The height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members, is 42 inches, +/- 3 inches, and may not exceed 45 inches above the walking-working surface. OSHA requires the top of the gripping surfaces of Handrails shall be 30 inches minimum and 38 inches maximum vertically above walking surfaces, stair nosings, and ramp surfaces.
Stair rail code hight code#
What is the International Code Council (ICC)? 4. The IRC required the top of all Handrails must be between 34 and 38 inches measured from the walking surface or the nose of the stairs. If the guard top rail is not used as a Handrail, it would not have graspability requirements. When the 42-inch guardrail is used on a stair or ramp, a secondary Handrail will be required at the appropriate height. The IBC requires a guard to be 42 inches tall, with Handrails falling between 34 and 38 inches.