The rail runs the full required length of the flight at the correct height, but at both ends it simply stops with an open, square-cut end projecting into the stairway. What does the code require at those ends?
- ANothing; the requirement addresses the height and continuity of a rail, and the treatment of its ends is left to the builder
The provisions address the ends specifically, and for a reason with an injury history behind it. Height and continuity are separate requirements that this rail happens to satisfy.
- BThat each end be cut at an angle matching the slope of the flight, which keeps the projection out of the path of travel
An angled cut is still an open end with a point on it. The requirement is that the end be closed off, whether by returning it to the surface behind or by terminating it in a post or terminal.
- CThat the ends be capped with a rounded fitting and that the rail be extended 12 inches past the top and bottom risers
The 12-inch extension belongs to accessible and commercial stairs under the building code, not to dwellings. Adding it here mixes two codes, and a rounded cap alone still leaves an open projecting end.
- That the ends be returned to the wall or the guard, or terminate in newel posts or approved safety terminals
Why D is correct
Handrail ends have to be returned to the wall or the guard, or terminate in newel posts or approved safety terminals, so that an open end cannot catch clothing as a person steps off the flight. Any one of those terminations satisfies the requirement.
What this question is testing
Whether the candidate knows handrail end treatment is a distinct requirement with several permitted solutions, and separates the residential rule from the commercial extension requirement that looks similar.
On the job
Open rail ends are common on remodels and on stairs where the rail was installed by the homeowner. Inspectors look at both ends of every rail on the final, and the fix is a return fitting that costs a few dollars. Emergency departments see this injury regularly, usually as a fall taken by an older person whose sleeve or handbag caught the end while turning at the bottom of a flight.
Memory technique
No open ends: sleeves find them.
Exam tip
Return it, or land it in a newel or safety terminal. The 12-inch extension is a commercial rule.
Where to look it up
IRC Chapter 3, stairways, the handrail paragraph covering continuity and the treatment of ends.