External Stair and Ramp Maintenance

External Stair and Ramp Maintenance

Introduction

Preventive maintenance should be part of the Facility Maintenance and Development plan for the care of your building. The aim of regular maintenance is to increase the life of your building and in the long term prevent serious deterioration and even failure of critical elements. While regular preventative maintenance supports the upkeep of building elements at a reasonable cost, a lack of timely maintenance can result in significant costs and disruption to users. 
A key preventive maintenance task is the regular inspection and maintenance of external stairs and ramps.
Stairs and ramps are an important part of building infrastructure; ensuring safe access for users and critically provide reliable emergency exit routes for safe evacuation. Construction is governed by strict rules under Part 3.9.1 of the National Code of Construction (NCC). External stairs and ramps, due to prolonged exposure to sun, wind, rain, etc. are vulnerable to deterioration and even failure over time. Scout buildings feature a range of construction types, with some more vulnerable to deterioration than others. For stairs and ramps, this includes all structural and safety elements, such as foundations, columns, support stringers, treads, risers, balustrades and handrails - which must be considered collectively when assessing condition, risk, and maintenance needs. This practical guide seeks to provide guidance on what maintenance is required, and how it is best achieved.

Why is stair and ramp maintenance important?

If stairs and ramps are not adequately maintained, they may fail to provide safe access or function effectively as an emergency evacuation route when required. 
  1. Worn, warped, loose or uneven treads and landings can create trip and fall hazards.
  2. Non-compliant treads and risers may cause user confusion and increase the likelihood of trips or falls.
  3. Balustrades and handrails that move or are not securely fixed, can contribute to falls and imbalance.
In a worst-case scenario, stairs operating at full capacity may experience structural failure in landings, stair treads and balustrades potentially resulting in serious injury.
Routine preventive maintenance such as painting and rust protection, can be highly cost effective when identified and undertaken before degradation gets too far advanced. This can often avoid the need for a full replacement. 
Similarly, replacing individual damaged treads, landing decking boards, refixing loose balustrade posts, etc. is a lot more cost effective than ignoring these items until it is too late for isolated repairs and the whole element needs replacing.

Maintenance Issues

The following maintenance issues can be found in various stair components:

Stair framing 

Including stair stringers, treads, landings, support posts and brackets, balustrades and handrails. 

Types of damage to steel

  1. Corrosion: including surface rust, pitting, galvanic corrosion. This typically affects ungalvanised or painted steel, where protective coatings have faded, chipped or worn away. Powder-coated, galvanised and stainless steel fittings are typically more resistant to corrosion, though all should still be checked due to variance in finish quality and durability
  2. Loose fixings: Includes unsecured bolts, fittings, and other fasteners that may compromise structural integrity or safe use.
  

Types of damage affecting timber:

- Material degradation: Includes dry rot, warping, shrinkage, splitting, and decay—particularly at load-bearing connection points.
- Surface hazards: Includes splintering of handrails and other contact surfaces that may cause injury or accelerate wear.
  

Typical Locations for Timber Damage:

  1. Wall fixing points and adjacent joints
  2. Beneath stair treads
  3. Stair stringer and structural connections
  4. Landing deck boards and supporting framework
  5. Top plates on the underside of landings
  6. Bottom plates at foundation connections
  7. Timber joints and connection points
  8. Externally exposed joints and surfaces where paint or protective coatings have faded, chipped, or worn
  9. Areas subject to water exposure or where water can pool or accumulate
  10. All underside stair and landing components (must always be inspected)
Every stair and ramp element should be checked, including underside of surfaces and concealed connection points. Early identification of deterioration reduces risk and supports cost-effective, isolated repairs.
Ensure the underside of all stair and landing components is included in routine inspections.

Concrete Treads and Suspended Landings

Types of Damage:

  1. Reinforcement corrosion and concrete degradation: Includes concrete cancer and spalling caused by internal steel reinforcement corroding and cracking the surrounding concrete from the inside out. This is often associated with insufficient concrete cover over reinforcement.
Note: Modern landing design typically specifies a thickness of 150–200 mm. Older designs below this range are more vulnerable to accelerated deterioration and structural damage.
  

Typical Locations for Concrete Damage

  1. Perimeter edges of treads and landings—particularly along exposed or thin sections
  2. Corners and edges where concrete elements are slender or have minimal cover
  3. Bolt fixing points for stair stringers or balustrade posts, where moisture ingress and cracking may initiate damage

All Treads & Risers

  1. Confirm that treads and risers are securely fixed and do not rock or shift under load, including at both ends of each element.
  2. Check bolt fixings are secure, serviceable, and can be tightened or replaced where required.
  3. Inspect timber stringers for sound condition, including for signs of rot or decay beneath recessed tread connections.

