Reducing Stair Accidents: Evidence for Behaviour Change & Safer Design

New research conducted by the BWF found that stair accidents are common, with many people slipping or falling at home.  The research found that whilst younger adults had the most accidents, older people faced the most serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

In this blog, BWF Technical Director, Kevin Underwood highlights evidence demonstrating why behaviour change and safer stair design are essential and reflects on research commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform updates to Approved Document K. This research supports enhanced stair design standards, improved handrail provision and better step dimensions, helping drive regulatory change to reduce accidents and save lives.

In September the British Woodworking Federation launched its “Speak up for Stair Safety” campaign responding to its research which showed that 43% of UK adults had experienced a slip, trip or fall on stairs in the last 12 months with 60% of those experiencing an incident reporting that it occurred in their own property. Younger adults displayed a higher risk with over 60% of those aged 18-34 reporting accidents in the last 12 months, contrasting with just 33% of over 65s. However, while younger people are having accidents more often, the older people face a greater risk of fatal injury with more than 850 deaths of those aged over 65 in 2023 being caused by a ‘fall on or from stairs and steps’ according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Despite 84% of people acknowledging that device use increases the risk of falls, nearly a third admit to scrolling social media or using a messaging app while on the stairs. Also nearly a third admitted to leaving items like laundry or parcels on the stairs, even though 40% highlighted this as a perceived hazard and 6% cited this as a cause of a fall.

The BWF’s research showed that knowledge of risks and hazards is not leading to behaviour change, highlighting a need for broad awareness and greater education to drive home the real danger that trips, slips and falls on stairs present. A 2024 report from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) stated that accidents are becoming the top cause of preventable death for people under 40, and almost half of accidental deaths in 2022 resulted from falls.

The need for regular stair maintenance was also highlighted by nearly a third of accidents being linked to broken safety features and poor maintenance, with the top five hazards being,

• slippery surfaces (40%)
• poor lighting (32%)
• items on the stairs (29%)
• uneven steps (26%)
• lack of handrails (23%)

While the BWF’s data suggests a clear need for individuals to take more responsibility for their own stair safety, many of these incidents could be avoided by making stairs safer by design. RoSPA has stated that adopting the recommendations of British Standard BS 5395-1:2010, currently voluntary in the UK, could reduce the risk of falls on stairs by up to 60%.

In support of the proposal to update Approved Document K to reflect the guidance in BS 5395-1:2010, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the final report of research undertaken by the Rise and Going Consultancy,

“Evidence to support potential changes to Approved Document K guidance on domestic stairs.”

The research was commissioned to gather objective, evidence-based, information on domestic stair design, including step dimensions, consistency, and handrail provision and it was in support of the Building Safety Regulator’s statutory duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep Approved Documents under review and ensure they reflect current understanding of safety risks in the built environment.

The research explored the following:

• What is the best rise and going dimensions for steps?
• Should there be an allowable tolerance in these dimensions and if so, by how much?
• Could adding a second handrail to stairs below 1000 mm in width make them more usable and potentially reduce the risk?

The research showed that increasing the minimum going from 220mm to 275mm significantly improved stair safety, even enabling slight variations between steps without increasing the risks due to the benefit of an improved foot placement. It showed that the provision of a handrail on each side of the stair not only assisted those who relied on support when ascending or descending stairs, but could also prevent falls for those who do not generally make use of handrails as they would instinctively reach out for the support of a handrail should they slip. It also showed that the 900mm height of guarding for a private stair is too low to protect most of the adult population, particularly when descending the stair, and is also not high enough to discourage children from attempting to climb onto the guarding.

The research undertaken by the BWF, and the MHCLG report, show that changes to the design of stairs, and changes in the way that people use stairs, could lead to a significant reduction in accidents, fewer hospital admissions and fewer deaths.