6 Questions When Installing An Access Handrail

When installing an access rail, it is important to ensure it serves its purpose and does exactly what is required. Some considerations are the location of the rail, how it should be fiexed in position and who exactly will be most reliant on the handrail. Sometimes a standard Kee Klamp rail will work fine and provide the required protection against falls, while in other cases a continuous Part M handrail is required. Here we will try to cover some of the questions which you may have when installing rails at your home or premises.

1. What size tube should be used for handrail?

We would recommend using 48.3mm O/D (size 8 on our website) or 42.4mm(size 7 on our website) as these provide enough strength to withstand the force of people lying against the rail.

42.4mm rails are probably easier to grab and thus gain a significant grip of. This would provide the user with greater certainty, especially if they are someone who would be more dependent on the rail for access.

48.3mm tube would more likely be used for safety barriers or edge protection as they are stronger, though the upright spacings can be altered to ensure that loadings are met:

Industrial Use-Non Emergency: 360 Newtons per metre run (N/m)
Commercial Use: 740 Newtons per metre run (N/m)
Retail/Public Access: 1500 Newtons per metre run (N/m)

Further handrail loading information available on page 43 of our fittings brochure.

2. What fixings/anchor bolts should be used?

Our base flanges each contain 2x 14mm holes to allow for adequate fixing to a solid surface. 12mm bolts should be used to allow the bolt to fit freely, while the head of the bolt or a nut will tighten the flange. For depth, 80-100mm should be plenty long enough as long as it is being fixed into a solid surface such as concrete.

3. Should the handrail be designed to meet Building Regulation requirements?

Generally, if the rail is being fixed onto a ramp for access to a public building or dwelling, it will be required to meet Part M of the Building Regulations. This states that the rail should be smooth and continuous from beginning to end, with no breaks or bumps along its surface. This is to make access easier for people who have disabilities, as they will not have to take their hand off the rail at any point. We use our Kee Access fittings range for such a handrail, as the fittings run flush with the outer edge of the tube rails, creating a smooth joint.

The alternative to the Kee Access range is our standard Kee Klamp fittings. These are also easily installed and provide a great alternative to welding, although they do not meet Part M requirements. The reason for this is that the tube runs through the fitting, creating a a shoulder which the hand will meet if sliding a hand along the rail surface.

Please ask the builder/architect in advance which handrail type is required.

4. How should the handrail be terminated?

If installing a Kee Klamp handrail, it is easiest to finish the rails on the post, using an Elbow fitting for the top rail and a Tee fitting for the mid-rail(use an angled Elbow and Tee if the end post is based on a slope).

For Part M compliant rails, they require that a handrail is turned down at the end. This is for 2 reasons, the first being that it alerts the user that the handrail has now come to an end. The second reason is that the turn-down ensures that loose clothing/bags cannot get caught on the rail end when passing by. If a double handrail is being installed, we would usually recommend creating a D-return by joining the top and mid-rail. This not only creates the turn down required, but also looks better aesthetically.

5. Should the uprights be fixed on or off the ramp?

This is often a matter of whether or not there is enough room on the ramp. Often, the concrete for the ramp has been poured in advance and the builder doesn’t allow enough room for the handrail to be installed while maintaining the required width. This results in the handrail having to be installed off the ramp.

Where there is enough room on the ramp, the uprights can be mounted directly down to the ramp surface. This can be done using our 67 Angled Base Flange on the slope, with a 62 Standard Railing Flange being used on the flat.

6. Should the handrail be galvanised or aluminium?

In most locations, a galvanised steel rail is perfect and is much cheaper than an aluminium rail. An aluminium rail may be used in areas where there is a high chance of corrosion, such as coastal areas, but even then a steel rail is often used and will still offer quite good durability for years.