As per the data available for the year 2004, more than 8 million people were treated because of fall-related injuries from the stairs. A combination of various deficiencies in the design of stairs, inadequate lighting, and a few other reasons are usually the culprits for such stairway slips, falls and trips.
To have a safe staircase is the responsibility of every homeowner and hence you may consult Inline Design to create safer stairs that can be safer for your family as well as for your guests. The following are a few simple ways to make your stairways much safer.
Provide proper lighting
To have a safer stairway, adequate lighting is the topmost priority. If you are not able to see where you are heading to then chances of fall are going to increase.
Your stairs should never have poor illumination levels as compared to the adjacent areas, hence make sure that the lights used over the stairs have got the same wattage level as those in your surrounding hallways.
Tread carefully
You can also increase the visibility of the steps of stairs by having individual stair treads. On each step, you may paint a contrasting color rather a stripe will work well and also looks good even on your carpet. Not only it will look lovely, but also it will be best to steer clear of any visually distracting patterns present on the treads.
Do not neglect the handrails
Well-designed handrails can also reduce the chance of a fall, and the following are a few suggestions:
- Prefer to install them on both sides of your stairs.
- It should extend the complete length of your stairs.
- It should be securely attached to walls.
- It must rest at the height of the adult elbow.
- Make sure that an adult person can easily wrap their hand completely around the handrails.
Provide a gate
If in your household there are small children, aged person, or pets, then a safety-gate will be necessary. While choosing a gate, ensure that it is up-to-date with safety regulations.
Hardware-mounted gates are most secure, but pressure-mounted gates may not be stable enough to prevent any fall from the stair top.
Eliminate tripping hazards
Often people tend to keep many items around stairways that can be major tripping hazards. The following are a few of them:
- At the top of stairways, area rugs can be a tripping hazard, so remove them.
- Electrical cords must be neatly taped or stapled along the baseboards so that it will look nice, neat, and remain out of the way.
- For keeping pathways open, furniture should be rearranged.
- Remove all items stored on the stairs. Even various decors added to the stairs can also increase the risk of falls.
Drop the distractions
While using the stairs, you must pay attention and also proceed with caution. Always use a minimum of one handrail, and avoid carrying anything that needs both hands or that can block your line of vision.
Also, avoid texting, emailing, typing, or searching on your mobile phones or any other devices while you are using the stairs.