A Summary of the Handrail Requirements Under AS1428.1-2021

Under AS1428.1-2021 Clause 12, handrails shall be designed to comply with the following:

• The cross-section of the handrail must be circular or elliptical, with a height & width of not less than 30mm or greater than 50mm for 270° around the uppermost surface. The horizontal axis on elliptical handrail must be the axis with the greater dimension. Click to view Moddex Compliance Tip on 270° clearance.
• The top of the handrail must be not less than 865mm or greater than 1000mm from the nosing of a stair or the plane of the finished floor level on a ramp, walkway or landing.
• The height of the top of the handrail must be consistent throughout the ramp, stair & landings.
• A clearspace between a handrail & an adjacent wall or other obstruction must not be less than 50mm. A clearspace of 600mm is also required above the top of the handrail.
• Handrails are to have no obstruction to the passage of a hand along the rail.

Please note that there are more requirements stated under Clause 12 and that the above list is only a small selection of them.

The comparison below shows the requirements detailed in AS1428.1-2021 Clause 12 versus the Moddex Assistrail AR150 system.

To save time, resource and ease of installation when specifying Moddex guardrails or balustrades please consult the Compliance Tip or contact us on 1800 663 339 (Australia) or 0800 663 339 (New Zealand).