DOCSLIB.ORG

Risk and Protective Factors for Falls on Stairs in Young Children: Multicentre

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Risk and Protective Factors for Falls on Stairs in Young Children: Multicentre Original article Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/archdischild-2015-308486 on 10 December 2015. Downloaded from Risk and protective factors for falls on stairs in young children: multicentre case–control study D Kendrick,1 K Zou,1 J Ablewhite,1 M Watson,2 C Coupland,1 BKay,3 A Hawkins,4 R Reading5 ▸ Additional material is ABSTRACT published online only. To view Aim To investigate risk and protective factors for stair What is already known on this topic please visit the journal online (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ falls in children aged <5 years. Methods Multicentre case–control study at hospitals, archdischild-2015-308486). ▸ Falls are the leading cause of medically minor injury units and general practices in and around 1Division of Primary Care, attended injury in preschool children, and falls four UK study centres. Cases were children with School of Medicine, from stairs comprise 12% of hospital medically attended stair fall injuries. Controls were Nottingham, UK admissions and 18% of emergency department 2School of Health Sciences, matched on age, sex, calendar time and study centre. A attendances for falls. University of Nottingham, total of 610 cases and 2658 controls participated. ’ ▸ Home safety education and equipment Queen s Medical Centre, Results Cases’ most common injuries were bangs on Nottingham, UK provision can increase use of stair safety gates, 3 the head (66%), cuts/grazes not requiring stitches (14%) Emergency Department, but there is little evidence that this reduces Bristol Children’s Hospital, and fractures (12%). Parents of cases were significantly injuries. Bristol, UK more likely not to have stair gates (adjusted OR (AOR) 4 ’ Great North Children s 2.50, 95% CI 1.90 to 3.29; population attributable Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation fraction (PAF) 21%) or to leave stair gates open (AOR 3.09, 95% CI 2.39 to 4.00; PAF 24%) both compared Trust, Research Unit Level 2, What this study adds Newcastle upon Tyne, UK with having closed stair gates. They were more likely not to 5 Jenny Lind Paediatric have carpeted stairs (AOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.10; PAF Department, Norfolk and ▸ Family factors including use of stair gates, not Norwich University Hospital, 5%) and not to have a landing part-way up their stairs Norfolk Community Health and (AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.65; PAF 18%). They were leaving them open and having a stair carpet Care NHS Trust, Norwich, UK more likely to consider their stairs unsafe to use (AOR 1.46, were associated with reduced risk of a stair fall 95% CI 1.07 to 1.99; PAF 5%) or to be in need of repair injury. Correspondence to (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.50; PAF 5%). ▸ Structural factors including having a landing Professor Denise Kendrick, Division of Primary Care, Conclusion Structural factors including having landings part-way up the stairs and keeping stairs in School of Medicine, Floor 13 part-way up the stairs and keeping stairs in good repair good repair were associated with reduced Tower Building, University were associated with reduced stair fall injury risk. Family injury risk. Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, factors including having stair gates, not leaving gates open ▸ If these associations are causal, addressing UK; denise.kendrick@ these factors in routine child health promotion nottingham.ac.uk and having stair carpets were associated with reduced injury risk. If these associations are causal, addressing and housing policy could reduce stair fall http://adc.bmj.com/ Received 24 February 2015 these factors in housing policy and routine child health injuries. Revised 23 July 2015 promotion could reduce stair fall injuries. Accepted 6 August 2015 Published Online First 10 December 2015 walkers. The overview found little evidence that INTRODUCTION these interventions reduced injury rates.5 Our study Falls are the leading cause of medically attended aimed to quantify risk and protective factors for on September 26, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. injury in children aged <5 years in most high- stair falls among children aged <5 years. income countries.1 In England and Wales, in 2002, the latest year for which detailed emergency METHODS department (ED) data is