ABSTRACT
People, including children and the elderly, should be able to use stairs safely and be protected from the risk of falling from one floor level to others below. The degree of safety provisions necessary depends on the purpose group of the building, the number of users, their familiarity with the building and the extent of access made available to the building. The guidance contained in Approved Document K reflects its close relationship with Approved Document B, relating to means of escape, and Approved Docu - ment M, covering access to buildings for the disabled, where overlapping guidance is now included in Approved Document K. An example of this is the omission of minimum stair and ramp widths for escape routes, although the minimum widths from Approved Document M are now included. The 2013 edition has also taken the opportunity to incorporate the guidance from Approved Document N: Glazing – safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning. This now gives rise to the use of ten sections to cover the extended list of requirements.
