General industry and construction, side by side
The same question has two answers because OSHA writes two sets of rules. A shop, plant, warehouse or office follows 29 CFR part 1910. A construction jobsite follows 29 CFR part 1926.
| Topic | General industry (29 CFR 1910) | Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
|---|---|---|
| Angle | Standard stairs are installed at angles between 30 and 50 degrees from the horizontal.29 CFR 1910.25(c)(1) | Stairs shall be installed between 30 and 50 degrees from horizontal.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(2) |
| Risers and treads | A riser height of 9.5 inches at most and a tread depth of 9.5 inches at least, with uniform riser heights and tread depths between landings. The size limits do not apply to standard stairs installed before January 17, 2017.29 CFR 1910.25(c)(2), 29 CFR 1910.25(c)(3), 29 CFR 1910.25(b)(3), 29 CFR 1910.25(c)(5) | Riser height and tread depth shall be uniform within each flight of stairs, and variations shall not be over 1/4 inch in any stairway system. The paragraph sets no riser or tread size.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(3) |
| Width and landings | Standard stairs are at least 22 inches wide between vertical barriers. Landings and platforms are at least the width of the stair and at least 30 inches deep in the direction of travel.29 CFR 1910.25(c)(4), 29 CFR 1910.25(b)(4) | Stairways that will not be a permanent part of the structure shall have landings of not less than 30 inches in the direction of travel and at least 22 inches wide at every 12 feet or less of vertical rise.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(1) |
| Headroom | The vertical clearance above any stair tread to an overhead obstruction is at least 6 feet 8 inches, measured from the leading edge of the tread.29 CFR 1910.25(b)(2) | Section 1926.1052 sets no headroom figure for stairways. Its list covers landings, angle, uniform risers, door platforms, hazardous projections and slippery conditions.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(1) |
| A door that opens onto the stair | A platform is provided, and the door swing does not reduce its usable depth to less than 22 inches for platforms installed on or after January 17, 2017, or 20 inches for earlier ones.29 CFR 1910.25(b)(5) | A platform shall be provided where doors or gates open directly on a stairway, and the swing of the door shall not reduce its effective width to less than 20 inches.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(4) |
| Handrails and stair rails | Handrails are 30 to 38 inches high. Stair rail systems installed on or after January 17, 2017 are at least 42 inches from the leading edge of the tread to the top of the top rail. Each flight of at least 3 treads and 4 risers gets stair rails and handrails.29 CFR 1910.29(f)(1), 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(11) | A stairway with four or more risers, or rising more than 30 inches, whichever is less, shall have at least one handrail and a stairrail system along each unprotected side. Stairrails installed after March 15, 1991 are at least 36 inches high, and handrails are 30 to 37 inches high.29 CFR 1926.1052(c)(1), 29 CFR 1926.1052(c)(3), 29 CFR 1926.1052(c)(6) |
| Pan stairs not yet filled | Part 1910 has no counterpart. Spiral, ship and alternating tread stairs get their own paragraphs in 1910.25.29 CFR 1910.25(b)(8) | Except during stairway construction, foot traffic is prohibited on pan stairs to be filled with concrete later, unless the stairs are temporarily fitted with wood or other solid material at least to the top edge of each pan.29 CFR 1926.1052(b)(1) |
What is OSHA's rule and what is not
| Level | What it says |
|---|---|
| OSHA requirement | The figures above come from the paragraphs, not from a building code. A building code, a local inspector or the architect may set stricter stair dimensions for permanent stairs, and they apply in addition.29 CFR 1910.25(c) and 29 CFR 1926.1052(a) |
| Recommended practice | Anti-slip nosings, lighting over the stair and marking the first and last tread are good practice that neither part asks for by name. They are recommended, not required, by these paragraphs.29 CFR 1910.25(b) and 29 CFR 1926.1052(a) |
Does your state do it differently?
Some states run their own State Plan and write their own text, so the federal paragraphs above describe federal OSHA states. Look up your state on the State Plans page and read its rule before you rely on the federal wording.
What OSHA cited most under these standards in FY2025
| Paragraph | What it covers | FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.25(b)(3) | Uniform risers and treads between landings | 40 |
| 1910.25(b)(1) | Handrails and guardrails per 1910.28 | 18 |
| 1910.25(c)(2) | Maximum riser height | 13 |
| 1910.25(b)(7) | 7 | |
| 1910.25(c)(3) | Minimum tread depth | 6 |
| 1910.25(c) | 5 | |
| 1926.1052(c)(1)(i) | At least one handrail | 130 |
| 1926.1052(c)(1)(ii) | Stairrail on each unprotected side | 92 |
| 1926.1052(c)(1) | Handrail and stairrail system on stairways of four risers or more | 51 |
| 1926.1052(c)(12) | Guardrails on unprotected landing edges | 25 |
| 1926.1052(b)(3) | Solid treads for temporary service | 11 |
| 1926.1052(c)(4) | 8 |
1910.25: 114 citations in FY2025 at 88 inspections, 9 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1926.1052: 335 citations in FY2025 at 276 inspections, 329 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). Citation items issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Mistakes that turn up in inspections
- Treating the general industry riser and tread sizes as the rule on a jobsite. Construction stairs are held to uniformity within 1/4 inch and to the rail heights of 1926.1052, and the paragraph sets no riser or tread size.29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(3) and 29 CFR 1926.1052(c)(3)
- Leaving out the rail on a short stair. In construction the trigger is four or more risers or more than 30 inches of rise, whichever is less.29 CFR 1926.1052(c)(1)
- Letting crews walk unfilled metal pan stairs. Foot traffic is prohibited on them unless they are temporarily fitted with wood or another solid material.29 CFR 1926.1052(b)(1)
- Storing material on the landing or door platform. The platform at a door has a usable depth to keep, and exit routes in general industry have to stay free of obstructions.29 CFR 1910.25(b)(5) and 29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3)
Free tool
Check how much clearance a personal fall arrest system needs below the working surface before a worker ties off near a stair opening or an edge.