Essential Retail Stair Safety Compliance Checklist for Australian Buildings.

If you’re an architect, designer, builder, shopfitter or facility manager, implementing a retail stair safety compliance checklist from the beginning can be very worthwhile. By utilising a checklist throughout the entire design, specification and installation process, you can catch issues early, rather than in the final inspection when decisions have already been made and carried out. It creates a smoother process throughout, especially once you reach the building handover, and for future refurbishments and maintenance.

Safe Work Australia identifies steps and stairs among the areas where low-height falls occur, making retail stair safety an important focus. The latest national data in 2023–2024 also recorded 32,000 serious workers’ compensation claims attributed to falls, slips and trips, accounting for 21.8% of all serious claims. Keep in mind, these figures account for workers only, not also the customers, contractors and delivery personnel who use stairs in public access buildings.

Having worked in shopping centres, supermarkets, hospitality venues and retail fit-outs for more than 45 years, Classic Architectural Group has shaped this checklist around the common compliance risks between product selection and installation. It considers how stair nosings, tactile indicators and entrance matting work with substrates and surrounding finishes once installed. For all levels of a project team, this can help identify potential gaps before they become installation or handover issues. 

This checklist is for general informational purposes only. Compliance depends on the project’s complete stair design, installation and requirements. A compliant product does not guarantee the finished stairs or building complies with regulations.

Why Stair Safety Matters in Retail Stores 

Retail stair risks come from the conditions around the staircase as much as the stairs themselves. For architects, building designers, commercial builders, shop fitters, facilities managers, retail property owners, shopping centre managers and WHS teams, it creates a number of factors that have to be considered under retail stair safety, including:

• Heavy pedestrian traffic and its effects on accelerating wear across treads, nosings and surrounding floors.
• Tracked-in moisture, spills and cleaning processes impacting slip resistance. 
• Displays, queues and lighting and their effects on sightline, luminance contrast and stair edge visibility.
• Deliveries, stock movement and equipment changing use of staff and service stairs.
• Tenancy changes affecting accessible pathways and required exits.

With the impact of these factors on commercial stair safety and accessibility compliance, it’s important each individual product suits every purpose and consideration. It’s the reason why Classic always starts with the intended use and environment of stairs before assessing and recommending nosing materials, inserts, fixings and tactile formats.

1. Define the Stair’s Use & Operating Conditions

Some retail spaces may have a single set of stairs with just one type of intended user. Then you have a space like a shopping centre which may have customer-facing feature stairs, stockroom stairs and required exit stairs, all with very different traffic, exposure and maintenance needs. Defining each use and operating conditions is very important for guiding product and specific choices so every unique set of stairs is safe and compliant.

As part of your retail stair safety checklist, make sure you confirm:

• Intended users, including for customers and public-facing, staff and service and emergency stairs.
• Substrate.
• Location.
• Pedestrian volume.
• Egress function.

These conditions will influence the materials, profiles, inserts and fixing methods.

Stair Type	Key Conditions	Product Direction
Public and customer stairs	Diverse users, heavy pedestrian traffic, bags, queues and changing sightlines.	Prioritise durability, slip resistance, luminance contrast and tactile integration. The DKR104 is a hard-wearing surface-mounted application.
Design-led feature stairs	Prominent finishes, material continuity and customer-facing design.	Coordinate the nosing with the substrate and finish. The IKB140-H provides a solid brass option for rebated timber or tiled stairs that looks smart and ages gracefully.
Staff and service stairs	Deliveries, stock movement, trolleys, equipment and frequent cleaning.	Focus on impact-resistant, secure fixings and maintainability. Take exposure to moisture and cleaning chemicals into consideration.
Required exit stairs	Emergency egress, restricted storage, access controls and possible exterior exposure.	Select robust, low-maintenance products suited to the environment. For exterior and fire-escape stairs, the GKR030 fibreglass nosings can handle the extra demand.

The same products can also be used across different applications depending on the requirements. For example, the DKR104 was used by Classic at Eastland Shopping Centre, Ramlegh Springs Village Shopping Centre and Silverdale Shopping Centre, with a different mix of tactile indicators, fibreglass nosings and entrance matting to suit each project. 

Which NCC and Australian Standards apply to retail stairs?