All Balustrades & Handrails

  1. Confirm balustrades and handrails remain rigid when moderate force is applied, and assess whether fixings can be tightened or reinforced.
  2. Consider installing additional brackets or support connections where increased stability is required.
  3. Check bolt fixings are secure, serviceable, and can be tightened or replaced where required.
  

Non-Slip Nosing & Grip Strips

  1. Confirm that all non-slip nosing and grip strips are firmly and safely fixed, with no lifting, movement, or detachment at any point.

Maintenance Requirements

At a minimum, stairs and landings should be inspected annually to identify maintenance issues outlined in the preceding sections. Maintaining records within your Building Facility Maintenance and Development Plan—including dated photographs—supports future budgeting, helps track deterioration trends, and ensures inspections are scheduled consistently. 
Where there are serious concerns, visible deterioration, or uncertainty regarding the structural condition of external stairs or ramps, a qualified Engineer (RPEQ) should be engaged to undertake a condition assessment.

Rust Treatment

Steel corrosion may present in several forms, including surface rust, pitting, galvanic corrosion, and exfoliation. Where corrosion is identified early and is not too far advanced, treatment may include:
  1. Mechanical removal of surface rust using steel wire brushing or similar abrasion methods
  2. Application of rust converter or rust-stopping products to neutralise corrosion and prepare the surface for priming
  3. Primer and protective paint systems to restore surface protection

Bolts and Fixings

  1. Severely corroded bolts and fittings should be replaced where practicable
  2. Replacement fixings should be galvanised steel, match the original dimensions, and maintain an equivalent structural rating
Alert
Important: Corrosion must never be painted over without prior treatment, as it will rapidly degrade beneath the new coating.

Painting

  1. Painted stair and ramp components should be scheduled for repainting at least every 6–8 years
  2. More frequent repainting may be appropriate where components are subject to high weather exposure
  3. All underside components—including stringers and fixings—must be included in the repainting scope
  4. Small rust marks must be treated prior to painting and must never be coated over untreated

Timber Works

Timber elements should be maintained through sanding and recoating at 5–6 year intervals where feasible. Treatment and repair considerations include:
  1. Rotten, cracked, splintered, or warped members must be replaced immediately
  2. Isolated repairs or component replacements should be undertaken where practicable
  3. Full stair or landing replacement may be required where damage is widespread or compromises safe use

Balustrades and Handrails

All repairs to balustrades and handrails must comply with the current National Code of Construction (NCC) and AS 1428.1, including design and safety requirements for:
  1. Minimum balustrade heights on stairs
  2. Minimum balustrade heights on landings
  3. Maximum allowable opening and gap dimensions
Where maintenance work on stairs, ramps, or landings is undertaken at a formation level, it should only be performed by a competent and experienced adult volunteer or qualified contractor, with appropriate safety controls in place. All works must consider the risks and limitations associated with working at height, including safe access, fall prevention measures, supervision and task capability.
In many communities, contractors are readily available and can deliver these works at a relatively low cost. Their use is strongly encouraged, and may be required in some circumstances, particularly where work involves height-related risks or exceeds the safe capability of volunteers (refer to guidance on working at height).
To support long-term durability and reduce ongoing maintenance costs, Formations may also consider installing a roof awning or small shelter above external stairs and landings to limit direct exposure to sun and rain.

Working at height

Working at heights is considered a high risk activity, and a leading cause of death and serious injury in Australia. Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulation sets specific control measures where there is a risk of a fall. The table below outlines the minimum requirements.

 

Risk of falling is less than 2 meters                                                   Risk of falling is greater than 2 meters

 

Advice to use fall prevention if reasonably practicable, or other appropriate controls.

 Fall prevention is mandatory.

A safe work method statement (SWMS) is required.


For a typical two-story structure the stairs are typically installed between 2 5m and 3m
off the ground. In this situation, the fall distance would be around 2m.

Before undertaking any work at height, Scout volunteers and employees must pause to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement suitable control measures, in line with organisational safety obligations. Where risks cannot be adequately mitigated, a qualified contractor must be engaged (refer to the F31 Risk Assessment Form).

Warning
For multi-storey buildings, the fall distance from stairs or landings may exceed 2 metres in some situations, creating a heightened risk of serious injury. Due to these increased hazards and fall distances, formations must not undertake this work themselves. Instead, they should engage an experienced, licensed, and insured contractor with appropriate safety systems, commercial capability, and current worker-height training, licensing, and insurance coverage.

Info
Should you need any further advice or assistance please contact The Facilities and Risk Support Team at facilities@scoutsqld.com.au 












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