Background
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The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995
has placed certain obligations on property owners, businesses and organisations
to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the physical features of their
buildings that can act as a barrier to entry for disabled people. In short this
can mean putting in a ramp to replace steps, or highlighting the edges of steps
for people with a visual impairment.
Alterations to buildings however
need to comply with the Part M Building Regulations and for many companies and
organisations considering changes to their building, the DDA and Building
regulations can make the job of planning for alterations a confusing project.
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DDA Compliant Products
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Polydeck Limited produces a range of DDA compliant
products which will help companies and organisation comply with both the DDA
regulations and the Part M Building regulations. The range includes:
Corduroy tactile surfacing for the top and bottom
of flights of stairs
Off Street
Blister Tactiles for railway platforms
On Street Blister Tactiles for pavement
crossings
55mm x 55mm colour constant nosings for hightlighting the
edges of steps
Heavy Duty Treads with
a colour constant sightline for covering steps
Anti slip panels for constructing ramps and
anti slip walkways
Architectural Treads for internal and decorative
applications
Ungritted risers / upstands
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Complying with the DDA and Part M Building
Regulations
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The following section highlights key requirements of
the Part M Building Regulatons and shows how Polydeck products can help:
DDA / Part M Requirement:
Provision of an anti slip surface for
walkways and entrances.
What the regulations state:
1.13
A 'level approach' (from the boundary of the site and from car parking spaces
designated for disabled people to the principal entrance, to a staff entrance
or to an alternative accessible entrance) will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2
if…
d. its surface is firm, durable and slip
resistant, with undulations not exceeding 3mm under a 1m straight edge for
formless materials. Inappropriate materials might be loose sand or
gravel;
POLYDECK SOLUTION: STANDARD FLAT SHEET
DDA / Part M Requirement:
Provision of
a tactile surface to assist the visually impaired
What the regulations
state:
1.13 A 'level approach' (from the boundary of the site and from
car parking spaces designated for disabled people to the principal entrance, to
a staff entrance or to an alternative accessible entrance) will satisfy
Requirement M1 or M2 if…
h. the danger of inadvertently walking into a
vehicular access route is minimised by providing a separate pedestrian route
and, where there is an uncontrolled crossing point across the vehicular route,
this is identified by a buff coloured blister surface (see Diagram 1, and
'Guidance on the use of Tactile Paving Surfaces').
Diagram 1 Tactile paving and an example of its use at an uncontrolled
crossing |
POLYDECK SOLUTION:
ON STREET TACTILE |
DDA / PART M REQUIREMENT:
Provision of
an anti slip surface ramp.
What the regulations state:
1.26 A ramped access will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if:
f. the ramp surface is slip resistant,
especially when wet, and of a colour that contrasts visually with that of the
landings;
g. the frictional characteristics of the ramp and landing
surfaces are similar;
POLYDECK SOLUTION:
STANDARD FLAT SHEET
DDA / PART M REQUIREMENT:
Provision of
corduroy tactiles at the top and bottom of stairs
What the
regulations state:
1.33 A stepped access will satisfy Requirement M1 or
M2 if: c. a 'corduroy' hazard warning surface is provided at top and bottom
landings of a series of flights to give advance warning of a change in level in
accordance with Diagram 4;
d. where there is side access onto an
intermediate landing, a 'corduroy' hazard warning surface 400mm deep is
provided either on the intermediate landing 400mm from both upper and lower
flights, if there is sufficient space to accommodate the surface outside the
line of the side access, or within the side access 400mm from the intermediate
landing if there is a continuous handrail opposite the side access;
Diagram
4 Stepped access - key dimensions and use of hazard warning surface |
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POLYDECK SOLUTION:
CORDUROY TACTILE
DDA / PART M REQUIREMENT:
Provision of
‘colour constant’ sightlines and nosings on the edges of steps
What the regulations state:
1.33 A stepped access will satisfy
Requirement M1 or M2 if:
i. all nosings are made apparent by means of
a permanently contrasting material 55mm wide on both the tread and the riser;
POLYDECK SOLUTION: NOSINGS OR
HEAVY DUTY TREADS
DDA / PART M REQUIREMENT:
Provision of
covered risers on steps for Common Stairs in Blocks of Flats
What the
regulations state:
9.5 Requirement M1 will be satisfied if a building
containing flats, in which a passenger lift is not to be installed, is provided
with a suitable stair, which has:
a. all step nosings distinguishable through
contrasting brightness;
e. risers which are not open;
POLYDECK SOLUTION: HEAVY
DUTY TREADS
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Polydeck Ltd © 2004