Stairs in any retail space must comply with the broader safety standards in public spaces, National Construction Code (NCC) and Australian Standards applicable to the project. However, which codes apply depends on the project and its specifications. Shopping centres and mixed-use developments that have multiple types of stairs are a good example, containing several classifications. 

NCC / Australian Standard	What it Covers
National Construction Code	Building classifications and requirements for access, stair construction, handrails, barriers and exits, including state and territory variations.
AS 1428.1	Accessible paths, stairs, landings, handrails, stair nosings and luminance contrast.
AS/NZS 1428.4.1	The placement, dimensions and luminance contrast of tactile ground surface indicators.
AS 4586	Slip-resistance testing and classifications for new pedestrian surface materials.

Once the use case is considered, then the building surveyor, certifier or access consultant can advise on the applicable NCC provisions and Standards.

2. Coordinate Stair Nosings with the Substrate & Floor Build-Up

Even just a few millimetres of uncoordinated floor build-up can completely change the geometry of an otherwise resolved stair. Tiles, carpet, underlay, adhesives and the selected stair nosing all affect that final tread edge. So, if these elements are detailed separately, the installation can alter the first or last riser, creating a raised interface or leaving the nosing inadequately fixed for heavy pedestrian traffic.

These are some things to consider during each phase as part of a retail stair safety compliance checklist:

Coordination Point	What to Confirm
Substrate and profile	Match the surface-mounted or rebated profile to the concrete, timber, tile or flooring system.
Floor build-up	Allow for tiles, carpet, underlay, adhesive and surrounding finishes in the stair detail.
Fixing and sequencing	Document the required adhesive, mechanical fixings and substrate preparation.
Completed flight	Measure every finished riser and go and inspect each nosing interface.

“In our 45 years of helping specify stair safety products at Classic, we’ve found the right selection relies on the details of the completed junction and how the stairs will be used. Take a hard-finished public stair in a shopping centre; you’ll want something like Classic’s surface-mounted DKR104 that suits the substrate and traffic over the rebated IMB121 that’s better suited to a timber or tiled feature stair. Or there’s the PKD143 that’s designed for interior stairs finished with 8–10mm carpet. You need the context of where the stairs are located, as much as the junction and installation sequence to make the right product decision, which is where our 45 years of experience really works in favour in helping with that choice.”

— Leigh McAlpin, Managing Director, Classic Architectural Group

3. Assess Landings, Flooring, Accessible Pathways & Slip Risks

Landings can look like they comply on a drawing and still end up creating slip, trip or circulation risks once any mat frames, thresholds, security systems and retail fixtures are installed. Every element can raise transitions, reduce a clear approach and obstruct someone’s sightline to the stair edge. So, each installation should be assessed at every stage rather than the end or relying on the documented footprint alone to make it easier to address risks.

What to check:

• Landing dimensions: Confirm the NCC minimum length of 750 mm and maximum gradient of 1:50, then account for any greater circulation space needed for doors, access or egress. 
• Floor and mat interfaces: If AS 1428.1 applies, design abutting surfaces with a 0 mm transition. Construction tolerances permit up to 3 mm vertically or 5 mm where the edge is rounded or bevelled. Assess recessed matting at its fully compressed level.
• Retail moisture sources. Trace rain from shopping centre entrances, water around supermarket product areas and spills or cleaning residue near hospitality tenancies.
• Final fit-out: Recheck clearances and sightlines after security pedestals, trolley bays, queue rails and promotional fixtures are installed.

4. Resolve LRV & Luminance Contrast During Finish Selection

What’s important to remember is that luminance contrast is actually a calculation, not a to-the-eye colour judgement. People with low vision rely on distinct light-to-dark values to be able to guide them and be able to identify a tread edge or tactile warning. This is why it’s important Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is used to measure the light reflected by each surface on a scale of 0 to 100, as then the two readings can be used to calculate a true and impactful luminance contrast.

Before the finished schedule is finalised, make sure to confirm:

• Stair nosings have at least a 30% luminance contrast against the tread. The single continuous strip should span the entire path of travel, measuring 50–75 mm deep and not sitting more than 15 mm behind the tread edge.
• Tactile indicators have at least 30% contrast for integrated units, 45% for single-colour discrete units and 60% for composite discrete units.
• External or moisture-exposed applications have been assessed using dry and wet LRV readings, with on-site testing using multiple readings to account for surface variation. 

