Anti-slip Stair Treads & Nosing for Safety & Compliance
Stair nosing refers to the rounded, bevelled or squared end of the step. Stair treads are the flat area of the step which you place your foot onto.
In schools, railway stations, public buildings, factories and offshore, anti-slip stair treads and anti-slip nosing are commonly installed as a way to reduce the risk for slips and falls.
Why Are Anti-Slip Stair Treads Important In The Workplace and Are They Required?
Anti-slip stair treads are important to enhance safety and adhere to health and safety regulations. They are especially important in areas that often get wet. This includes outdoor steps that get wet from rain. It also includes indoor steps in pubs, restaurants, and factories that may get wet from spilled drinks and liquids.
In the UK, employers must reduce the risk of trips, slips, and falls at work. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state this.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to check for risks. This includes risks from slips and trips. If needed, they must take action to fix these risks. Installing anti-slip stair treads is just one way employers can show they are taking steps to address the risks in the workplace.
When installing anti-slip treads and nosing, companies should refer to Part M and Part K of the Building Regulations. These parts explain the requirements for treads and nosing on stairs. It is important to manage health and safety while following these regulations. BS 8300-2:2018 focuses on designing buildings that are accessible and inclusive. It also stresses the need for low-profile slip-resistant nosing to help reduce trip hazards.
Installing contrasting stair nosing also ensures the steps are highly visible to users, especially those with poor eyesight, in turn reducing trip hazards further. The treads can also assist to protect the steps from damage, in turn increasing the life span of the steps and reducing maintenance requirements.
For flat areas that can get slippery, like wooden decks, walkways, and gangways, we suggest our anti-slip strips or anti-slip discs.
What Are The Legal Requirements Surrounding Stair Treads and Nosing?
Part M and Part K Building Regulations cover the requirements of stair treads and nosing in domestic and commercial properties. We recommend you refer to the regulations prior to installing stair treads and nosing as the regulations vary depending on whether you are installing these in a home, business or public area.
Key takeaways from Part M Regulations:
- All nosing should be clearly visible through contrasting material. Light Reflectance Value (LRV) between two surfaces should be greater than 30 points
- Nosing should be highlighted to ensure users can clearly see where to place their feet and avoid open rises
- Nosing should be 55mm wide on both the tread and the riser
The Part M regulations also refers to BS 8300 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people. This is a code of practice which provides guidance on good practice in buildings. The codes of practice recommend using nosing of contrasting colours.
Key takeaways from Part K Regulations
- For common access areas in buildings that contain flats:
- The nosing should be 50mm - 65mm wide on the tread and 30mm - 55mm wide on the riser
- For buildings other than dwellings:
- For buildings, other than dwellings (residential homes), nosing should be apparent and contrast visually. For instance, if you have a black step the nosing could be yellow to be contrasting visually
- For buildings that are not dwellings, the nosing should be at least 55mm wide on the stair tread and riser.
Which Stair Treads and Nosing Should I Purchase To Comply To Regulations?
For public and commercial areas which are prone to becoming wet or slippery, it is recommended you install an anti-slip surface on the treads and nosing.
The nosing should be of a contrasting colour to the step. For example, if you have a black step you may wish to purchase yellow nosing to ensure it is highly visible. For buildings other than dwellings, to comply with Part M and Part K building regulations, the nosing should be at least 55mm wide on the stair tread and riser.
If you simply require anti-slip nosing, we offer grey, black or yellow nosing which is 55mm x 55mm, in line with requirements. This is available in various lengths to meet your step width.
If you need anti-slip step tread covers with nosing, we recommend our contrasting anti-slip stair treads. These are especially beneficial in areas which can become slippery. The main tread is black whilst the 55mm high nosing is yellow to provide a contrasting design, as required by regulations.
We recommend considering what liquids the treads will be exposed to and ensuring you are using anti-slip treads which are suitable for the area. For instance, our range of anti-slip treads and nosing is resistant to weather conditions, chemicals and ultraviolet lighting. Regularly used in the food industry, they also meet the USDA reqirements for incidental food contact and FDR GFR 21.175.300 requirements for food contact.
All of The Ramp People's stair treads and nosing solutions offer an extremely low profile (1 - 1.5mm thick steel) to reduce the risk of trip hazards.
What Material Are Anti-slip Stair Treads and Nosing Manufactured From?
Anti-slip stair treads and nosing are manufactured from a range of materials including wood, rubber, GRP, aluminium and stainless steel.
At The Ramp People, we offer the stainless steel solution with a grit surface. We find this the preferable choice as the extremely low profile assists in reducing trip hazards, especially for those with limited mobility. The durable steel design is long-lasting and effective in commercial settings and high pedestrian traffic areas.
How Do You Install Anti-Slip Stair Tread Covers and Nosing?
Anti-slip stair tread covers, anti-slip strips and nosing covers are designed to be installed on existing stair treads. The covers are provided with pre-drilled fixing points for ease of installation.
Installation varies depending on whether you are assembling these onto a metal, wooden or concrete staircase. Please view our installation guide for full instructions.
What Maintenance Do Anti-Slip Stair Treads Require?
The design required virtually no maintenance; you only need to clean it. You can clean the anti-slip treads using a hose and general detergents. Simply wash off the detergents afterwards with water. Excess dirt can be removed using a hard broom.
At The Ramp People we offer a range of anti-slip stair tread and nosing covers along with anti-slip strips and discs in various sizes and colours. We deliver across the UK. We also offer custom solutions on request. If you have any questions please reach out to our team at hello@theramppeople.co.uk or call 01372 569051.
