It might seem a little obvious that a staircase needs – well – staircase-y – kind of components. You know – the things you step on, the things that hold them up and hold them in place etc. But properly constructed staircases are just a little more complicated than the obvious! At Advantage Industries, we construct our metal staircases to the highest standards so you can be certain your employees and visitors are safe. So, what exactly goes into a well-made staircase?
Stair Treads
Let’s start with the part you step on or to use the correct terminology – the stair treads. Stair treads can be made from many different materials depending on their use – from the purely decorative (and useless!) to the extravagant and beautiful (like marble), from the strong and lasting (think stone) or the sturdy and functional such as timber and metal.
At Advantage Industries, our commercial/industrial staircases are all constructed from steel, which is the strongest and best material for conditions that may be subject to chemicals, temperature extremes and high-volume usage. Our stair treads are made from galvanized steel checker plate, which is very durable. Available in a wide range of configurations, stair treads can be combined with a variety of different stair components to create a staircase that suits almost any situation. See here for some examples.
The Riser
To create a safe staircase – one where people are not going to trip or fall – (see here) – stair treads need to be the correct height. If a tread is placed too high or too low, it will cause people to slip. Otherwise known as the riser – this distance is carefully calculated to negate any dangerous outcomes to those using the staircase. If either distance is “wrong”, people will trip. Here at Advantage Industries, we use careful measurements that have been formulated by engineers to ensure that your staircase provides easy access to heights, without compromising on safety.
Stairnosing
Before we step up to the next part of the staircase, there’s another simple part of the stair treads that Advantage Industries recommend to all our customers. Stairnosing is the very front part of a tread and in industrial or commercial situations, this should have a yellow, anti-slip strip across the full width of each step. Whilst checker plate treads are very safe, adding a coloured strip ensures that people are more aware of where each step is and the added anti-slip properties are going to mean less trips, slips and falls in the workplace.
The Landing Platform
There are many situations where a single “rise” for a staircase is impractical, and a landing platform may be required. Many staircases also call for a landing platform at the top where the staircase adjoins the structure it is being used to access. It is equally important that landing platforms are constructed with the same care as the rest of the staircase. Whether or not you choose to utilize yellow stairnosing on the treads, it is imperative that landing platforms have a safety strip before the first step. The last thing you want is someone missing the step and falling.
Handrails
The final part of a well-constructed staircase is the handrail. In Australia, there are strict standards that cover these, and Advantage Industries ensure that all staircase handrails are constructed to these codes. It’s important that handrails are the correct diameter and are securely attached to the stairs. Whatever your specific requirements, the Advantage Industries keyclamp system will have a handrail configuration to suit. Once again, constructed from strong, galvanized steel, these handrails are going to stand up to the toughest conditions.
At Advantage Industries, we take your safety and the safety of your employees and visitors very seriously! Check out our testimonials here and gallery here for many examples of staircases, for both heavy and light duty situations, then give us a call – our friendly staff will be very happy to help design your new staircase with all the parts you need.
