DDA Handrail Fittings

DDA Handrail Fittings: Continuous 42.4mm Handrail from Stock

Our DDA compliant fittings work with standard Fisher Alvin key clamps to create a smooth to touch, continuous handrail in 42.4mm (size 7) tube, to the required elevation of the slope or access point. They enable handrails to be installed and comply with the Equality Act 2010 (formerly the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and Building Regulations Part M: Access to and use of buildings. "DDA" is the trade name that stuck.

The range is for contractors, facilities managers and building owners fitting accessible handrails to ramps, steps and entrances, on new build or an existing building. Fittings and galvanised tube are quoted within one hour in working hours, tube is cut to length free, and stock orders go out for next-day delivery.

The DDA Fittings and What Each One Does

All DDA fittings are size 7 (42.4mm). If you are not sure which code you need, call us with the layout.

Why a DDA Handrail Is Built This Way

The Building Regulations recommend a handrail outside diameter of between 40mm and 45mm. 42.4mm (size 7) is a standard stocked tube that sits inside that band.

The handrail is continuous. The brackets hold the rail from below, so the hand can run along it without meeting a clamp or post, and a visually impaired person can follow it from one end to the other without risk or harm from intermediate upright posts. Bends are made inside the tube with the DDA725 and DDA09, and lengths are joined flush with A9 internal connectors.

The fittings tighten with a hex key. There is no welding, drilling or threading.

How to Choose Fittings for Your Run

Wall-fixed or on posts. Wall-fixed where a sound wall runs alongside the route: fewer components and nothing in the clear width. On posts where there is no wall, the wall is poor or the route is open on both sides. Both on one run is common. A soft brick or weak outer leaf will not hold a rail people put weight on.

Specification

Dimensions are given as guidance only and are subject to manufacturing tolerances. Because these are galvanised castings, we do not recommend pre-drilling bolt holes before the fittings are on site. Set the fitting, then mark and drill.

Standards and Regulations

• Equality Act 2010. Replaced the Disability Discrimination Act. Requires reasonable adjustments to public and commercial buildings to overcome physical barriers that prevent disabled access. It sets the duty, not the dimensions.
• Approved Document M. Statutory guidance covering handrail dimensions, grip, position, visual contrast and continuity.
• BS 8300. The British Standard on designing an accessible and inclusive built environment.
• Approved Document K and BS 6180. Where the handrail also guards a drop, Part K covers the guarding and BS 6180 is the standard to check the loading category against.

No product makes a building compliant on its own. Compliance depends on how the handrail is specified and installed. The Equality Act duty sits with the building owner or occupier, and on a construction project the CDM 2015 duties sit with the client and the contractor.

Choosing Tube, Finish and Spacing

Tube

Use 42.4mm (size 7) tube for the handrail. The internal fittings (DDA725, DDA09 and A9) need medium weight tube with a maximum wall thickness of 3.2mm. We stock galvanised key clamp tube and cut it to length free. See why DDA handrails are 42.4mm.

Finish

DDA fittings are galvanised as standard and can be powder coated on request. In cold weather a powder coated rail gives the impression of being warmer to the touch, and a colour that stands out against the wall or background helps people with limited vision find the rail. Galvanised suits exposed outdoor runs; see why key clamp fittings suit outdoor work.

Galvanised comes from stock. Powder coated parts go to the coaters and back, so allow extra time, give us the RAL reference at quote stage and order the assembly together for a consistent colour. See choosing a DDA handrail finish.

Upright spacing where the rail also guards an edge

If the handrail also has to act as a guardrail, the upright spacing sets the load it can take. These are the maximum upright centres for 48.3mm x 3.2mm uprights to BS EN 10255:

Figures based on the maximum permissible bending moment of the upright. The design load and the finished structure must be checked and signed off by whoever is responsible for the installation. BS 6399 and BS 6180 are the reference documents if the design load is not specified. On a refurbishment, set out the posts from the design load, not from where the old posts were.

Where DDA Handrails Are Used

Public and commercial buildings where reasonable adjustments are needed for disabled access: entrances, access ramps, steps and circulation routes in schools, surgeries, shops, offices and public buildings. The range works on new build and existing buildings, where retrofit is the most common job: sections unbolt and move if the setting-out needs adjusting. See specifying DDA handrails on a refurbishment, and a handrail fitted to a wheelchair access ramp at a school in Widnes. For a ramp as well as the rail, see DDA compliant ramps.

How to Order

1. Measure each run of handrail, and mark where it bends, changes level or stops at a wall.
2. Measure the total rise and the rise at each change of level, and the position of every landing and corner.
3. Mark where the uprights go, or where the rail fixes to a wall instead, and note what it fixes into: concrete, tarmac, paving, brick, blockwork or decking.
4. Note obstructions such as doors, downpipes and gullies, and which side the rail goes.
5. Decide whether the rail also has to guard an edge, and at what height. That sets the upright spacing.
6. Choose galvanised or a powder coated RAL colour.
7. Send us a drawing, sketch or dimensioned photos, or call 01905 779944. We reply within one hour in working hours with a fittings list, tube lengths and price.

Why Buy DDA Handrail from Fisher Alvin

• Everything for the handrail in one order. DDA fittings, galvanised tube, base flanges and end caps.
• Tube cut to length, free.
• Next-day delivery on stock orders.
• Quote within one hour in working hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
• Free design service. Send us the layout and we will work out the fitting schedule, including the bends and joints.
• Founded in Birmingham in 1912. Now based in Cradley Heath, West Midlands.

DDA Handrail Questions

What size is a DDA handrail?

The Building Regulations recommend an outside diameter of between 40mm and 45mm. Our DDA range uses 42.4mm (size 7) tube for the handrail.

Is a DDA handrail a legal requirement?

The Disability Discrimination Act has been replaced by the Equality Act 2010, which requires reasonable adjustments to public and commercial buildings to overcome physical barriers to disabled access. The handrail guidance is in Part M of the Building Regulations and Approved Document M.

Why does the handrail need to be continuous?

So a visually impaired person can follow the rail its full length without meeting an upright post. DDA handrail brackets hold the rail from below, so the run is not broken.

Can DDA fittings be powder coated?

Yes. They are galvanised as standard and can be powder coated to RAL standard colours on request, subject to quantity and availability. Powder coat feels warmer to the touch in cold weather and adds colour contrast. Allow extra time, as coated parts are not stock.

What tube do DDA fittings need?

42.4mm (size 7) medium weight tube. The internal fittings DDA725, DDA09 and A9 need a maximum wall thickness of 3.2mm.

Can I fix a DDA handrail to a wall?

Yes. The DDA745 and DDA746 wall brackets carry the rail off a wall, and the DDA745 can be used at any angle. Check the wall is sound enough to take the load before you commit to wall fixing.

Does fitting DDA handrail make my building compliant?

No product can do that on its own. Compliance depends on how the handrail is specified and installed, and the duty sits with the building owner or occupier and their installer.

DDA Handrail Guides and Related Ranges

Read first: DDA handrail requirements: Equality Act 2010 and Part M, why DDA handrails are 42.4mm, continuous DDA handrails, galvanised or powder coated handrail finishes and specifying DDA handrails on a refurbishment. For ramps, see DDA ramp requirements. For general handrail work, see key clamp handrail systems: installation and compliance and how to choose the right key clamp size. See a handrail fitted to a wheelchair access ramp.

Related ranges: DDA compliant ramps, key clamp handrail kits, key clamp fittings and galvanised key clamp tube.