available, falls among the The published protocol reports full details of the children aged <5 years resulted in more than methods.6 This study was one of five concurrent 190 000 ED attendances,2 and in 2012/2013 they case–control studies, each recruiting children with accounted for almost 20 000 hospital admissions in one type of injury (falls from furniture, falls on England.3 Falls from stairs or steps comprised 18% one level, stair falls, poisoning, scalds). of ED attendances for falls2 and 12% of admissions for falls.3 While some falls from stairs among chil- dren aged <5 years are associated with objects such Study design and setting as baby walkers, toys or pushchairs, most (88%) The study was conducted in NHS hospitals in are not and only a small proportion arise from chil- Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne, dren being dropped while being carried on stairs.4 Norwich, Gateshead, Derby, Lincoln and Great A recent systematic overview found interventions Yarmouth, England. Case recruitment commenced providing home safety education, and/or home on 14 June 2010 and ended on 30 September To cite: Kendrick D, Zou K, safety equipment were effective in promoting the 2012. Control recruitment commenced at the same Ablewhite J, et al. Arch Dis use of safety gates on stairs and some evidence that time as case recruitment and ended within – Child 2016;101:909 916. they reduce the number of families using baby 4 months of case recruitment. Kendrick D, et al. Arch Dis Child 2016;101:909–916. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308486 909 Original article Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/archdischild-2015-308486 on 10 December 2015. Downloaded from Participants (white/other); single adult household (yes/no); the Hospital Cases were children aged 0–4 years attending EDs, minor injury Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, linear term)13; Parenting units or admitted to hospital following a fall on stairs in the Daily Hassles Scale (PDH, linear term)14 15; child behaviour – child’s home. Children with intentional or fatal injury or living questionnaire score (linear term)16 18; hours of out-of-home in residential care were excluded. Parents/carers of potentially child care per week (linear term) and child’s ability to open eligible children were invited to participate during their medical safety gate (likely/not likely). Some exposures were also consid- attendance or by telephone or post within 72 h of attendance. ered as potential confounders for other exposures including use Controls were children aged 0–4 years without a medically of playpen, teaching safety rules on stairs, stair gates and the attended stair fall, recruited from the case’s general practice (or composite stair safety variable described in table 1. Analyses for neighbouring practice). We aimed to recruit an average of four each exposure were adjusted for those confounders identified in controls for each case matched on age (up to 4 months younger the directed acyclic graphs as being in the minimal sufficient or 4 months older than the case), gender and calendar time adjustment set (listed in table 3). (recruited up to 4 months of the date of the case injury). Study invitations were sent to 10 potentially eligible controls for each Statistical analysis case by mail from the practice register. Where more than 10 Associations between exposures and stair falls were estimated control participants met inclusion criteria, those with dates of using ORs and 95% CIs, using conditional logistic regression birth closest to that of their matched case were chosen. To adjusted for confounders as described above. The linearity of increase power and make efficient use of recruited participants, relationships between continuous confounders and case/control control participants from cases with more than four controls, status was tested by adding higher-order terms to regression controls no longer matched to cases (eg, case had subsequently models, with categorisation where there was significant non- been excluded) and control participants from the other four linearity. Interaction terms were added to regression models to ongoing case–control studies were matched (on study centre, explore differential effects by child age, gender, ethnic group, age, gender and calendar time) to cases which had fewer than single parenthood, non-owner-occupied housing and unemploy- four controls. ment. An interaction between use of baby walkers and use of Participating parents/carers completed age-specific(0–12, 13– safety gates on stairs was