1. British Woodworking Federation
Timber Stairs Installation Guide
Toolbox Talk 1
The BWF Stair Scheme.
Objectives of the Stairs' Installation Guide.
Recognising the Stairs Scheme Badge and understanding what it means.
April 2014
Stairs are a major part of the UK woodworking industry with over 300 BWF members manufacturing them. They are a key component in a building’s structure yet are poorly understood and while there are clear Standards for floors, walls, joists etc, stairs are covered by several Standards, one now obsolescent and others newly introduced. The has left the door open to, at best, poor understanding or worse, deliberate bad practice to cut cost and survive in business. Over the past 3 – 5 years a deterioration has been observed in quality and standards, resulting in the BWF and its leading stair members coming together to reverse the decline and setting the right standard for the future.
Through its members, their customers and other leading bodies in the industry, particularly housing, the new BWF Stair Accreditation and Fire Certification Scheme will raise standards back to where they need to be, improve end customer satisfaction but most importantly improve the safety of stairs in the home environment, reducing the risk of accident.

2. Presentation Overview
Before Installation.
Checking delivery
Correct storage of product
During Installation.
General Safety.
Temporary Fixing of Stairs.
Clearances and Fixing.
Assembly and Installation - Straight Flight.
Trimming, Notching and Fixing Wall the Inner and Outer String
Trimming, Notching and Fixing the Newel Posts
Preparing and Fixing the Outer Handrail
Assembly and Installation – Half and Quarter Landings.
Assembly and Installation – Winder flights.
Assembly and Installation – Balustrade

3. Stair Installation Guide Objectives
Provide detailed guidance for manufacturers and installers to reference.
Provide a learning platform and resource for our members and construction contractors.
Ensure Stairs are SAFE to use and not compromised by POOR PRACTICE.
Reduce risk to the contractor during installation process by providing guidance about temporary safety measures during installation.
Reduce the risk to the end user of failure of components and collapse of stair during use.
Further Reading: TOP TEN TIPS to avoid common staircase problems

4. The BWF Stairs Scheme IT’S ALL IN THE BADGE
The ONLY Accreditation and Certification Scheme for Stairs in the UK.
Covers a wide range of Stair Types – Private / Common / Fire Protected.
Check Manufacturer’s Conformance to Standards.
Check Manufacturer’s control the standard of build with regular factory audit.
IT’S ALL IN THE BADGE
Look for the Badge, if it is not there, it is NOT Accredited or Certified