Falling on stairs etc.

Falling on stairs etc. is its own registered hazard type — a staircase’s own level changes, over 300mm. It shares its capture module with falls on the level and falls between levels, but is scored, triaged and reported as a distinct hazard.

What it is

The GOV.UK guidance treats a broken stair handrail on a staircase in regular use as a specific emergency indicator for this hazard, alongside the general falls factors — a high likelihood of a fall combined with serious-harm potential, and vulnerable occupants (60 and over, mobility or sensory impairment). It is a Phase 2 hazard: capturable in full today, with its statutory clock not yet commenced except where a case is judged an emergency.

How to do it

1. On the Falls card, record stairs condition and handrail presence and condition first — these carry the most weight for a staircase-specific case.
2. Record balustrade/guarding condition and the measured guarding height.
3. Record whether the worst level change measured on the stair exceeds 300mm, and the landing-surface hardness at the foot of the stair.
4. Complete Hazard Triage — a broken handrail on a stair in regular use is one of GOV.UK’s own named emergency indicators; cite it explicitly if it applies.

How it integrates

All three falls hazard types share one AI preset (housing-falls): image analysis restates only what’s visible — a stair or handrail defect, missing or defective guarding, a level change, a slip-risk surface, or an open drop — never a guarding-height measurement or a fall-likelihood judgement, which stays yours. The finished record uses the “Falls Hazard Assessment Report” template. Everyday trips unrelated to a building defect, and ladder or furniture misuse, are explicitly out of GOV.UK’s scope.

Common problems

• I only see one “Falls” section for three hazard types. Expected — the capture module is shared, but each survey is scored and reported against the single falls profile chosen for that job.
• There’s no due date on this job. Expected while Phase 2 remains unconfirmed, except for an emergency-severity case.
• The stair is fine but a different level change in the flat concerns me. Consider whether falls on the level or falls between levels is the more accurate hazard type for that particular defect.