Getting a grip: why the ADA and government enforcers say that when it comes to handrails, narrower is better.(Risk Management)(Americans with Disability act)

New guidelines for commercial pools and spas are presenting a quandary for some facility designers. The difficulty lies in the railing width. Though the new Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for recreational facilities specify handrails with 1.25-to 1.50-inch outside diameter (O. D.), the industry's long-established standard for railings has been 1.90-inch O.D.

Thei.50-inch O.D. grab bar or handrail is better because it allows for the formation of a "power grip," so the thumb and fingers can be opposed and the surface of the palm can be in maximum contact with the rail surface. The power grip also increases the area of contact between the hand and handrail, reducing the stress on the hand, as concluded by the United States Access Board studies.

Fabrication of railings over the years has moved to stainless steel tubing with better cross-sectional areas for strength and stability, but the 1.90-inch O.D. holdover has remained.

Facility designers and owners and equipment manufacturers can no longer cling to the old standards that were established to accommodate the ease of railings manufacture. It's time to address the specific needs of the individuals served by these facilities. Though ADAAG 426 has not generally been enforced in the aquatics industry, some pool and spa designers think this is changing due to the new ADA guidelines established for recreational facilities.

"For as long as I have been involved in the business, which has been since the early 1970s, the standard has been 1.90-inch O.D. for railing material," says Scott Ferrell, principal architect at Aquatic Design Group, Carlsbad, Calif.

Ferrell says his firm has never experienced difficulties receiving project approval with 1.90-inch O.D. railings specified. However, he has seen a subtle shift since the new guidelines for recreational facilities were introduced in 2002.

"During our last few plan checks, the checkers have gone ...