Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) If the
vertical distance from the bottom of the swimming pool to the deck is over two
feet (0.61 m), recessed steps, stairs, or ladders shall be provided in the
shallow area of all swimming pools. Recessed steps or ladders shall be provided
at the deep portion of all pools; and, if the swimming pool is over 30 feet
(9.14 m) wide, such recessed steps or ladders shall be installed on each side
near the deep end. A stairway, ladder or set of recessed steps shall be
provided every 75 feet along the shallow area perimeter. Where stairs are
provided in the shallow area of the pool, one ladder may be deleted in the
shallow area for each stairway provided.
(b) Pool Stairs - The design and construction
of pool ladders and stairs shall conform to the following:
(1) Stair treads shall have a minimum
unobstructed horizontal depth of 10 inches, a maximum horizontal depth of 36
inches, and a minimum unobstructed surface area of 240 square inches.
(2) Risers at the centerline of the treads
shall have a maximum height of 12 inches and shall be within one inch of a
uniform height with the bottom riser height allowed to vary plus or minus two
inches from the uniform riser height.
(3) Each set of stairs shall be provided with
at least one handrail to serve all treads and risers. For stairs wider than 20
feet, additional handrails shall be provided and spaced no more than 10 feet
from adjacent handrails or stair ends.
(A)
Handrails, if removable, shall be installed in such a way than they cannot be
removed without the use of tools.
(B) The leading edge of handrails
facilitating stairs and pool entry/exit shall be no more than 18 inches
horizontally from the vertical plane of the bottom riser.
(C) The outside diameter of handrails shall
be between one inch and one and nine-tenths inches.
(4) The leading edge of stair treads shall be
marked with a contrasting color band or line at least two inches (5 cm) wide
visible from above the stairs. Use of contrasting color tiles installed in the
stair tread is acceptable provided the tiles are spaced no more than one inch
(2.5 cm) from the edge of the tread or from adjacent tiles.
(5) Swimming pool ladders shall be
corrosion-resistant and shall be equipped with slip-resistant treads. All
ladders shall be designed to provide a handhold and shall be installed rigidly.
There shall be a clearance of not more than six inches (15.3 cm), nor less than
three inches (7.6 cm), between any ladder and the swimming pool wall. If the
steps are inserted in the walls or if step holes are provided, they shall be of
such design that they may be cleaned easily and shall be arranged to drain into
the swimming pool to prevent the accumulation of dirt thereon. Step holes shall
have a minimum tread of five inches (12.7 cm) and a minimum width of 14 inches
(35.6 cm).
(6) When step holes or
ladders are provided within the swimming pool, there shall be a handrail at
each side.
