When schools, offices, or healthcare campuses undergo renovations, temporary facilities like modular classrooms, office trailers, and swing spaces often keep operations moving and open. However, just because a structure is temporary doesn’t mean accessibility can be overlooked. In fact, ensuring ADA compliance for construction temporary facilities is one of the quickest ways to avoid project delays, inspection failures, and even liability claims. It’s also a necessity to keep staff, workers, and visitors safe.
Why ADA Still Applies
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) doesn’t make exceptions for temporary buildings. If a space is open to the public, or even to staff, it must meet accessibility standards so that everyone can come and go safely and with ease. That means ramps, stairs, landings, and door thresholds all need to be designed and installed with ADA geometry in mind to avoid fine and costly delays.
OSHA standards may also apply for staff-only access points or construction-phase entrances, but for students, patients, or the public, ADA governs the route and is an absolute necessity.
Common Trouble Spots in Temporary Facilities
Temporary facilities come with challenges that permanent structures often don’t such as the following scenarios:
- Variable thresholds: Portable classrooms and trailers sit at different levels and pad heights. The unevenness makes it hard to achieve the correct slope.
- Short project windows: Installations often happen overnight or over weekends so things have to move quickly and with ease. There can be no long delays.
- Phased access: Temporary doors may need both ADA-compliant ramps and OSHA stairs, depending on who’s using them.
- Tight clearances: Portable clusters sometimes don’t leave much room between each of the units to account for landings or maneuvering areas.
Each of these issues can lead to red-stamp reviews or unsafe conditions if they aren’t handled carefully. They can prove costly and hurt your reputation.
How REDD Team Helps
At REDD Team, we design prefabricated aluminum access systems that are purpose-built for temporary facilities.
Here’s how we address the main challenges that you might face:
- Prefabricated Kits: Our ramps, stairs, and landings arrive as modular, bolt-together assemblies. Rest assured, there is no welding required. This means installs can happen without disrupting classes or operations.
- Adjustable Components: All of the legs, rails, and platforms can be fine-tuned on-site to match real-world pad heights, slopes, and door swings. We ensure that everything transitions smoothly.
- ADA Geometry Built In: We design to the 2010 ADA Standards (slope ≤1:12, cross-slope ≤1:48, landings 60″ x 60″ minimum at turns, handrails on runs >6″), so the details are review-ready.
- OSHA Options: For staff-only or fenced jobsite areas, we provide OSHA-aligned stair systems that meet Subpart X, with slip-resistant treads and guardrails sized to OSHA load criteria.
Compliance Without the Headaches
The best way to reduce liability and keep your schedule on track is to eliminate inspection surprises. Yes, compliance is always the key. That’s why REDD Team provides code-referenced submittals with every system, calling out the slope, handrail heights, edge protection, and landings reviewers expect.
Rest assured, there are no last-minute field fixes. No red-stamp delays. Just clean drawings, predictable installation, and a compliant facility from day one.
Accessibility isn’t optional for temporary spaces. With prefabricated systems designed to meet ADA and OSHA standards, REDD Team helps contractors, districts, and facility managers open temporary facilities quickly while keeping everyone safe.
If you’re managing modular classrooms, office trailers, or swing spaces, let us help you with ADA compliance for construction temporary facilities. Call (800) 648-3696 or contact us online to get a fast, compliant layout tailored to your site.