also examined. Significance of interac- 36 and ≥37 months) questionnaires. One reminder was used for tions was assessed with likelihood ratio tests (p<0.01) and non-responders. Those completing questionnaires were given a stratified OR presented where significant interactions were £5 gift voucher. Other methods, shown in a systematic review found. The population attributable fraction (PAF) percentage to increase response rates, were used, including personalised was calculated for exposures with statistically significantly raised invitations, first class mailings, reminders and inclusion of uni- adjusted ORs (AORs) using a published formula.19 versity logos on study documentation.7 Questionnaires collected For the HADS, single missing item values for each subscale data on exposures, socio-demographical and confounding vari- were imputed using the mean of the remaining six items. ables, injuries and treatment received. Subscale scores were not computed when more than one item was missing.20 The same approach was used for missing values fi fi Sample size of PDH, since we were unable to nd speci c guidance on this.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Building an Adu
    BUILDING AN ADU GUIDE TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS 1 451 S. State Street, Room 406 Salt Lake City, UT 84114 - 5480 P.O. Box 145480 CONTENT 04 OVERVIEW 08 ELIGIBILITY 11 BUILDING AN ADU Types of ADU Configurations 14 ATTACHED ADUs Existing Space Conversion // Basement Conversion // This handbook provides general Home with Attached Garage // Addition to House Exterior guidelines for property owners 21 DETACHED ADUs Detached Unit // Detached Garage Conversion // who want to add an ADU to a Attached Above Garage // Attached to Existing Garage lot that already has an existing single-family home. However, it 30 PROCESS is recommended to work with a 35 FAQ City Planner to help you answer any questions and coordinate 37 GLOSSARY your application. 39 RESOURCES ADU regulations can change, www.slc.gov/planning visit our website to ensure latest version 1.1 // 05.2020 version of the guide. 2 3 OVERVIEW WHAT IS AN ADU? An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a complete secondary residential unit that can be added to a single-family residential lot. ADUs can be attached to or part of the primary residence, or be detached as a WHERE ARE WE? separate building in a backyard or a garage conversion. Utah is facing a housing shortage, with more An ADU provides completely separate living space people looking for a place to live than there are homes. including a kitchen, bathroom, and its own entryway. Low unemployment and an increasing population are driving a demand for housing. Growing SLC is the City’s adopted housing plan and is aimed at reducing the gap between supply and demand.
    [Show full text]
  • No. 19-15 Ordinance Pertaining to Nursery Schools
    No. 19-15 Effective: 12/19/2019 AN ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO NURSERY SCHOOLS THE CITY OF LEWISTON HEREBY ORDAINS: Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Lewiston, Maine, is hereby amended as follows: APPENDIX A ZONING AND LAND USE CODE ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS Sec. 2 Definitions. Nursery School means a house or other place in which a person or combination of persons maintains or otherwise carries out for consideration during the day a regular program which provides care for three (3) or more children, who are between the ages of thirty-three (33) months and under eight (8) years of age, provided that: 1. No session conducted for the children is longer than three and one half (3 ½) hours in length; 2. No more than two (2) sessions are conducted per day; 3. Each child in attendance at the nursery school attends only one session per day; 4. No hot meal is served to the children. 5. Nursery schools in the Neighborhood Conservation “A” (NCA), Low Density Residential (LDR), Suburban Residential (SR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR) Districts shall be limited to no more than 12 children per session. 6. Nursery schools in the Neighborhood Conservation “A” (NCA), Low Density Residential (LDR), Suburban Residential (SR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR) Districts shall be limited to properties containing a minimum of one (1) acre in size. 7. Nursery schools in the Neighborhood Conservation “A” (NCA), Low Density Residential (LDR), Suburban Residential (SR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR) Districts shall be accessory to a single-family residence. 1 No.
