Stair Nosing Regulations UK: Part K, Part M, PTV & LRV

Short answer: if you are fitting stair nosings in the UK, two Approved Documents drive the specification. Approved Document K covers stairs generally. Approved Document M covers access and use of buildings, and is the stricter of the two on step edges. Both require the nosing to contrast visually and to be 55mm wide on the tread and the riser. Neither sets a slip resistance figure. That comes from HSE and UK Slip Resistance Group guidance instead.

This page quotes the actual wording, with paragraph numbers, so you can lift it straight into a specification or a tender response. Every figure below is taken from a free primary source you can check yourself.

What Approved Document K actually says

The current edition is the 2013 edition, which came into force on 6 April 2013 and remains current. Paragraph 1.7, covering buildings other than dwellings, reads:

Make step nosings apparent: use a material that will contrast visually, a minimum of 55mm wide, on both the tread and the riser. Avoid, if possible, step nosings that protrude over the tread below. If the nosing protrudes, ensure that this is by no more than 25mm

For common access areas in buildings containing flats, paragraph 1.10 is more prescriptive about width:

Make step nosings apparent: use a material that will contrast visually, 50mm to 65mm wide on the tread and 30mm to 55mm on the riser. Use a suitable tread nosing profile, as shown in Diagram 1.2. Use risers which are not open.

Approved Document K Table 1.1 sets the rise and going:

The maximum pitch for a private stair is 42 degrees. Where open risers are used in dwellings, treads must overlap by at least 16mm and the steps must be built so that a 100mm diameter sphere cannot pass through the opening. Source: Approved Document K, 2013 edition.

What Approved Document M actually says

The document you need is Approved Document M Volume 2, buildings other than dwellings, 2015 edition incorporating 2020 and 2024 amendments. Volume 1 covers dwellings and is a separate document, so be explicit about which one you are citing. Paragraph 1.33 sets the step requirements. The sub-clauses that matter for nosings read:

(i) all nosings are made apparent by means of a permanently contrasting material 55mm wide on both the tread and the riser;

(j) the projection of a step nosing over the tread below is avoided but, if necessary, not more than 25mm;

(k) the rise and going of each step is consistent throughout a flight;

(l) the rise of each step is between 150mm and 170mm…;

(m) the going of each step is between 280mm and 425mm;

(n) rises are not open;

Note the word permanently in sub-clause (i). That single word is why paint, tape and applied coatings tend to fail an inspection within a few years, while a mechanically fixed nosing does not. It is the strongest regulatory argument for a moulded product over a surface treatment.

Paragraph 1.33 also requires a corduroy hazard warning surface at the top and bottom landings of a series of flights, and a 400mm deep corduroy surface at intermediate landings. Source: Approved Document M Volume 2.

Where Part K and Part M disagree

They do not say the same thing, and specifiers get caught out by this. The going conflicts outright:

In practice, specify to whichever is tighter for your building type and you satisfy both. For buildings other than dwellings that usually means working to Approved Document M, and treating its permanence requirement as the deciding factor on material choice.

What contrast visually legally means: the 30 point LRV rule

Almost every supplier in this industry attributes the 30 point figure to BS 8300, which is a paywalled standard most buyers cannot read. It is actually defined in Approved Document M, paragraph 0.26, which is free:

Contrast visually, when used to indicate the visual perception of one element of the building, or fitting within the building, against another means that the difference in light reflectance value between the two surfaces is greater than 30 points. Where illuminance on surfaces is greater than 200 lux, a difference in light reflectance value should be a minimum of 20 points.

The same paragraph defines light reflectance value as the total quantity of visible light reflected by a surface at all wavelengths and directions when illuminated by a light source.

Two things follow that are worth knowing. First, the threshold relaxes from 30 points to 20 points in brightly lit areas above 200 lux, which very few specifications account for. Second, contrast is a measured relationship between two surfaces, so a nosing colour cannot be compliant on its own. A yellow nosing that works against dark grey vinyl may fail against a pale concrete stair. You need the LRV of the nosing and the LRV of the tread, and the difference between them.

Slip resistance: what the regulations do not say

This is where a lot of marketing copy overreaches. Neither Approved Document K nor Approved Document M sets a slip resistance value for a stair nosing. They deal with visual contrast and geometry. Any supplier claiming that Part K mandates a particular pendulum value has misread it.

The numbers come from HSE guidance instead. HSE publication GEIS2 gives the pendulum test value bands:

High slip potential 0-24, Moderate slip potential 25-35, Low slip potential 36 +

HSE applies these to the condition being assessed, and its standard practice is to test both dry and with water contamination. GEIS2 also gives surface roughness bands for water wet pedestrian areas: below 10 microns is high slip potential, 10 to 20 microns moderate, and 20 microns or above low. Source: HSE GEIS2.

