I am trying to determine whether the “step” as indicated on the attached photos is a structural defect, code violation, or dangerous condition. OSHA requirements for stairs used during construction apply to any stairs, fixed or temporary, that construction employees may use. For example the Pennsylvania Stair Code describes "Oiling Platforms" and includes this text:As our friend Nizar in the photo is demonstrating at his home near Rabat, in Morocco, it can be very difficult to open a door that swings out over a step while you're standing on the step. RAILINGS open-sided stairs < 44” require 1 stair rail/side; open-sided stairs > 44” require 1 stair rail and 1 separate handrail/side It should provide proper graspability which the code recognizes a Type I and Type II handrail to have.Type I handrails layout the parameters for handrails having a perimeter dimension not greater than 6 ¼ inches while Type II handrails address handrail perimeters greater than 6 ¼ inches.As for their height they can be placed within 34 to 38 inches and shall be provided on at least one side of a flight of stairs having four for more risers.If they are placed up against a wall they should have a clearance from the wall not less than 1-½ inches.They must be continuous for the full length of the flight of stairs and shall begin at a point directly above the bottom riser to a point directly above the top riser.Finally, just an important side note. The original landings were metal with a single post centered underneath and embedded in concrete. the front to back of the landing will be approx 900 and will be supported front and back by brick wallsWilliam, what you suggests sounds possible but let's look at the spans.900cm is about 354 inches or about 30 feet. If the shortfall of 2 in. Your opinion?We are thinking of installing a water heated radiant floor on top of our existing concrete basement floor. Stair codes do discuss the requirement for a landing (or in my words, walking space) at the bottom of a stairway. If they were declared "compliant" that won't help when someone falls and is injured.There is a railing along the upper stairway starting at a newel on the fourth stair platform but not along the steps formed by the four platforms (marked in yellow) except along the left wall (marked in green) where no one will ever set-foot.

There shall be a landing at the top and bottom of stairs. That sounds much too big to span with just 2x lumber (say 2x6's) without joist support. Currently, there is a doorway, with no door on it. The general requirement for the specified egress door is a maximum 11/2-in. Comments from the IRC / CBC Handbook, cited at iccsafe.org forum in Our photograph at left illustrates an antique stairway at el Jaral de Berrio Hacienda in central Mexico. If the distance between floor levels exceed 147 inches, the flight of stairs would require a level landing somewhere in-between to break up the flight of stairs.Stair riser heights and stair tread depths should be within the parameters of the code to avoid any potential trip hazards for inconsistencies. The stairway landing shown abovec includes a window that lacks a guard railing or safety glass.

The sticking point is the stairs - if we don't tear out or lift the stairs, the bottom step would not be to code. The landing must be at least as wide as the stairway served; most codes require a stairway to be 36" wide or wider. (Typical deck boards are 5/4" thick and would be even more saggy, bouncy, unsafe).Assuming you're going to climb to a landing in front of a door or storm door that opens "out" over the landing, the landing size needs to be at least as big as the swing of the door, typically no less than 36" square = about 1/10 of the dimensions you gave.We discuss headroom vs. landing space in the article abovce.Thanks for your reply - maybe i was not very clear with my description - basically i'm replacing an internal staircase which means that i'll need a small platform / half landing [approx 36 inches x 30 inches] which will then allow me to go up another small step to a longer landing. Is this a violation or dangerous in your opinon.John, it's your local code inspector who can legally declare some condition a violation.My view is your platform may be a bit narrow, but I do long have all the data. The International Code Council (ICC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. Walking surfaces I view the landings as 'mini decks' and believe the rim joists should be sitting on top of the posts. But the other Board members don't see it that way and believe the landings are fine.

This is a stair in Florida. my problem is with the supports for this small platform - if possible i would prefer not to put standard joists underneath because of head height restrictions - and therefore wondered if i could use a stronger or thicker material for the platform - it is supported front to back [36 inches] by two brick wallsWilliam, I guess it was the [approx 800 x 900] that confused me.Using 2x6 or better, 2x8 or wider treated lumber on the flat over just a 36" span is not going to sag, but you'll need to consider how the whole stair is constructed and connected so as to be secure and safe.OR as the platform is not the final level so is at least one step below the door jamb above, you might consider constructing the platform floor as an inverted box, building a rim joist around the rectangle of the platform but that extends "up" rather than downwards. mm) on either side of the stairway PHOTO 2 and the minimum clear width of the stairway at and below the handrail height, including treads and landings, shall not be less than 31.5 inches (787 mm) where a handrail is installed on one side and 27 inches (698 mm) where handrails are provided on both sides PHOTO 3. I'd have put a handrailing down the steps exactly where the architect would omit it - in the area marked by yellow at the right angle between the two stair treads on the two sides of the platform rectangle. To avoid having to install nosing the code requires the depth of the tread to be no less than 11 inches. A flight of stairs shall not have a vertical rise larger than 147 inches (3734 mm) between floor levels or landings. Summary of Code Requirements for Residential Stairs. We are in the process of replacing exterior wood stairs to 2nd story units that are 35 years old.The stairs 90 degree at a landing approximately one-third of the way up.