The effects of interactive stairways on user behaviour and safety

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of interactive stairway designs by comparing the user's behaviour and the incidence of unsafe stair use on two interactive stairways with a stairway made of conventional material. The Stairway Observation Checklist (SOC) for recording observations of stair users was developed. Observations were conducted in two museum buildings with interactive stairways and in one university building with a conventional stairway. Cautionary behaviours and incidents on the interactive stairways and the conventional stairway were documented and compared. On the interactive stairways, more users glanced down at the treads; fewer users diverted their gaze away from the stairs; and handrail use was higher. Incident rates were similar across the stairways. The research suggests that interactivity increases the risk of stair use but also can promote increased attention to the stair climbing task. More specifically, interactive stairways encourage more cautious behaviours than conventional stairways.