    [Show full text]
  • Movement on Stairs During Building Evacuations
    NIST Technical Note 1839 Movement on Stairs During Building Evacuations Erica D. Kuligowski Richard D. Peacock Paul A. Reneke Emily Wiess Charles R. Hagwood Kristopher J. Overholt Rena P. Elkin Jason D. Averill Enrico Ronchi Bryan L. Hoskins Michael Spearpoint This publication is available free of charge from: http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1839 NIST Technical Note 1839 Movement on Stairs During Building Evacuations Erica D. Kuligowski Richard D. Peacock Paul A. Reneke Emily Wiess Kristopher J. Overholt Rena P. Elkin Jason D. Averill Fire Research Division Engineering Laboratory Charles R. Hagwood Statistical Engineering Division Information Technology Laboratory Enrico Ronchi Lund University Lund, Sweden Bryan L. Hoskins Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK Michael Spearpoint University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand This publication is available free of charge from http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1839 January 2015 U.S. Department of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Willie May, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Acting Director Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. National Institute of Standards and Technology Technical Note 1839 Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Tech. Note 1839, 213 pages (January 2015) This publication is available free of charge from: http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1839 CODEN: NTNOEF Abstract The time that it takes an occupant population to reach safety when descending a stair during building evacuations is typically estimated by measureable engineering variables such as stair geometry, speed, stair density, and pre-observation delay.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Safety Policy
    Food Safety Policy Purpose of Policy Little Dreams Nursery is committed to ensuring that safe and healthy practices around the storage, preparation and service of food are maintained throughout the setting. This is in order that the setting complies with The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, The Care Standards Act 2000 and Food Hygiene 1995. Who is Responsible? It is the responsibility of the manager to ensure that all members of staff are fully trained in Food Hygiene and that all members of staff understand and implement the policy. It is the responsibility of all members of staff to ensure that safe practices are maintained in the preparation and storage of food and that all food hygiene practices comply with relevant legislation, training and policy. How will this policy be implemented? Detailed procedures exist to ensure that there are high standards of health and safety in all aspects of food handling. The policy, and the methods of implementation will be continuously monitored and the policy will be reviewed at least annually. Procedure Personal Hygiene The setting has set high standards of personal hygiene for all members of staff involved in the handling and preparation of food, (please see personal hygiene policy and procedure for further information). Members of staff will be responsible for ensuring that any children involved with preparation of snack follow strict hygiene procedures. In addition any person showing signs of ill health will not be permitted to handle food. Identification and Handling of High Risk Foods Where high risk foods have been identified, the member of staff responsible for their handling and preparation will identify the potential hazards associated with them and document how they are to be handled and prepared safely in order to prevent ill health and cross contamination.
    [Show full text]
  • Product Guide Important the Nursery Gym Information: Keep Instructions for Future Use
    Product Guide Important The Nursery Gym Information: Keep instructions for future use. Read all instructions before assembly and use of product. G700-G770 Place Product Guide on inside of Storage Gate when you are done with it. Thank you. Hi! Thank you for choosing the Nursery Gym. I know you are looking at a pile of boxes right now, and wondering if it is possible to make a gym out of it all. Of course you can! This book will lead you along, step by step. So fix yourself a cup of coffee and settle down to read this guide before beginning to build. The first pages show what each piece looks like, and how many of each come with each kit. Then come the Basic Skills: the real nitty-gritty techniques you need to build your gym. The best part is next: choosing which one of the patterns fits your room and your ideas. Each pattern has two drawings of the gym as it looks while you are building it. You can see which panel goes where from these drawings. You will probably want to flip back and forth from these drawings to the basic skills as you build your gym. Do you want to make your gym bigger, or more interesting? Give us a call to find out about our additional kits and move-up kits. Important maintenance and cleaning information is in the back. You’ll find you can extend the beauty and life of your gym by following these simple tips. And of course, keep in mind the “for your safety” information on the facing page.
    [Show full text]
  • Safety on Stairs
    d Div. 100 ! i I 1 ' L BS BUILDING SCIENCE SERIES 108 afety on Stairs S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS The National Bureau of Standards' was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote pubUc safety. The Bureau's technical work is performed by the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, and the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology. THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT LABORATORY provides the national system of physical and chemical and materials measurement; coordinates the system with measurement systems of other nations and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical and chemical measurement throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce; conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; provides advisory and research services to other Government Agencies; develops, produces, and distributes Standard Reference Materials; and provides calibration services.
    [Show full text]
  • Functional Requirements of Good Stair Case
    UNIT I ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING Stairs - Materials - Terms Used - Types of Stairs - Functional Requirements of Good Stair Case - Layout of Stair Case Planning - Introduction to Ramps, Lifts, Escalators - Heat Transfer - Insulating Materials - Method of Applications - Acoustics Sound Insulations - General Principles - Sound Absorbing Materials - Acoustical Design of Auditorium - Class Rooms – Library- Sound Insulation of Walls and Floors - Ventilation - Requirements - Types of Ventilations - Air Conditioning - Fire Resisting Construction Materials - Guidelines for Fire Resisting Buildings - Fire Protection. STAIRS Staircase is an important component of a building providing us the access to different floors and roof of the building. It consists of a flight of steps (stairs) and one or more intermediate landing slabs between the floor levels. Different types of staircases can be made by arranging stairs and landing slabs. Stairs can be made of concrete, stone, wood, steel or combination of any of these. Primary functions of staircase • Provide an access from one floor to another. • Provide a safe means of travel between floors. • Provide an easy mean of travel between floors. • Provide a suitable means of escape in case of fire. • Provide a mean of conveying fittings and furniture between floor levels. General terminologies used in Staircase 1. Steps - A series of horizontal open treads with a space between the treads with a space between the treads or as enclosed steps with a vertical face between the treads as shown in the figure below. • Tread – horizontal surface of a step • Riser – vertical surface or near vertical of a step 2. Nosing - In some cases the tread is projected outward to increase the space.
