Stair Glide/ Lift

[Jim B]

I am looking at an existing church where they would like to install a chair glide (lift) along a required exit stair.

The track for the lift is along the treads and risers on one side of the stair and does not extend more than 4” from the edge of the tread.

The seat for the lift is in a folded up position at the bottom when not in use.

It is realized that stair lift is not a compliant component of an accessible route.

Is there any opinion as to allowing such an element in along an egress stair?

 

[mtlogcabin]

If it complies with ASME A18.1 and does not interfere with the "required" stair width then I believe it would be allowed.

Allowed

Not Allowed

410 Platform Lifts

410.1 General.

Platform lifts shall comply with Section 410 and ASME A18.1 listed in Section 105.2.6. Platform lifts shall not be attendant operated and shall provide unassisted entry and exit from the lift.

105.2.6 Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts:

ASME A18.1-2005 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers International, Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5990).

http://files.asme.org/Catalog/Codes/PrintBook/31199.pdf

 

[Paul Sweet]

What assurance is there that the seat (and footrest) will always be folded up when nobody is using the lift? The footrest in mtlogcabin's photo is a major tripping hazard.

 

[fatboy]

Would it eliminate the handrail on that side of the stair?

 

[retire09]

Are these allowed in an exit stair?

When not in use they are an obstruction and when in use they block most, if not all, of the serviceable exit width.

 

[Jim B]

IBC 2009, 1009 never refers to egrees stair; it would appear that ALL commerical stairs need to comply, not just egress stairs.

 

[jdfruit]

Largest issue is required exit width and handrails required each side of stairway. Lift obstructs the wall mounted handrail, additional handrail required. If the chair glide is for disabled access, it is not allowed in a commercial occupancy. A117.1 & ADA & ASME restrict chair glides to residential units only.

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Would the stair comply with an intermediate handrail to partition the lift?

 

[mtlogcabin]

Remember it is an existing building. Some of the legacy codes did not require handrails on both sides of the stairs. A church used exclusively for church functions is exempt from ADA requirements.

Did PA even have a building code when the church was constructed?

IFC 2012

SECTION 1104

MEANS OF EGRESS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS

1104.1 General.

Means of egress in existing buildings shall comply with the minimum egress requirements when specified in Table 1103.1 as further enumerated in Sections 1104.2 through 1104.24, and the building code that applied at the time of construction. Where the provisions of this chapter conflict with the building code that applied at the time of construction, the most restrictive provision shall apply. Existing buildings that were not required to comply with a building code at the time of construction shall comply with the minimum egress requirements when specified in Table 1103.1 as further enumerated in Sections 1104.2 through 1104.24.

1104.13 Stairway handrails.

Stairways shall have handrails on at least one side. Handrails shall be located so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 44 inches (1118 mm) of a handrail.

 

[jdfruit]

State of PA has statute laws for accessibility;

§ 60.2. Jurisdiction and effective dates.

(a) Applicability. This chapter applies to government buildings, private buildings and building sites as follows:

(4) Places of worship.

It appears that the alteration in the church stairs must comply with current code for the lift installation and due to alteration impacts, forensics are necessary to determine "code of the day" relative to stair handrails and minimum required exit width.

Good luck!!!

 

[Francis Vineyard]

What regulates equipment that is neither required nor prohibited shall only be required to comply with the provisions of the code relating to the safe installation?

 

[jdfruit]

Case can be made for PA that stair glide is prohibited, state statute references ADAAG as the technical provisions. Given the code section (and statute adoption dates), the 1994 ADA edition is the effective access code for state of PA.

§ 60.31. Technical requirements.

Buildings subject to the act and this chapter shall comply with the applicable provisions of ADAAG beginning with section 4.2, to the extent they do not conflict with the act and this chapter.

 

[Jim B]

In PA we are currently under Chapter 11 of the IBC 2012 for accessibility only with ANSI A117.1-2009 being the reference standard, all other non-accessibility codes are under the 2009 I-Codes. It gets fairly confusing.

The effective date for I-Codes in PA was April 2004. Prior to that point in time, PA was enforcing the PA Fire and Panic Act and the Universal Accessibility Act

This church was building in the 1950’s. This stair in question has compliant handrails on both sides.

It would seem to me that the IEBC 2009; 601.2 (Level 1 Alteration) would not allow for the current level of safety to be lessened as a result of an alteration.

 

[fatboy]

I would concur............