Stair Assessment
21 July 2022
Introduction
The causes of stair falls are well understood but poorly
designed stairs are still commonplace, stairs therefore often
present significant potential for harm. A stair fall often leads to
serious injury or even death. In the UK there is a fall on stairs
every 90 seconds (BS 5395-1:2010). It is often assumed that all
stairs comply with the relevant building codes and that compliance
means the stair must be safe. Neither of these assumptions is
true.
HSE falls prevention experts investigate serious and fatal stair
accidents, often in seemingly innocuous environments like retail
premises and restaurants. There are approximately 100,000 accidents
on stairs in leisure environments each year, and several thousand
more in the workplace.
Negotiating stairs is a largely subconscious task and, as such,
falls are often blamed entirely on human error. In reality, the
design of a stair plays a critical role in helping a pedestrian
make their subconscious judgments accurately and therefore safely
negotiate the stair. Understanding both stair design and human
performance is the key to making a difference to risk.
Simple, cost-effective improvements to existing stairs can
significantly reduce the risk of a serious fall. This course will
help you understand the design features of stairs which can give
rise to a risk of falling, and identify simple remedial
improvements to reduce the likelihood of a fall.
To get the most out of the course, delegates are
encouraged to share a stair fall issue from their own workplace in
advance, with photographs where possible, for discussion during the
day. This ensures that you get the most relevant information from
the course.
By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge and skills
to assess stairs in your own premises, and identify examples of
good and bad practice. This will allow appropriate changes to
working practices and the work environment to be considered and
planned in proportion with the risks and costs involved.
The course will cover
- Common design issues that give rise to a risk of falls on
stairs
- Examples of HSE stair investigations and the findings
- How to undertake a stair fall assessment using a simple
toolkit
- An opportunity for you to assess stairs yourself and discuss
with the expert
Who should attend?
Anyone who is interested in understanding falls on stairs or who
has responsibility for managing health and safety.
We can run bespoke courses at your premises tailored to your
specific requirements. This includes a free expert assessment of
your stairs.
Venue
The course will be run at the HSE Science and Research Centre in
the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District
and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester
International Airport.
Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitbuxton.co.uk
Cost
The full cost of the course is £525 per person (includes course
notes, lunch and refreshments).
Book Course
Please note that all courses must be paid for via credit
card at the time of booking.
For further dates and additional information email: hsetraining@hse.gov.uk or
contact the Training and Events Team at HSE directly on +44 (0)203
028 3704.
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