Deck Height

[cube]

Am I cracking up, or was there a change to the height of a deck that requires a permit recently?

[AMR]

Yes there has, now decks with a fall height of less than 1.5m is considered exempt work. Still need a handrail for decks over 1m though.

[essence]

If the top of the deck treading is UNDER 1m to the ground, you legally don't need a handrail etc.

To me it seems stupid. If the tread on the top of the deck is 950mm, if you fall from that distance you'll still hurt yourself badly. But apparently, 950mm apparently 50mm safer than 1m.

I had a friend step off a deck that was 30mm above ground level (obviously no handrail). She spent four weeks in hospital with a dislocated (?) knee cap and six months of physiotherapy (including plaster casts, braces, crutches etc etc).

IMHO, the height makes no difference.... it's how you land.

[cube]

Yes there has, now decks with a fall height of less than 1.5m is considered exempt work. Still need a handrail for decks over 1m though.

Thanks AMR - I'm pretty sure there was a thread on PT about this, but I can't find it. Do you have a reference to the regs?

[AMR]

Thanks AMR - I'm pretty sure there was a thread on PT about this, but I can't find it. Do you have a reference to the regs?

Cube -

http://www.dbh.govt.nz/UserFiles/Fil...t-required.pdf

[Wayne]

To me it seems stupid. If the tread on the top of the deck is 950mm, if you fall from that distance you'll still hurt yourself badly. But apparently, 950mm apparently 50mm safer than 1m.

They have to make a limit somewhere otherwise all decks (even ones at ground level like mine) would need a handrail. If I was to build a deck 950mm high I would put a handrail on it - the rules are a minimum!

[essence]

I agree. And of course it's an arbitrary xxxx height limit.

Personally I would've put the height limit lower.

[Wayne]

I have always thought that 1m was a fair way to fall really.

[casacamo]

I think they use ACC statistics to calculate the risks, greater than 1m can result in landing on your head which would be more serious.
The 1.0m height is a way of getting around the issue where there is a sloping site, personally I would put a barrier rail on deck higher
than 600 mm. This allows people to sit on the edge.
An other option is the put planting along the front of the deck &/or raise the ground level.

[Tan]

I specifically built my deck just under 1m high so I could have seats all around the edge as opposed to a handrail. It works really well.