Factories Act 1961

28 Floors, passages and stairs

(1) All floors, steps, stairs, passages and gangways shall be of sound construction and properly maintained and shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, be kept free from any obstruction and from any substance likely to cause persons to slip.

(2) For every staircase in a building or affording a means of exit from a building, a substantial hand-rail shall be provided and maintained, which, if the staircase has an open side, shall be on that side, and in the case of a staircase having two open sides or of a staircase which, owing to the nature of its construction or the condition of the surface of the steps or other special circumstances, is specially liable to cause accidents, such a hand-rail shall be provided and maintained on both sides.

(3) Any open side of a staircase shall also be guarded by the provision and maintenance of a lower rail or other effective means.

(4) All openings in floors shall be securely fenced, except in so far as the nature of the work renders such fencing impracticable.

(5) All ladders shall be soundly constructed and properly maintained.