Grab bar

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Grab bars are safety devices designed to enable a worker to maintain balance by holding ("grabbing") onto each bar as he or she climbs. Grab bars are found on equipment or above fixed ladders where footholds exist but other handholds lack. They may be positioned horizontally, vertically, or at an angle. When using grab bars as safety devices, in order to prevent falls, the optimum choice would indicate the use of a horizontal bar.^{[citation needed]}

In industry and construction, only horizontal grab bars are reliable to sustain a dynamic fall of the body, especially if the feet should slip off a fixed rung near the top of a ladder. Best size is approximately 5 inches (13 cm) clear width, diameter similar to the ladder rungs, and spaced 12 inches (30 cm) apart. If a vertical member is held, such as a ladder side rail bar, no matter what the shape of the side rail or the strength of the grip, the force of falling causes the hand to slide producing an impact with whatever is below resulting in the release of the handhold and subsequently resulting in a fall, all in a fraction of a second. USDOL Bureau of Labor Statistics produced an 11-year study through 2002 showing 26 occupational fatalities on fixed ladders that resulted from falls which occurred at American industries.^{[citation needed]}

Scientific research, including physical testing, has found that the human hand simply cannot maintain a grip on a vertical bar or rail in a fall situation. Further research and testing in this area, using lifelike dummies, continues in order to determine the maximum strength that can be expected from the human grip in fall situations. Research demonstrates, however, that a hook grip can be maintained on a horizontal bar. This makes horizontal grab bars the safest and only logical choice.^{[citation needed]}

Horizontal grab bars have been used by industry on fixed-ladder siderail extensions for some time with good acceptance. Products such as GrabSafe provide bolt-on or weld-on horizontal grab bars for fixed ladders. LadderPort and HatchGrip do the same for roof hatch ladders by mounting to the curb for rooftop access security.

Application for horizontal grab bars is not limited to industrial use. Horizontal grab bars provide for the greatest safety in bathroom, hospital, and nursing care facilities. Only a horizontal grab bar can reasonably stop a fall.

[edit] Accessibility

In accessibility, grab bars are architectural products commonly used in toilet stalls for handicapped people. Grab bars are smooth, metal cylindrical bars that are mounted on the side and rear walls of the stall, to help handicapped people move from a wheelchair to the toilet seat.

The ADA Standards ^[1] are supported by substantial research regarding the best placement for grab bars. For example, research conducted on behalf of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development indicates that both walking aid users and wheelchair users preferred horizontal grab bars at heights of 33 to 36 inches rather than lower bars. Further, all accessible bathing facilities require grab bars installed to meet ADAAG specifications. Diameter of grab bars should be 1¼ to 1½ (30-40 mm) with 1½ inch (40 mm) clearance from the wall. Grab bars should not rotate in their fittings. The required mounting height is universally 33 to 36 inches (840-910 mm) from the centerline of the grab bar to the finish floor. Structural strength of ADA-style grab bars and their mounting devices should withstand more than 250 pounds of force (1100 N).

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that:

Grab bars be mounted between 33"-36" AFF, and support 250 lb
Side grab bars be 42" long and mounted 12" from the rear wall
Rear grab bars be a minimum of 36" long and mounted a maximum of 6" from the side wall
The grab bar surface be smooth and not rotate in its fittings