When planning a staircase, a crucial consideration is whether the staircase should have a railing on one side. This is an issue that is often overlooked, and, as a result, many open-sided staircases have been put into homes without much thought given to the issue. Nice, but dangerous! If there's no railing, you might trip and fall down the stairs, which can be dangerous or even fatal. For this reason, you should only have an open-sided staircase in a space that's very secure; the opening should be within a secure area of the home, such as a foyer or living room. In addition, the opening should be in a space where the staircase is easily visible to everyone using it. However, Traversing a staircase without railings is both dangerous and a safety violation. In fact, the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) even specifies that railings are required on stairs with open sides. As a result, stairs that are open on one side, are best avoided.