The UK Slip Resistance Group publishes guidance specific to stair nosings, recommending a pendulum test value of at least 36 in both dry and wet conditions, and noting that a micro roughness reading above 20 microns can be classified as low slip risk. It also makes the point that the slip resistant material must continue to the very front edge of the tread, which rules out nosings where the grit stops short of the edge.

R ratings are not pendulum values, and cannot be converted

If a supplier offers you an R rating instead of a pendulum test value, that is a red flag for UK use. The UK Slip Resistance Group is unambiguous:

Therefore, you cannot convert R or ABC ratings to pendulum values.

Their reasoning is that ramp tests use different contaminants and different soles, and can only produce an ex factory rating, which makes them unsuitable for on site testing. HSE goes further, warning that surfaces classified R9, and in some cases R10, will be slippery in wet or greasy conditions, and that the R10 class alone spans a coefficient of friction range from 0.18 to 0.34. That is an extremely wide range of real world slip potential hiding behind a single label. We cover this in more detail in our guide to slip ratings, PTV and R values.

BS EN 16165:2021 replaced BS 7976

If you are handed a slip test report, check which standard it names. All three parts of BS 7976 were withdrawn on 25 February 2022 and superseded by BS EN 16165:2021, Determination of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces, incorporating a corrigendum of February 2022. The pendulum method now sits in Annex C, which is normative rather than informative. The standard also covers barefoot and shod ramp tests in Annexes A and B and a tribometer method in Annex D.

Two points of detail. HSE guidance still refers to BS 7976, because GEIS2 has not been reissued, so the correct way to describe the position is that the pendulum method HSE relies on is now published in BS EN 16165:2021 Annex C. And the sliders matter: Slider 96, also called Four S, simulates a shoe sole and is used for shod areas. Slider 55, also called TRL, is a softer compound used for barefoot assessment. BS EN 16165 introduces Slider 57 for barefoot work. Slider choice is driven by whether the area is used shod or barefoot, not by the type of contaminant, so treat any slider by contaminant table with suspicion.

The duty that actually bites: Workplace Regulations 1992

Building Regulations apply when you build or alter. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 apply every day you operate, and regulation 12 is the one to know. It has two limbs with different legal tests, and the distinction is important:

12(2)(a) the floor, or surface of the traffic route, shall have no hole or slope, or be uneven or slippery so as, in each case, to expose any person to a risk to his health or safety

12(3) So far as is reasonably practicable, every floor in a workplace and the surface of every traffic route in a workplace shall be kept free from obstructions and from any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall.

The slipperiness of the surface itself, under 12(2)(a), is an absolute duty. It is not qualified by reasonable practicability. Housekeeping, under 12(3), is qualified. In plain terms: you can argue that a cleaning regime was as good as was reasonably practicable, but you cannot make that argument about a surface that is inherently slippery. That is the legal case for a permanent anti-slip surface rather than a mopping rota.

Regulation 12(5) also requires suitable and sufficient handrails, and guards where appropriate, on all traffic routes which are staircases. The supporting Approved Code of Practice is L24, second edition, 2013. Regulation 12 itself is on legislation.gov.uk.

Why DDA compliant is the wrong phrase in Great Britain

You will still see stair nosings advertised as DDA compliant. In England, Wales and Scotland that phrase is out of date. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was repealed for England, Wales and Scotland by the Equality Act 2010, from 1 October 2010 and 5 April 2011 for the remaining provisions. The DDA remains the operative disability discrimination legislation in Northern Ireland only.

There is a second, subtler problem. Even under the Equality Act, compliance is not a property of a product. The Act places duties on service providers, employers and landlords, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments. A nosing can help a duty holder meet those duties. It cannot itself be compliant, and no supplier can sell you compliance in a box.

So if you are writing a specification, avoid both DDA compliant and Equality Act compliant. Write what you actually need instead:

The relevant extent provision is Equality Act 2010, section 217.

BS 8300 and what changed

BS 8300:2009, including amendment A1:2010, is withdrawn. It was replaced in 2018 by a two part standard: BS 8300-1:2018 for the external environment, and BS 8300-2:2018 for buildings. Both are current codes of practice.

We deliberately do not quote figures from BS 8300 on this page. It is a paywalled standard, and most of the millimetre and LRV figures circulating online attributed to it are lifted from supplier websites rather than the text. Where you need a number you can defend, take it from Approved Document K or Approved Document M, which are free and quotable, and cite BS 8300-2:2018 as the current code of practice without hanging figures on it. If a supplier quotes you BS 8300 numbers, ask which clause.

