![Grab bar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Grab_bar.jpg)
Grab bars are
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
devices designed to enable a person to maintain balance, lessen fatigue while standing, hold some of their weight while maneuvering, or have something to grab onto in case of a slip or fall. A
caregiver
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
may use a grab bar to assist with transferring a patient from one place to another. A worker may use a grab bar to hold on to as he or she climbs, or in case of a fall.
Construction
Grab bars must bear high loads and sudden impacts, and most jurisdictions have building regulations specifying what loads they must bear. They are generally mounted to masonry walls or to the studs of stud walls (which may need to be specially strengthened). They can be mounted through
drywall
Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick ...
into a strong wooden
wall stud
A wall stud is a vertical repetitive framing member in a building's wall of smaller cross section than a post. It is a fundamental element in frame building.
Etymology
''Stud'' is an ancient word related to similar words in Old English, Old Nor ...
or other structural member, but not mounted only on the drywall, as it will not bear the users' weight.
Grab bars are made of metal, plastic, fiberglass, and composites. For wet areas such as bathrooms, the material must be waterproof.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
,
nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...
-coated
mild steel
Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states:
* no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...
, epoxy-coated aluminum,
ABS plastic, and even vinyl-coated metal and plastic.
Accessibility
![Waterless urinals grab bars for disabled](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Waterless_urinals_grab_bars_for_disabled.jpg)
Grab bars increase
accessibility
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
and safety for people with a variety of
disabilities
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
or mobility difficulties. Although they are most commonly seen in public handicapped toilet stalls, grab bars are also used in private homes,
assisted living facilities
An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with Disability, disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independent living, independently. The term is popular in the Unite ...
, hospitals, and
nursing homes
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...
. Grab bars are most commonly installed next to a toilet or in a shower or bath enclosure.
Some grab bars also have a light feature and double as a night light offering up a little more safety at night when using the bathroom.
Locations
Many jurisdictions have regulations on grab bar placement and floorplans for public bathrooms
American ADABritish Doc Mregs).
* Grab bars next to a toilet help people using a
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...
transfer to the toilet seat and back to the wheelchair. They also assist people who have difficulty sitting down, have balance problems while seated or need help rising from a seated position.
* Used in a shower or bathtub, grab bars help to maintain balance while standing or maneuvering, assist in transferring into and out of the enclosure, and generally help to mitigate slips and falls.
* Floor to ceiling grab bars, or security poles, can be used in the bedroom to help one get out of bed or get up from a chair, or to help
caregivers
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
by assisting in transfers.
Grab bars are often used in conjunction with other medical devices to increase safety. For example, a grab bar added to a shower is frequently used with a shower chair and hand held shower head. Grab bars installed by a doorway are usually added near a railing. In addition, grab bars can be placed on any wall where extra support is needed even if it is not the "usual place" they are used.
File:Grab Bar.png, Grab Bars reduce falls
File:Grabbar.jpg, Grab Bars come in different styles and colors
Positions
Grab bars can be installed in different positions:
* Vertical grab bars may help with balance while standing.
* Horizontal grab bars provide assistance when sitting or rising, or to grab onto in case of a slip or fall.
* Some grab bars can be installed at an angle, depending on the needs of the user and the positioning. Grab bars installed horizontally offer up the greatest safety and care should be taken when installing them on the angle, as this is contrary to the ADA Guidelines. Often this angled installation is easier for people pulling themselves up from a seated position.
There are many considerations when deciding which grab bar to use and how best to install it. Properly securing a grab bar is important so that it doesn't pull out of the wall when pressure is applied to it. Each installation should be properly secured into wall
blocking or
studs to provide the best support. If no studs are available, specialized
mollies can be used to spread out grab forces across a wider area of the wall.
ADA guidelines
The
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...
''Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities'' (ADAAG) defines requirements for installing grab bars in public bathing and toileting facilities. The guidelines are supported by substantial research regarding the best placement of grab bars.
The following is a subset of ADA grab bar guidelines:
* The diameter of grab bars should be 1¼ to 1½ inch (32–38 mm) (or the shape shall provide an equivalent gripping surface)
* There shall be a 1½ inch (38 mm) clearance from the wall.
* Grab bars should not rotate in their fittings.
* The required mounting height is universally 33 to 36 inches (840–910 mm) from top of gripping surface of the grab bar to the finish floor. DOJ 2010 ADA standards 609.4.
* ADA-style grab bars and their mounting devices should withstand more than 250 pounds (1112 N) of force.
* In public toilet stalls, side grab bars must be a minimum of 42 inches long and mounted 12 inches from the rear wall, and rear grab bars must be a minimum of 36 inches long and mounted a maximum of 6 inches from the side wall.
Styles
While the ADA guidelines provide specifics on the placement of grab bars in public locations, they do not require a specific style. The British Doc M regulations specify a minimum
contrast between bars and background. Many public facilities opt for the cheapest grab bars, which usually have an institutional look. However, grab bars are actually available in many styles, finishes and colors. Manufacturers have begun to understand the need to blend in with home decor, offering grab bars that have style and pizazz. For the home, grab bars do not need to be ADA compliant, but those guidelines should be considered. In addition to straight grab bars, there are fold-out bars, those that clamp onto the side of the bathtub, L-shaped, U-shaped and corner grab bars. Grab bars are also made with built in LED lighting and can come in many different colours.
In industry and construction
![Passenger compartment Class 440](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Passenger_compartment_Class_440.jpg)
Grab bars in industry and
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
are found on equipment or above
fixed ladder
A fixed ladder is a vertical ladder mounted permanently to a structure. These ladders are primarily used to access roofs or other structures for industrial purposes. In the United States, these ladders are covered by OSHA and ANSI standards.
Comp ...
s where footholds exist but other handholds are lacking. They may be positioned horizontally, vertically, or at an angle.
When using grab bars as safety devices in order to prevent falls, your best choice would be a horizontal bar. Scientific research has found that gripping strength is far greater using a horizontal bar than a vertical bar in a fall situation. This makes horizontal grab bars the safest choice.
Grab bars were required on U.S. railroad cars by the
Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...
(OSHA) guidelines describe the requirements for grab bar clearance, diameter and spacing on fixed ladders. These regulations state that the clearance in the back of grab bars must be at least 4 inches, the diameter similar to the ladder rungs and, when horizontal, grab bars must be spaced by a continuation of the rung spacing. In 2008-2009 alone, the
USDOL Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...
reported 241 casualties from ladder falls.
Fatal Occupational Injuries by Event or Exposure, 2008-2009
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Siderail extensions horizontal grab bars may be bolted
The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manu ...
or welded
Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion. Welding is distinct from lower temperature techniques such as braz ...
to fixed ladders. Grab bars may be mounted to the curb for access to rooftops and rooftop hatches.
See also
*Fall prevention
Fall prevention includes any action taken to help reduce the number of accidental falls suffered by susceptible individuals, such as the elderly (idiopathic) and people with neurological (Parkinson's, Multiple sclerosis, stroke survivors, Guilla ...
References
{{Reflist
Accessible building
Safety equipment