Do you know that a handrail plays a very significant role in keeping you safe while working at an elevated point, on an elevated platform, or while ascending a staircase?
So if ask – How do Handrails on Stairs Help Keep You Safe?
You should consider support, stability, balance, and its blocking ability. So handrail keeps you safe by providing support, stability, and balance and also serves as a block.
What are Handrails
According to Wikipedia; A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand to provide safety or support. In Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators to prevent injurious falls, and to provide bodily support in bathrooms or similar areas. Handrails are typically supported by balusters or attached to walls.
Objectives of handrails
Objectives of handrails include:
- Accident prevention: Handrails are installed to provide you with something to grab while navigating up and down the stairs. This keeps you from having accidents if you trip on a step or miss a step.
- Enhances mobility: Handrail provides homeowners who might not have a great balance with more mobility as they can go up and down the stairs in a safe manner.
- Protection liabilities: Having a handrail in place protects any liability on the homeowner. Imagine not having a handrail and someone tripping on your stairs. This would be potential for a lawsuit if someone were to get hurt.
4 Ways How do Handrails on Stairs Help Keep You Safe
Building from the key which includes support, stability, balance, and blocking; here are ways handrails on stairs could help keep you safe.
- Stability: One of the ways handrail helps keep you safe is that it offers stable support for people to hold onto while ascending or descending stairs, helping to prevent slips and falls. It also provides a point of stability for individuals with mobility issues, allowing them to navigate stairs more safely.
- Support: Support and stability are most times used together. This is because support brings stability; when you hold onto a staircase while climbing, it provides support at the instance which will eventually enhance stability.
- Balance: Walking up stairs without a handrail can cause imbalance due to spatial positioning of the body, but having a handrail that you can hold as you move up will ensure balance.
- Block: Handrail can serve as a block that prevents someone from falling off through an open edge. In this regard, it saves you from falling over which could result in severe injury or death.
Conclusion
The handrail is to be grasped by hand to provide stability, balance, and support. It also acts as a block to safeguard individuals working from an elevated position.
If asked – How do Handrails on Stairs Help Keep You Safe? These are the major ways handrails can keep you safe, so always ensure they are installed where necessary.
Related Posts
Safety Barriers in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers
200 Safety Interview Questions and Answers
What Are Passive Fall Protection Systems
Home Safety Assessment For Elderly And Home Safety Checklist
7 Pinch Point Hazards in the Workplace – And How to Avoid Them