Railing Inspection Checklist

Railings are some of the most important safety features on your stairs. Many people don’t realize that the railings prevent several accidents, which can otherwise be fatal. They’re an essential safety precaution that all contractors need to install. However, not all railings are safe. To be considered safe, they need to follow certain guidelines for metal railings in Boston.

The Checks

At Boston Ironworks, we’ve put together a checklist of the essential aspects that your railings need, to pass staircase inspections.

Handrails- Any stairway that has four or more risers requires a handrail by law. Ideally, the handrails should be present on both sides of the stairway but if that’s not possible, you need to place it on one side.
Height- Metal railings in Boston should always be easily accessible to children and adults alike. You need to measure the height of the handrail from the sloped plain to the railing. The height shouldn’t be lower than 34 inches or higher than 38 inches. Anything more or less would be considered uncomfortable and risky and wouldn’t pass inspection.
Continuity-The metal railings in Boston should continue throughout the length of the stairs. Any break of continuity would cause the staircase to fail in the inspection. The railing should start from above the top riser to the bottom riser throughout the flight of stairs. The only point the continuity can be interrupted, is at turns. The railings should end at a wall or at a newel post.
Clearance- A person should be comfortably able to curl his fingers around the metal railings in Boston. For that, there needs to be some space between the wall and the railing. By the inspection code, there must be at least 1 ½ inches of separation between the railing and the wall.
Load Bearing Capacity – If the railing is attached to the wall, it should be comfortably able to bear a weight of 200 lbs in any direction. The very purpose of the railings is to prevent falls. It’s vital to ensure that they’re secure enough to bear that much weight abruptly without disconnecting or breaking.

You need to make sure that your metal railings in Boston fit the above mentioned criteria. If they do, they’ll pass any staircase inspection conducted in the US. For questions and enquires, you can call Boston Ironworks at 781.599.3055. You can also fill in this contact us form. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.