Steps should not be the only way into a building or the only means of changing levels.

Where steps are present they should not act as a barrier to people's access.

 

These steps (left) are in a Wolverhampton shopping centre - they create a lot of dificulty for visually impaired people and others, as it is very difficult to see where one step ends and another begins.

The Building regulations state that steps should have colour contrasted nosings.

Part M of the Building Regulations(2004) states that

"People should be able to appreciate easily where to place their feet by highlighting nosings and avoiding open rises" (paragraph 1.30).

A positive element of these steps is that they do not have overhanging nosings - which also creates an obstacle. Part M points out that people who wear callipers or who have stiff hip or knee joints are particularly at risk of tripping through trapping the toes of their shoes beneath projecting nosings.

Part M and the British Standard 8300 note the importance of hand rails on both sides of external steps if the flight is of more than 2 steps. The handrail should be continuous, and should have a good grippable surface.

Flights of stairs should have a courdoroy hazzard surface at the top and bottom of the flight. See Tactile Surfaces for more information.

 

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