Location: Toronto, Ontario
A fatal injury occurred as the result of a fall down the stairs of a restaurant / bar. Kleinfeldt Consultants Limited was retained to inspect the stairs and provide our opinion on the stairs with respect to the fall.
We reviewed a copy of the Coroner's Report to determine the nature of the injuries sustained as a result of the fall. The cause of death was reported as a blunt force injury to the head, consistent with the effects of a fall down the stairs.
Our examination determined that the lighting provided in the stairwell was probably not adequate. Typically, the Ontario Building Code requires light levels of at least 50 lux in exit stairwells. We determined that the light level in the stairwell was not in compliance with the OBC.
We determined that the door opening into the direction of travel at the bottom of the stairs was an injury hazard to anyone who uses or falls down the stairs. The door, when fully open, extended several inches into the line of travel and in our opinion could cause serious injury. The door knob was significantly dented.
We also noted that the handrail was not continuous through the length of the stairs, but consisted of two sections. A non-continuous handrail results in a non-continuous handhold for pedestrians traveling up or down the stairs.
Using our findings at the site examination as well as the coroner's report of the injuries sustained in the fall, we outlined the most likely sequence of events leading to and including the fall. In our opinion, the deceased lost his balance and fell backwards down the stairs and may have come in contact with the extended edge of the door or the door handle that opened into the basement landing. Given the location of his injury at the back of the head, he may actually have hit the door handle, which would explain the precise location of the impact at the back of the head.
We also noted that the steel stair-tread covers may have contributed to the seriousness of the injuries. The surface of the stairs was very aggressive with a raised pattern, typically found in industrial floor applications. In our opinion, the aggressive surface as inspected would cause a more severe injury on impact than a wooden stair.
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