 50 degress for the rise angle. Handrails are required on all industrial stairs, even if they are closed.
Other aspects of the industrial stairs, including the vertical clearance, platform size, and treads are also covered by regulations. One of the important points here is that all stairs should be reasonably slip resistant. In addition, they should all have a nose that has a nonslip finish unless the stairway is made of welded bar grating treads.
Anyone who is injured because of unsafe stairs might choose to seek compensation. In many cases, these types of accidents might be due to a building code violation. Learning the applicable codes and regulations might help you to decide if you are going to seek compensation.
Source: University of Florida, “Fixed Industrial Stairs: OSHA Standard 1910.24,” Carol J. Lehtola, William J. Becker and Chris Eversole, accessed March 23, 2016
