Potential changes to Approved Document K – 10/2025

The Building Safety Regulator has published part one of a report looking at the Evidence to support potential changes to Approved Document K guidance on domestic stairs – GOV.UK This considers dwelling stair safety literature and research projects conducted by BRE for the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Some of this research has been published here for the first time. This paper, and a recently commissioned second part on General Access Stairs, is intended to help inform the Building Safety Regulator on what updates should be considered to Approved Document K to bring it more in line with the best advice provided in BS5395-1.

This is the GOV.UK web link under which the full report can be downloaded.

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Here a quick look into the content of the 51 page document:

1. Background
1.1 Size of the problem
1.1.1 National estimates
1.1.2 International comparison..
Figure 1 Death Rates from UK, Canada, USA and Australia
1.1.3 Age Profile (Who is most affected)
1.2 Normal gait
1.2.1 Descending stairs
1.2.2 Ascending stairs
1.3 Missteps
1.3.1 Slips, Trips and Falls…
1.3.2 Falling backwards while descending..
1.3.3 Falling forwards while descending
1.3.4 Falling forwards while ascending ..
1.3.5 Falling backwards while ascending..
1.3.6 Falling over or through the guarding..
1.3.7 Misstep summary.
1.3.8 Reducing the risk of falls

2. Issues
2.1 Step Dimensions
2.1.1 Going
2.1.2 Rise.
2.1.3 Others
2.1.4 Risk evaluation
2.2 Step Consistency
2.2.1 Overall
2.2.2 Going
2.2.3 Rise
2.2.4 Risk evaluation
2.3 Handrails and Stair clear width
2.3.1 Second Handrail
2.3.2 Relation to guarding
2.3.3 Risk evaluation

3. Research Projects
3.1 Stair Safety Questionnaire (a national survey)
3.2 Experimental Rig (Going only)
3.2.1 General Public
3.2.2 Slip resistance
3.2.3 Proprietary Nosings
3.3 Limited Access Stairs (Nottingham university)
3.4 Experimental Rig 2 (Rise and Going)
3.4.1 General public..
3.4.2 Educational stairs
3.5 5-Stair focus groups
3.6 Future research
4. References

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Crown copyright 2025 – “Evidence to support potential changes to Approved Document K guidance on domestic stairs”

Commissioned by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

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