Handrail & Balustrade Solutions - British Standards
BS 8300: 2001 (incorporating Amendment 1 June 2005) - Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of Practice
BS 8300 provides good practice recommendations on the design of buildings so that they are convenient for use by disabled people. It is widely used as a reference document for guidance on issues not specifically covered in building regulations.
Although the standard is due for a full 5-year review,it was decided in 2005 to review the latest research and feedback from industry on a number of topics that were causing concern within the industry and issue an amended version of the standard in advance of the full review. The issues for handrails and balustrades were:
- The dimensions for circular handrails and their spacing from an enclosing wall.
- The definition of 'visual contrast' in relation to 'light reflectance values' (LRVs).
- The application of 'not cold to the touch'.
Circular handrails
Having reviewed the latest research evidence, the BSI committee decided not to change the dimensions in the 2001 edition of BS 8300, even though they differed from those in AD M (2004) (see diagram on page 28). As far as England and Wales is concerned, the BS 8300 dimensions represent a suitable alternative to those in AD M.
Visual contrast
A person's perception of visual contrast between two surfaces appears to be strongly correlated with the difference in the amount of light reflected from their surfaces, i.e. their light reflectance values (LRVs). In theory, a perfect white has an LRV of 100 and jet black, 0, but these values are never achieved in practice.
Whereas AD M (2004) gives a rigid definition of visual contrast (where there is a 30 point difference in LRV), the 2005 amendment to BS 8300 recognises that visual perception is affected by the relative area of surfaces and whether they are textured, curved, metallic or glossy.
The latest guidance is that, although a difference in LRV of 30 points is a reliable indicator of visual contrast, there is anecdotal evidence that a difference of about 20 points may still be acceptable. Differences in LRV are most important between small and large areas, e.g. a lever handle and a door, than between large areas, such as walls and floors. High gloss should be avoided for doors and elements with a larger surface area.
Not cold to the touch
A note added to clause 5.10.1 in the 2005 edition of BS 8300 puts the recommendation that handrails should not be 'cold to the touch' in context. It indicates that in parts of the country, which have extremely harsh winter weather conditions, external metal handrails can become extremely cold. In these circumstances, some people may be reluctant to use the handrail (or involuntary let go of the handrail) if it is uncomfortably cold. This represents a safety hazard.
In extreme cases, a person's skin can adhere to a very cold handrail and the shock can, in some people, trigger an attack of Raynaud's disease. To minimise the effects of cold, handrails manufactured from wood, or metal coated with materials with a low thermal conductivity, such as plastics, are preferred.
BS 6399 Loadings for buildings - Part 1: Code of practice for dead and imposed loads
This is the standard referred to in Approved Document K for details of the horizontal forces that barriers should be capable of resisting. In the standard, Table 4 gives the 'characteristic' design loads on parapets, barriers and balustrades (see simplified table below, based on Table 4).
BS 6180 - Barriers in and about buildings - Code of practice
This British Standard reiterates the minimum barrier height for guarding of 1100mm in Approved Document K. It also gives specific recommendations for barriers of concrete, glass, metals, plastics and timber, as well as generic site fixing details.