Does this handrail bracket meet code?

[tonyleto]

Falls kill about six times as many people as dwelling fires every year.

Without a doubt and as I noted earlier that is because people are not using the handrail at all. I have yet to see how the 2-1/4 inch bracket clearance would serve to reduce the number of stair falls based on the original justification that someone actively falling would be unable to grasp the handrail if the clearance is only 1-1/2 inches.

If you want to reduce stair falls, make sure that people are able to grasp a handrail and that the handrail is mounted such that it will not bend, snap or pull out of the wall under load. Making them actually use it is a tougher thing to do.

 

[tonyleto]

In regards to handrails, unless you are talking about hitting them with your head as you are tumbling, those are the same thing.

True, but defining graspability requirements while falling is going to be different from defining graspability while simply using a stair. For clarification, we make handrail brackets or varying center-line dimensions that can be selected to meet all clearance requirements but our customers keep getting caught in the middle. It makes it difficult for us to be able to tell them that a certain design will absolutely meet a code requirement. We always suggest they confirm everything with their AHJ prior to specifying.

 

[tbz]

Fire escapes used to be pretty standard, too. So did asbestos.

Falls kill about six times as many people as dwelling fires every year.

Thats true, brudgers, but have you reviewed the Macki studies and all the handrail motion fall studies for grasping, if one does you will see that the further away the handrail is from a wall or guard the more the arm profile will end up jambing in place,

The hand obtaining a grip and holding on in the average population is not there from what I read unless there hands are already on the handrail, which is not the common practice.

The added distance is just not there, if you look at grab bars they don't want more distance from the wall so arms and limbs don't flow through the opening.

The 2-1/4" is just not supported by the data.