How to write a compliant nosing specification

Eight lines that cover it:

1. Building type. State whether it is a dwelling, a common access area in a block of flats, or a building other than a dwelling. This decides which document governs.
2. Contrast width. 55mm on the tread and 55mm on the riser, per Approved Document M 1.33(i).
3. Permanence. Contrast to be achieved by a permanently contrasting material, not paint, tape or coating.
4. LRV. Minimum 30 point LRV difference from the adjacent tread finish, or 20 points where illuminance exceeds 200 lux. State the tread finish so it can be checked.
5. Slip resistance. Pendulum test value of 36 or above in both dry and wet conditions, tested to BS EN 16165:2021 Annex C using Slider 96.
6. Grit to the edge. Slip resistant material to continue to the front edge of the tread.
7. Projection. No projection over the tread below, or 25mm maximum if unavoidable.
8. Evidence. Ask for the test report, naming the test house, the standard, the slider and the exact product tested, including resin system, thickness and colour.

Point eight is the one that separates suppliers. A classification belongs to a specific product, not to a material in general, so GRP is anti-slip is not evidence of anything.

Products that meet this specification

Our GRP and aluminium stair nosings use a moulded gritted surface that runs to the front edge of the tread, and are supplied pre-drilled with fixings so the contrast is mechanically fixed rather than applied. Where the whole tread is worn or slippery rather than just the edge, GRP stair tread covers resurface the full walking area in one pass.

We cut to size free of charge, so nosings arrive at your tread width without site trimming, and we send free samples so you can check the grit and the colour against your actual stair before committing. Ask us for the slip resistance and LRV data for the product and colour you are specifying, and we will send what we hold on it. Call 01480 570001 or request a quote.

Choosing a material? Read GRP vs aluminium stair nosings. Not sure whether you need nosings or full covers? Read stair tread covers vs stair nosings. For the narrower question of whether nosings are a legal requirement at all, see are stair nosings a legal requirement. For ramps rather than steps, see our guide to ramp gradients and Approved Document M and our access ramps.

Standards currency: what is current and what is withdrawn

Frequently asked questions

Are stair nosings a legal requirement in the UK?

On new build and on material alterations, yes in effect. Approved Document K and Approved Document M both require step nosings to be made apparent using a visually contrasting material 55mm wide on the tread and riser. On existing stairs in a workplace, regulation 12 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 imposes an absolute duty that the floor surface must not be slippery so as to expose anyone to risk, which in practice means an unsafe stair has to be dealt with.

How wide does a stair nosing have to be?

55mm on both the tread and the riser under Approved Document M 1.33(i), and a minimum of 55mm under Approved Document K 1.7. For common access areas in buildings containing flats, Approved Document K 1.10 specifies 50mm to 65mm on the tread and 30mm to 55mm on the riser.

What LRV difference do stair nosings need?

More than 30 points between the nosing and the surface next to it, as defined in Approved Document M paragraph 0.26. Where illuminance on the surface exceeds 200 lux, the minimum drops to 20 points. Because it is a difference between two surfaces, you need the LRV of your tread finish as well as the nosing.

What pendulum test value should a stair nosing achieve?

The UK Slip Resistance Group recommends at least 36, in both dry and wet conditions. HSE classifies a pendulum test value of 36 or above as low slip potential, 25 to 35 as moderate and 0 to 24 as high. Building Regulations themselves set no figure.

Can I use an R rating instead of a pendulum test value?

Not for UK use. The UK Slip Resistance Group states that you cannot convert R or ABC ratings to pendulum values, because ramp tests use different contaminants and soles and only produce an ex factory rating. HSE notes that the R10 class alone covers a coefficient of friction range from 0.18 to 0.34.

Is DDA compliant still a valid term?

Not in England, Wales or Scotland, where the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was repealed by the Equality Act 2010. It still applies in Northern Ireland. And no product is compliant in its own right, because the duties fall on service providers, employers and landlords rather than on the product.

Do painted or taped step edges meet the regulations?

They can meet the width and contrast requirements on the day they are applied, but Approved Document M 1.33(i) requires a permanently contrasting material. Paint and tape wear through at the nosing line, which is exactly where the contrast is needed, so they tend to fail on permanence rather than on colour.

Last reviewed September 2026. Every regulation and standard cited on this page was checked against the primary source on that date. This page is a guide to specification, not legal advice. If you need certainty on a particular building, confirm with your building control body or an access consultant.