5. Specify Tactile Indicators as Part of the Accessible Path

People don’t always move following the tile grid or finish pattern, so neither should the tactile ground surface indicator (or TGSI) layout. Warning tactile indicators can be used to alert people with low vision to hazards, while directional indicators guide movement where other wayfinding cues are insufficient. 

Check these details before approving the tactile layout:

• Stair warnings are positioned at the top and bottom of the flight, generally set back 300 mm and extending 600–800 mm in the direction of approach across the path of travel.
• Intermediate landings are assessed separately, so a 300–400 mm warning field may apply where a landing is less than 3 metres deep and it’s protected by a continuous handrail.
• Directional tactiles run parallel to the intended travel path and remain coordinated even with security gates, queue barriers, displays and changing tenancy layouts.
• Installed units stay aligned, secure and slip-resistant, with their raised surface usually sitting 4–5 mm above the substrate.

How can tactile and directional indicators be used together?

In a shopping centre with open circulation, Classic’s PT30 warning tiles can be used to identify stair hazards, while PT39 directional tiles can guide a person where other cues are insufficient. Both are 300 x 300 mm polyurethane modules with P5 slip resistance for interior and exterior use, allowing the two functions to be coordinated in a consistent format.

6. Coordinate the Complete Stair Environment

Users may experience stairs as one system, but in reality, they’re involved in the architectural, structural, interior, lighting and fire packages. This is why, at Classic, we recommend reviewing the completed installation so each safety measure works with the surrounding fit-out, looking at:

• Handrails. Where AS 1428.1 applies, confirm the 865 to 1,000 mm height as well as required clearances, continuity and extensions.
• Barriers. Where required, check 865 mm over stair flights, 1,000 mm at landings and openings no greater than 125 mm.
• Lighting. Test both the first and last tread under trading and emergency lighting, looking for glare and shadows from signage or displays.
• Egress. Confirm that doors, security gates, fixtures, stock and cleaning equipment don’t obstruct the travel path, and retailers are also advised not to block paths.

7. Document the Product & Installation Interface

Even if products come compliant from the box, they rely on the installation to remain that way. If the profile, substrate, fixings and adjoining finish are treated separately across the schedules and shop drawings, that compliance can disappear between the specifications and installation.

Classic recommends recording:

• Installation location and the product’s exact code, dimensions, insert and finish.
• Substrate preparation, adhesive and mechanical fixings.
• Set-out, rebates, edge distances and adjoining floor finishes.
• Installation sequence and the trade responsible for each component.
• Required completion evidence, including the product data and photos of the installation.

If any substitutions are used, they should also be assessed against the specific profile depth, fixing method, slip resistance, luminance contrast and traffic conditions. 

NOTE: Be cautious of similar-looking products as they are not equivalent if it changes the resolved junction or installation method.

8. Review the Specification Before Tender & Installation

There shouldn’t be just one review. One should be conducted before the tender, making sure every contractor is pricing the same resolved scope, and then another before the installation, checking the approved products, site conditions and construction details are still aligned.

Before tender, review:

• The product codes have been cross-checked with drawings, schedules and specifications.
• The performance requirements, substrate preparation, fixing responsibility and substitution controls have been defined.
• Any missing LRV, slip-resistance and installation data has been resolved.

Then, before installation:

• Measure the completed substrate and finished stair geometry, including each individual stair.
• Check the delivered products against the approved schedule.
• Confirm rebates, floor build-ups, fixing locations and installation sequence.
• Record approval for any change before work proceeds.

At both stages, Classic can review the product selection and junction details, while making safety issues easier to correct.

Specify Retail Stair Safety with Confidence

For more than 45 years, Classic Architectural Group has worked side-by-side with architects, builders and retail operators to resolve stair safety in shopping centres, supermarkets, hospitality venues and retail fit-outs. Getting us involved before products are ordered helps make sure stair nosings, tactile indicators, substrates, finishes and installation methods are all coordinated as a single system for fewer corrections and a more straight-forward process. 

When using this retail safety compliance checklist, apply the decisions through the entire design, tender, installation and building handover process. Speak with Classic’s team about specifying the right stair nosings, tactile indicators or entrance matting for your retail project based on its location, traffic conditions and finished construction.