The metal warehouse loading dock stairs you order for your worksite must be capable of providing easy access to your dock and handling enough weight while staying safe. The stairs should also be easy for people to go up and down, as they can’t be too steep or otherwise challenging to manage. REDD Team can help you produce new loading dock stairs that fit your property, plus we’ll help you get a handrail ready for the stairs.
Our work at REDD Team involves producing steps sized to meet OSHA standards to ensure everyone’s safety. The layout includes three essential parts – the steps, the landing at the top, and the handrail that goes around the entire body. Designing a thorough setup with all three parts is vital to ensuring your steps are safe for everyone.
How Are the Steps Arranged?
The steps should be arranged so they’re easy for people to use without risking slipping. Considering how busy a loading dock can become, the steps have to be sized well so that the user isn’t at risk of slipping:
- The tread should be about 10 to 14 inches deep.
- The stairs must be at least 22 inches wide. The sizing can be much wider if you have an extra-wide door or need two-person space.
- The steps should have rises from 6 to 7.5 inches.
- The steps are also installed at a 30 to 50-degree angle from the horizontal plane.
Some small openings or vents can be added around the stairs to keep water from building up. Considering how many warehouse loading dock steps are outdoors, having these openings is critical for keeping your steps safe and unobstructed when it’s raining outside.
What About the Landing?
A landing should connect the stairs to the loading dock door at the top. The landing must be at least 30 inches long from the end of the stairs. For cases where the door opens outward toward the stairs, there should be a 30-inch landing from the stairs to the door’s opening radius.
The landing should also be at least as wide as the steps, although something wider is ideal. REDD Team recommends a landing that extends a foot or two past the sides of the door for cases where you might expect a package to be delivered to the sides.
Getting the Handrail Ready
You’ll also have a handrail next to both sides of the steps. The handrail should be about 36 inches high from the step it is on to the top part. The rail should be smooth and have a body that can handle about 200 pounds of pressure from all angles.
The handrail should be slightly taller around the platform at the top of the steps. A height of 42 inches is necessary for this part.
All these parts of your metal warehouse loading dock stairs are essential to ensuring the safety of everyone who uses them. REDD Team can help you plan a stair setup plus a handrail that goes along the steps and at the top landing. You can reach us at REDD Team online for help or call us at 800-648-3696 for further info.
