3.4.6.5 — Handrails

(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (3), the minimum aggregate required width of exits serving floor areas intended for assembly occupancies, residential occupancies, business and personal services occupancies, mercantile occupancies, and industrial occupancies shall be determined by multiplying the occupant load of the area served by, (a) 6.1 mm per person for ramps with a slope of not more than 1 in 8, doorways, corridors and passageways, (b) 8 mm per person for a stair consisting of steps whose rise is not more than 180 mm and whose run is not less than 280 mm, or (c) 9.2 mm per person for, (i) ramps with a slope of more than 1 in 8, or (ii) stairs, other than stairs conforming to Clause (b). (2) The minimum aggregate width of exits serving floor areas intended for a care, care and treatment or detention occupancy shall be determined by multiplying the occupant load of the area served by 18.4 mm per person. (3) The minimum aggregate width of means of egress serving a Group A, Division 4 occupancy shall be determined by multiplying the occupant load of the area served by, (a) 1.8 mm per person for, (i) aisles, (ii) stairs other than exit stairs, and (iii) ramps and passageways in vomitories and exits, and (b) 2.4 mm per person for exit stairs. (4) Except as required by Sentence (5), the required exit width need not be cumulative in an exit serving two or more floor areas located one above the other. (5) The required exit width for an exit stair in an assembly hall or theatre serving more than one balcony level shall conform to the appropriate requirements for stairs serving interconnected floor spaces in Article 3.2.8.4. (6) If more than one exit is required, every exit shall be considered as contributing not more than one-half of the required exit width. (7) The width of an exit shall be not less than, (a) 1 100 mm for corridors and passageways, (b) 1 100 mm for ramps not serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms, (c) 1 100 mm for stairs, not serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms, that serve more than two storeys above the lowest exit level or more than one storey below the lowest exit level, (d) 900 mm for stairs, not serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms, that serve not more than two storeys above the lowest exit level or not more than one storey below the lowest exit level, (e) 1 650 mm for stairs and ramps serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms, (f) 1 050 mm for doorways serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms, and (g) 790 mm for doorways not serving patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (2) to (4), no fixture, turnstile or construction shall project into or be fixed within the required width of an exit. (2) Exit doors shall be hung so that, when open, they shall neither diminish nor obstruct the required width of the exit by more than 50 mm for each door leaf. (3) Swinging doors in their swing shall not reduce the required width of exit stairs or landings to less than 750 mm or reduce the width of an exit passageway to less than the minimum required width. (4) Handrails and construction below handrails, including handrail supports and stair stringers, are permitted to project into the required width of means of egress but the projections shall be not more than 100 mm on each side of the required width. (5) In an elementary or secondary school, where a stair lift is installed in an exit stair, an intermediate handrail shall be installed between the path of travel of the stair lift and the remainder of the stair to ensure that the stair lift will not reduce the required width of the exit stair.

(1) Ramps located in a barrier-free path of travel shall, (a) have a minimum width of 900 mm between handrails, (b) have a maximum gradient of 1 in 12, (c) have a level area of at least 1 670 mm by 1 670 mm at the top and bottom of a ramp and where a door is located in a ramp, so that the level area extends at least 600 mm beyond the latch side of the door opening, except that where the door opens away from the ramp, the area extending beyond the latch side of the door opening may be reduced to 300 mm, (d) have a level area at least 1 670 mm long and at least the same width as the ramp, (i) at intervals of not more than 9 m along its length, and (ii) where there is a change of 90° or more in the direction of the ramp, (e) except as provided in Sentence (2), be equipped with handrails on both sides that shall, (i) be continuously graspable along their entire length and have circular cross-section with an outside diameter not less than 30 mm and not more than 40 mm, or any non-circular shape with a graspable portion that has a perimeter not less than 100 mm and not more than 155 mm and whose largest cross-sectional dimension is not more than 57 mm, (ii) be not less than 865 mm and not more than 965 mm high, measured vertically from the surface of the ramp, except that handrails not meeting these requirements are permitted provided they are installed in addition to the required handrail, (iii) be terminated in a manner that will not obstruct pedestrian travel or create a hazard, (iv) extend horizontally not less than 300 mm beyond the top and bottom of the ramp, (v) be provided with a clearance that conforms to Sentence 3.4.6.5. (13), and (vi) be designed and constructed such that handrails and their supports will withstand the loading values obtained from the nonconcurrent application of a concentrated load not less than 0.9 kN applied at any point and in any direction for all handrails and a uniform load not less than 0.7 kN/m applied in any direction to the handrail, (f) except as provided in Sentence (2), have a wall or a guard on both sides and where a guard is provided the guard shall, (i) be not less than 1 070 mm measured vertically to the top of the guard from the ramp surface, and (ii) be designed so that no member, attachment or opening located between 140 mm and 900 mm above the ramp surface being protected by the guard will facilitate climbing, (g) be provided, (i) with a curb at least 50 mm high on any side of the ramp where no solid enclosure or solid guard is provided, and (ii) with railings or other barriers that extend to within 50 mm of the finished ramp surface or have a curb not less than 50 mm high, and (h) except as provided in Sentence (2), where the ramp is wider than 2 200 mm, have an intermediate handrail with a clear width of 900 mm between the intermediate handrail and one of the handrails described in Clause (e). (2) Where a ramp serves as an aisleway for fixed seating, the requirements for handrails in Clauses (1)(e) and (h) and for walls or guards in Clause (1)(f) need not apply. (3) Floors or walks in a barrier-free path of travel having a slope steeper than 1 in 20 shall be designed as ramps.

(1) The minimum specified horizontal load applied outward at the minimum required height of every required guard shall be, (a) 3.0 kN/m for open viewing stands without fixed seats and for means of egress in grandstands, stadia, bleachers and arenas, (b) a concentrated load of 1.0 kN applied at any point so as to produce the most critical effect, for access ways to equipment platforms, contiguous stairs and similar areas where the gathering of many people is improbable, and (c) 0.75 kN/m or a concentrated load of 1.0 kN applied at any point so as to produce the most critical effect, whichever governs for locations other than those described in Clauses (a) and (b). (2) The minimum specified horizontal load applied inward at the minimum required height of every required guard shall be half that specified in Sentence (1). (3) Individual elements within the guard, including solid panels and pickets, shall be designed for a load of 0.5 kN applied outward over an area of 100 mm by 100 mm located at any point in the element or elements so as to produce the most critical effect. (4) The size of the opening between any two adjacent vertical elements within a guard shall not exceed the limits required by Part 3 when each of these elements is subjected to a specified live load of 0.1 kN applied in opposite directions in the in-plane direction of the guard so as to produce the most critical effect. (5) The loads required in Sentence (3) need not be considered to act simultaneously with the loads provided for in Sentences (1), (2) and (6). (6) The minimum specified load applied vertically at the top of every required guard shall be 1.5 kN/m and need not be considered to act simultaneously with the horizontal load provided for in Sentence (1). (7) Handrails and their supports shall be designed and constructed to withstand the following loads, which need not be considered to act simultaneously: (a) a concentrated load not less than 0.9 kN applied at any point and in any direction for all handrails, and (b) a uniform load not less than 0.7 kN/m applied in any direction to handrails not located within dwelling units.