50 Of The Most Poorly-Designed Staircases That May Leave You Awestruck In The Worst Way

Let’s shed more light on the cases of stairway injuries, this time in the UK. According to a September report by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), nearly half of adults, or 43%, have either slipped, tripped, or fallen down the stairs in the last 12 months. 

Sixty percent of people who had experienced a staircase accident stated that it happened on their own property.

The report also revealed that 32% of accidents were linked to broken safety features, such as poor maintenance. 40% were due to slippery surfaces, 32% were due to poor lighting, and 29% were because there were items along the stairs. 

Then, there were the structure-related issues, with 26% of injuries occurring due to uneven steps and 26% due to the lack of handrails. 

However, not all staircase accidents were due to poor design. According to BWF chief executive Helen Hewitt, people are also at fault and are putting themselves at risk by using their phones while on the stairs, carrying something heavy, or rushing up or down. 

“While a clear reflection of today’s busy lifestyles, these behaviours increase the risk of a slip, trip or fall, which could result in serious or potentially fatal injuries,” Hewitt said.

Reports indicate that stairway accidents result in an average of 12,000 fatalities per year. There are several ways to reduce this risk, and according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), one of them is to design handrails that are easy to grasp. 

Specifically, you should be able to run your hand smoothly along the entire length without needing to adjust the grips.

The CCOHS also urges improving visibility on staircases. This can be achieved by utilizing angular lighting and color contrasts to enhance depth perception and incorporating matte finishes to minimize glare. 

Patterned carpeting isn’t advisable because it can create a visual deception and hide the differences in depth of each step.