    [Show full text]
  • Additional Code Requirements
    ADDITIONAL CODE REQUIREMENTS #___________________ m 2012 International Residential Code & 2012 International Building Code PROVIDE ON-SITE ALL DELAWARE SEALED SPECIFICATIONS FOR ANY MANUFACTURED & ENGINEERED STRUCTURAL BUILDING COMPONENTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: WOOD TRUSSES, I-JOISTS, STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE LUMBER & STEEL BEAMS. The approved set of prints shall be kept at the job site and open to inspection. *** A separate Inspection for perimeter or under slab insulation board for “Pole Building” style Dwellings or Dwellings with a Monolithic turn down slab or slab on grade foundation is required. R302 FIRE-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION: Construction, projections, openings & penetrations of exterior walls of dwellings & accessory buildings shall comply with Table R302.1(1). R302.2 TOWNHOUSES: Each townhouse shall be considered a separate building & shall be separated by fire-resistance-rated wall assemblies. R302.5 DWELLING/GARAGE OPENING/PENETRATION PROTECTION (garage door to house separation):self-closing, 3 solid wood doors/steel doors ≥1 /8 inches in thickness or 20-minute fire-rated doors. Openings into non-sleeping rooms only. 1 R302.6 DWELLING/GARAGE FIRE SEPARATION: from the residence and attics: ≥ /2-inch gypsum board applied to the garage 5 side; habitable rooms above the garage: /8-inch Type X gypsum board; garages located less than 3 feet from a dwelling unit on 1 the same lot: ≥ /2-inch gypsum board applied to the interior side of exterior walls 1 R302.7 UNDER-STAIR PROTECTION: Enclosed accessible space under stairs shall be protected with /2-inch gypsum board. R303.7 STAIRWAY ILLUMINATION: All interior & exterior stairways shall be provided with a means to illuminate the stairs, landings and treads; exterior stairways: artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of the top landing; exterior stairways (access to a basement from the outside): artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of the bottom stairway landing.
    [Show full text]
  • Types of Stairs
    Types of Stairs Straight stairs are certainly one of the most common types of stairs found in both residential and commercial properties. Examples of Straight Stairs: L Shaped Stair (or sometimes called quarter turn stairs) The L shaped stair is a variation of the straight stair with a bend in some portion of the stair. This bend is usually achieved by adding a landing at the bend transition point. The bend is often 90 degrees, however it does not have to be. If the landing is closer to the top or bottom of the stairs it is sometimes referred to as a long L stair. Example of L Shaped Stairs: U shaped Stairs (or sometimes called half turn stairs or switchback stairs) U Shaped stairs are basically 2 parallel flights of straight stairs joined by a landing that requires 180 degree turn in the walk line. If a third flight is inserted into the middle of the stairs, it would become a double L stair (or quarter landing). Example of U Shaped Stairs: Quarter Landing Stairs Examples of Quarter Landing Stairs: Winder Stairs Winder stairs are a variation of an L shaped stair but instead of a flat landing, they have pie shaped or triangular steps at the corner transition. Examples of Winder Stairs: Spiral Stairs Spiral stairs are a often confused with curved stairs. Although, both types of stairs follow a helical arc (like the shape of a spring), spiral stairs usually are made very compact and the treads radiate around a center pole. Example of Spiral Stairs: Curved Stairs Curved stairs add elegance to home or business.
