An evaluation of stairway designs featured in architectural record between 2000 and 2012

This paper discusses an evaluation of stairway designs featured in Architectural Record, a leading architectural professional journal, over a thirteen-year publication period (2000 to 2012). Images of stairways were classified as either hazard-free or hazard(s)-present using a hazard identification checklist, and the frequency of visible design hazards was tabulated. A total of 578 stairways were scanned in articles and advertisements, of which 78 (13.5%) were product advertisements. Sixty-one percent of the stairways had at least one visible design hazard including nearly half (47%) in product advertisements. The three most common hazards in stairways were inadequate handrails (161, 27.8%), excessive length of stairway flights (74, 12.8%), and low visual contrast on tread edges (73, 12.6%). The high prevalence of stairway design hazards in the professional literature indicates a need for improved professional education and media attention to safe stairway design.