North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter A - SANITATION › Section .2500 - PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS › Section 18A .2521 - LADDERS, RECESSED STEPS, AND STAIRS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) If the
				  vertical distance from the bottom of the swimming pool to the deck is over two
				  feet (0.61 m), recessed steps, stairs, or ladders shall be provided in the
				  shallow area of all swimming pools. Recessed steps or ladders shall be provided
				  at the deep portion of all pools; and, if the swimming pool is over 30 feet
				  (9.14 m) wide, such recessed steps or ladders shall be installed on each side
				  near the deep end. A stairway, ladder or set of recessed steps shall be
				  provided every 75 feet along the shallow area perimeter. Where stairs are
				  provided in the shallow area of the pool, one ladder may be deleted in the
				  shallow area for each stairway provided.
(b) Pool Stairs - The design and construction
				  of pool ladders and stairs shall conform to the following:
(1) Stair treads shall have a minimum
				  unobstructed horizontal depth of 10 inches, a maximum horizontal depth of 36
				  inches, and a minimum unobstructed surface area of 240 square inches.
(2) Risers at the centerline of the treads
				  shall have a maximum height of 12 inches and shall be within one inch of a
				  uniform height with the bottom riser height allowed to vary plus or minus two
				  inches from the uniform riser height.
(3) Each set of stairs shall be provided with
				  at least one handrail to serve all treads and risers. For stairs wider than 20
				  feet, additional handrails shall be provided and spaced no more than 10 feet
				  from adjacent handrails or stair ends.
(A)
				  Handrails, if removable, shall be installed in such a way than they cannot be
				  removed without the use of tools.
(B) The leading edge of handrails
				  facilitating stairs and pool entry/exit shall be no more than 18 inches
				  horizontally from the vertical plane of the bottom riser.
(C) The outside diameter of handrails shall
				  be between one inch and one and nine-tenths inches.
(4) The leading edge of stair treads shall be
				  marked with a contrasting color band or line at least two inches (5 cm) wide
				  visible from above the stairs. Use of contrasting color tiles installed in the
				  stair tread is acceptable provided the tiles are spaced no more than one inch
				  (2.5 cm) from the edge of the tread or from adjacent tiles.
(5) Swimming pool ladders shall be
				  corrosion-resistant and shall be equipped with slip-resistant treads. All
				  ladders shall be designed to provide a handhold and shall be installed rigidly.
				  There shall be a clearance of not more than six inches (15.3 cm), nor less than
				  three inches (7.6 cm), between any ladder and the swimming pool wall. If the
				  steps are inserted in the walls or if step holes are provided, they shall be of
				  such design that they may be cleaned easily and shall be arranged to drain into
				  the swimming pool to prevent the accumulation of dirt thereon. Step holes shall
				  have a minimum tread of five inches (12.7 cm) and a minimum width of 14 inches
				  (35.6 cm).
(6) When step holes or
				  ladders are provided within the swimming pool, there shall be a handrail at
				  each side.