Don’t Compromise Stair Safety With Branded Edgings, Warns Gradus
04 August 2011
A recent increase in the promotion of stair edgings featuring logos, branding and messaging is raising concern amongst the flooring industry as well as leading access experts at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Stair edgings should provide a single solid band of colour that highlights the edge of each step and provides visual contrast with adjacent floorcoverings, helping building users and particularly those with visual impairments to safely navigate staircases. This reduces the risk of staircase accidents and helps to create inclusive environments, in line with Equality Act 2010 guidelines.Branded stair edgings will not deliver a single solid consistent band of colour across the width of each stair tread, which can have serious implications for building safety and accessibility.
Chris Fielding, Senior Access Consultant for RNIB, said: “We have recently seen an increase in companies seeking to promote their brand identity on stair edgings on public staircases. We do not recommend this practice at all.
“Advertising in these places will only reduce the effectiveness of the contrasting stair edgings and it can also be visually confusing for people with sight loss. This has the effect of making the stairs more dangerous and difficult to use, which is exacerbated in high traffic environments.”
Keith Oakes, Technical Director for Gradus, added: “Incorporating any form of pattern, lettering or design into stair edgings is extremely bad practice. Stair edgings are an essential safety feature for all building users and this should be their primary purpose, not brand promotion. By compromising the band of solid colour, branded stair edgings could become safety hazards in their own right.
“For peace of mind, we would urge flooring contractors and specifiers to avoid the use of such stair edgings and to select stair edgings with a solid band of colour instead that will improve stair safety by delivering effective visual contrast and defining each individual step, further minimising the risk of accidents on stairs.”
Gradus offers an extensive range of stair edgings in four profile designs to accommodate most step shapes in a choice of materials, including aluminium and PVC-u. For further information on Gradus stair edgings, please contact Customer Support on 01625 428922 or visit www.gradusworld.com.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 31/10/2012 - Let There Be Light With The New LED Lighting Guide From Gradus
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus’ New Catalogues Show How to Protect Floors & Walls
- 20/09/2012 - New Boulevard Secondary Barrier Carpet Folder from Gradus
- 20/09/2012 - New Stair Edgings and Floor Trims Catalogue from Gradus
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus’ Super Matting Solution for Newport’s New Morrisons Supermarket
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Launches New Range of Luxury Trims
- 20/09/2012 - New Trans-Edge Heavy Duty Stair Edgings From Gradus
- 20/09/2012 - Wiping The Floor with The Rest – Gradus Launches Esplanade 1000 Primary Barrier Matting
- 20/09/2012 - Making A Statement – Gradus Launches Emphasis Carpet Range
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Has The Right Skills For The Job
- 20/09/2012 - Down To Earth – Gradus Launches Brickworks Premium Carpet Range
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Provides Wetherby Methodist Church with a Divine Flooring Solution
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Launches Wall Street Carpet Range
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Launches New Wall Protection CPD Seminar
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Delivers Style and Class to Walkden High School
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Updates Carpet Collection Brochure
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Keeps Surfaces Looking Fit and Well at University Hospital Llandough
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus supplies carpet tiles for University refurbishment project
- 20/09/2012 - Start Spreading The News – Gradus Launches Times Square Carpet Range
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Installs Intelligent Step Lighting Solutions at The University of Manchester
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus Introduces ‘SqMile with Emphasis’
- 20/09/2012 - Gradus’ New Matting Catalogue for Contractors and Specifiers
- 04/08/2011 - New Colour Options Added to Gradus PVC Skirtings Range
- 04/08/2011 - Gradus Provides Headingley Experience with Step Lighting Solutions
- 04/08/2011 - Gradus Introduce Stratus II Carpet Range
- 04/08/2011 - Gradus Delivers Lessons in Stair Safety at Western Primary School
- 12/04/2011 - Rotherham Hospital Gets The Best Treatment With Gradus Barrier Matting
- 12/04/2011 - Gradus Offers New and Contemporary Metal Skirtings
- 12/04/2011 - Genus Proves Its Cleanability For Contract Interiors
- 09/03/2011 - Gradus Treats the Christie Cancer Centre with Care
- 11/01/2011 - Gradus & InPro Announce Extended Partnership
- 09/11/2010 - Gradus stratum skirting
- 11/10/2010 - Gradus Plays Safe at Legoland® Discovery Centre
- 11/10/2010 - Gradus Lighting Creates Bright Sparks at Queen Mary University, London
- 14/09/2010 - RVI MediCinema receives Gradus upgrade
- 14/09/2010 - Gradus provide total protection for new health centre
- 13/09/2010 - Cancer charity benefits from Team Gradus bike ride
- 23/11/2007 - Gradus takes to the floor with loose lay Vinyl
- 23/11/2007 - Gradus accessories gives Macclesfield Learning Zone the edge
- 22/11/2007 - Gradus launches exclusive XT website
- 26/10/2007 - Gradus launches new accessories specification guide
- 26/10/2007 - Enlightened worship at St Barnabas Cathedral
- 19/10/2007 - Illuminating approach sheds new light on Durham Cathedral
- 15/10/2007 - Cricket pitch sized entrance mat for Bishops Stortford Shopping Centre
