WOBO welcomes the proposed action in terms of safety.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has confirmed that the campaign to make stairs safer has achieved a major breakthrough, as the Government commits to consultation on changing Building Regulations.
The Government is now proceeding with a consultation on updating the Building Regulations to include British Standard 5395-1 on stair design, pledging to complete the review ‘as expeditiously as possible, and certainly within the year’.
The change to the Building Regulations would significantly improve the safety of all new-build homes, with the updated stair design associated with a staggering 60% reduction in the risk of falls.
With early support in the House of Commons from Paul Maynard MP, (Blackpool North and Cleveleys), RoSPA’s nine-month journey has involved considerable engagement with Government ministers and officials. RoSPA has now secured Government backing to have the existing British Standard 5395-1 enshrined into Building Regulations, provided the results of the industry consultation are positive.
RoSPA, which identified stair safety as a significant threat to the UK population, has called falls on the stairs ‘a hidden killer’ which claims the lives of over 700 people in England every year, and hospitalises 43,000 more. Read more….