Levelling Up: Steps to Safer Stairs

Learning Outcomes

After this webinar you should have: 

• Awareness of universal diversity of users impacted by stair design.
• Knowledge of stair design to improve the accessibility and reduce risk of falls on stairs.
• Awareness of further resources and information.
• Understanding of the spatial and detail design implications for taking a Universal Design approach to stairs.

About Mike Roys, Rise and Going

Mike’s interest in stairs, and stair safety began nearly 30 years ago. Having recently graduated from Surrey University he joined the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990 working in the field of human factors and environmental psychology. While at BRE, he was able to study further and graduated with a Master’s degree in Environmental Design and Engineering in 1994, giving him a good foundation in understanding buildings and how people interact with them.

Health and Safety in buildings became an interest for Mike when BRE produced two sister reports comparing health and safety hazards in the home in 1995, a study which he went on to repeat in 2000 and in 2008. These reports formed the foundation of the Housing Health and Safety Rating Systems, currently used as part of the Decent Homes Assessment. BRE used this methodology to assess the costs relating to poor housing in England, which Mike was instrumental in developing. Falls on or from stairs remains the highest risk hazard in dwellings from the safety side of the reports. The latest estimates based on 2016 data suggest over 700 fatalities and 400,000 serious injuries in England and Wales per annum.

After publishing his first peer reviewed paper on stairs, Mike led ten years of government funded research on stair design and safety. During this time papers were published on limited access stairs, the ability of children to climb guarding, and the effects of variations in step dimensions. Further research considered the slip resistance of contaminated step surfaces and the effectiveness of proprietary nosings. This research was summarised in a single publication, Refurbishing stairs in dwellings to reduce the risk of falls and injuries.

Mike was appointed chair of the British Standards committee (B/208) looking into stair design, and remained in post for many years, and he is still a member of this committee. While he was chair, the committee was responsible for the publication of standards BS 5395-1:2010 and BS 5395-4:2011 on straight stair design and limited access stairs. The content of these standards is largely based on the findings from the government funded research mentioned earlier and highlights good practice for designing stairs for normal and private use. Also, during this time, his expertise was occasionally sought from government on appeals relating to Approved Document K.

Since 2017, Mike has had his own business, Rise and Going Consultancy, providing expertise on stair design and safety and advice on other building related hazards. He continues to have an active role within the UK Slip Resistance Group, and provide advice to RoSPA on stair related issues through the National Home Safety Committee. His work has influenced standards in America, Canada and Australia, and he remains in contact with colleagues working in a similar field in all these countries. He is also involved in stair research projects conducted in a number of English Universities. As well as providing support to builders and developers of buildings, Mike has provided expertise in legal cases looking at stair falls. He has also produced Safer by Design guidance for RoSPA, and is currently working with building regulation in England and Wales to support the potential update of Approved Document K.