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Many veterinary practices have stairs and many of them are in violation of OSHA standards for stairs in the workplace. Regardless of whether the stairs are inside or outside, these rules apply; the only exception is stairs leading to a private residence and emergency exit stairs which meet a separate, more stringent requirement. Make sure your stairs meet these requirements.
Stairs which are too steep or not steep enough can create the potential for trips and falls. OSHA requires that stairways in the workplace be designed and constructed so that the angle to the horizontal is between 30° and 50°. Any uniform combination of tread-to-riser dimensions may be used as long as the run of the tread ( from front to back of the horizontal portion of the step) is no less than 8 inches and the rise from the flat of one step to the flat of the next is no greater than 10 inches.
OSHA requires stairways to be at least 22 inches wide throughout their length and be strong enough to hold a load 5 times the normal anticipated working load or 1,000 pounds, whichever is more.
Broken or loose treads or risers must be repaired immediately. Treads must be reasonably slip-resistant and should never be waxed or polished. The tread width and riser height must be uniform throughout the entire flight of stairs.
If a platform is required anywhere on the stairs, it must be at least as wide as the stairs and at least 30 inches in length measured in the direction of travel. Where doors or gates open directly on a stairway, a platform must be provided and be large enough so the swing of the door does not reduce the effective width or length of the platform to less than 20 inches.
Every flight of stairs having four or more risers must be equipped with standard stair railings or standard handrails as follows. (The width of the stair must be measured clear of all obstructions except handrails.) Stairways:
A handrail must consist of a lengthwise member mounted directly on a wall or partition by means of brackets attached to the lower side of the handrail so as to offer no obstruction to a smooth surface along the top and both sides of the handrail. The handrail must furnish an adequate handhold for anyone grasping it to avoid falling. The handrail must be mounted 30 to 34 inches from the upper surface of the rail to the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread.
Handrails must be at least 2 inches in diameter when made of hardwood and at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter when made of metal. The length of mounting brackets must allow a clearance between the handrail and wall or any projection on the wall of at least 3 inches; the spacing of brackets must not exceed 8 feet. The mounting of handrails must be such that the completed structure is capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied in any direction at any point on the rail.
The information on these pages is excerpted from
The Complete Veterinary Practice Regulatory Compliance Manual (5th Edition) by Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT,
Copyright 2003 Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced for distribution without prior permission
from the publisher.
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