9.29.3 Stairways

i) Interior staircase shall be constructed of non-combustible materials throughout.

ii) Interior staircase shall be constructed as a self-contained unit with at least one side to the extent of required opening adjacent to an external wall and shall be completely enclosed.

iii) Hollow combustible construction shall not be permitted.

iv) The minimum width of tread without nosing shall be 25 cm. for an internal staircase for residential buildings. In the case of other buildings, the minimum tread shall be 30 cm. The treads shall be constructed and maintained in a manner to prevent slipping.

v) The maximum height of riser shall be 19 cm. in the case of residential buildings and 15 cm. in the case of other buildings. They shall be limited to15 per flight.

vi) Handrails shall be provided with a minimum height of 100 cm. from the centre of the tread to the top of the handrails. Balusters / railing shall be provided such that the width of staircase does not reduce.

vii) Floor indicator - The number of each floor shall be conspicuously painted in figures at least 15 cm. large on the wall facing the flights of a stairway or at such suitable place as is distinctly visible from the flights.

viii) The minimum headroom in a passage under the landing of a staircase shall be 2.2 m.

(1)

ix) For special building, access to main staircase shall be gained through at least half an hour fire resisting automatic closing doors placed in the enclosing wall of the staircase. It shall be a swing type door opening in the direction of the escape.

x) No living space, store or other space including fire risk shall open directly into the staircase.

xi) External exit door of staircase enclosure at ground level shall open directly to the open spaces or should be reached without passing through any door other than a door provided to form a draught lobby.

xii) In the case of assembly, institutional or residential occupancies or hotels or industrial and hazardous occupancies, the exit sign with arrow indicating the way to the escapes route shall be provided at a height of 0.5 m. from the floor level on the wall and shall be illuminated by electric light connected to corridor circuits. All exit way marking signs should be flushed with the wall and so designed that no mechanical damage shall occur to them due to moving of furniture or other heavy equipment. Further all landings of floor shall have floor indicating boards prominently indicating the number of floor. The floor indication board shall be placed on the wall immediately facing the flight of stairs and nearest to the landing. It shall be of the size not less than 0.5 m. x 0.5 m.

xiii) In case of a single staircase, it shall terminate at the ground floor level and the access to the basement shall be by a separate staircase. Whenever the building is served by more than one staircase one of the staircases may lead to basement level provided the same is separated at ground level by either a ventilated lobby or a cut-off screen wall without opening, having a fire resistance of not less than 2 hours with discharge point at two different ends or through enclosures. It shall also be cut-off from the basement areas at various basement levels by a protected and ventilated lobby or lobbies.

(1) Substituted vide Corrigendum / Addendum No.CR.79/2021, dt.02nd December, 2021