    [Show full text]
  • Interim Guidance for Office-Based Work During the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency
    INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR OFFICE-BASED WORK DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY When you have read this document, you can affirm at the bottom. As of June 8, 2021 Purpose This Interim Guidance for Office-Based Work during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Office-Based Work”) was created to provide businesses and entities that operate in office spaces and their employees and contractors with precautions to help protect against the spread of COVID-19 as their businesses reopen or continue to operate. This guidance addresses business activities where the core function takes place within an office setting. This guidance may apply – but is not limited – to businesses and entities in the following sectors: Professional services, nonprofit, technology, administrative support, and higher education administration (excluding full campus reopening). Please note that these guidelines may also apply to business operating parts of their business functions under different guidelines (e.g. front office for a construction company). This guidance does not address medical offices, such as doctors’ offices or dentists’ offices. This guidance also does not address building owners/managers and their employees or contractors. For more information on building management, see, “Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Commercial Building Management.” Owners and operators of offices are authorized to require masks and six feet of social distancing for employees within their establishments or adhere to DOH guidance, consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People.” If choosing to adhere to CDC guidance, offices generally do not congregate patrons or operate above the State’s social gathering limits, and must follow applicable guidelines for masks, distancing, and capacity as outlined in New York State’s guidelines on Implementing CDC Guidance.
    [Show full text]
  • Accessible Means of Egress
    U.S. A CCESS B O A R D T E C H N I C A L G UIDE Accessible Means of Egress This guide explains requirements in the ADA Standards and referenced sections of the International Building Code (IBC) and was developed in cooperation with the International Code Council. Required Compliance with the IBC [§207] Accessible means of egress must be provided according to the International Building Code (IBC). Issued by the International Code Council (ICC), the IBC addresses the number of means of egress required and technical criteria for them, including fire– resistance rating, smoke protection, travel distance, width, and other features. The Standards currently apply the IBC 2003 edition or the 2000 edition and 2001 supplement. The Access Board plans to update these references. Compliance with a later edition may be possible under the provision for “equivalent Further information on the facilitation” (§103) if it is comparable to, or stricter than, the IBC is available from the, referenced editions. International Code Council (ICC) at (888) 422-7233) or www.iccsafe.org. Means of Egress A means of egress is an unobstructed path to leave buildings, structures, and spaces. A means of egress is comprised of exit access, exit, and exit discharge. Components of a Means of Egress Exit Access The path from any location in a building to an exit Exits Doors to the outside, enclosed exit stairways, and horizontal exits Exit Discharge The path from an exit to a public way such as a street or alley Chapter 4: Accessible Routes Accessible Means of Egress Required Means of Egress [IBC §1007.1 (2003), §1003.2.13 (2000)] The IBC requires at least two means of egress from all spaces and buildings with few exceptions.
    [Show full text]
  • Residential Square Footage Guidelines
    R e s i d e n t i a l S q u a r e F o o t a g e G u i d e l i n e s North Carolina Real Estate Commission North Carolina Real Estate Commission P.O. Box 17100 • Raleigh, North Carolina 27619-7100 Phone 919/875-3700 • Web Site: www.ncrec.gov Illustrations by David Hall Associates, Inc. Copyright © 1999 by North Carolina Real Estate Commission. All rights reserved. 7,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $.000 per copy. • REC 3.40 11/1/2013 Introduction It is often said that the three most important factors in making a home buying decision are “location,” “location,” and “location.” Other than “location,” the single most-important factor is probably the size or “square footage” of the home. Not only is it an indicator of whether a particular home will meet a homebuyer’s space needs, but it also affords a convenient (though not always accurate) method for the buyer to estimate the value of the home and compare it to other properties. Although real estate agents are not required by the Real Estate License Law or Real Estate Commission rules to report the square footage of properties offered for sale (or rent), when they do report square footage, it is essential that the information they give prospective purchasers (or tenants) be accurate. At a minimum, information concerning square footage should include the amount of living area in the dwelling. The following guidelines and accompanying illustrations are designed to assist real estate brokers in measuring, calculating and reporting (both orally and in writing) the living area contained in detached and attached single-family residential buildings.
    [Show full text]