Stairs Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stairs Design - Essay Example The National Safety Council reports more than 10,000 stair deaths per year in the entire United States and a much greater number of people get injured because of such accidents. The following paper discusses various aspects of stair safety in terms of its overall design and the designs of its individual elements. A stair is a composition of one or more riser elements in combination with the treads to achieve a desired elevation. A riser can be defined as a vertical distance between two horizontal surfaces of adjacent treads. A tread could be understood as a distance measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads at a right angle to the tread's leading edge. For assuring safety, it becomes imperative to check that uniformity is maintained in these sizes of the riser and treads. Dimensional uniformity in the widths of treads and the heights of riser is one of the most important safety factors in the stair design. On account of the psychometric calculations of the user, a mere difference of a quarter inch between adjacent riser height can cause and accident. The elderly people are more prone to such accidents as compared to the young users. Therefore the stairs that are not dimensionally uniform are significant hazards. Treads t Treads that are less than 9 inches wide result in the greatest number of missteps. Research indicates that riser heights between 6-8 inches and tread widths of 10 to 13 inches are most comfortable and fit most people's preferences. As per specification in building code, a maximum difference of 9.5 mm is permissible between the sizes of the largest and the smallest tread and the greatest riser height shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 of an inch (9.5 mm). In case of the winders, treads should have a minimum depth of 10 inches at a distance of 12 inches from the smaller side. Optimal stair dimensions are 7.2 inch riser heights with either an 11 or 12 inch tread width. Providing a handrail assures greater safety to the stairs even if it is protected from both the sides with walls. The use of handrail prevents the loss of balance while using the stair. The absence of handrail is a major factor in stair accident. The human factors design handbook, 1992 suggests the rail height to be around 34 inches (there are varying data on the specified height where the handrail should be installed), and it should be seen that the rail has an appropriate size and section that could facilitate proper grip. The handrail should be maintained regularly and it should be checked that it is properly anchored to the surface. The handrail should be continuous throughout the entire flight and should not break anywhere in between. At the end, it should terminate in a newel post or should be treated to fix in an adjacent wall but should not be left untreated and open. When anchored against the wall, the rails should have a minimum space of one and a half inches with the wall to provide space for the knuckles during the grip. The stairs that are open from the sides should be installed with guards in combination with the handrail to provide lateral support. The guards should be placed close enough to each other that disallow the passage of a four inches sphere.While proposing an architectural design, stairs with one or two steps should be avoided

Human Rights in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Rights in Islam - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to explore the UDHR and compare it to the stipulations of Islam, finding similarities and differences between the two. This will show that, whilst the majority of the articles represent facets of Islam, there are a number of areas in which the UDHR fails to represent this religious tradition. One of the most obvious similarities between Shariah law and the UDHR is that they both oppose discrimination based on race, gender, language, nationality or religion. The Quran suggests that ‘when the Trumpet is blown, no ties of kinship will exist between them on that day, nor may they question one another’ (The Quran, 23:101). This essentially makes reference to the fact that Allah will not discriminate based on these things on judgement day. The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) is essentially an Islamic version of the UDHR, and also includes this sentiment as the very most important thing, which suggests that there is a high amount of compatibility between the two. Islam itself is seen to be a very all-encompassing religion, as it encourages people of all races to convert to the religion, again suggesting that the UNDR and Islam are similar in content in this department. Another element that is common to both the UNDR and Islam is the focus on women’s rights and equality between genders. For example, the CDHRI suggests that women have ‘equal human dignity’ (Hashimi, 1997) and therefore should be treated as well as men are. Islam and the CDHRI also both place emphasis on the fact that men and women both have the right to choose their own spouses regardless of race or pressure from outside parties. The UDHR also expresses this, suggesting that ‘Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution’ (United Nation s, 2012, Article 16). The reference to dissolution is also important, as Islam is well-regarded for being one of the first religions to allow women the right to divorce their own husbands by choice (Hashimi, 1997). Both Islam and the UDHR place an emphasis on living quality. It seems sensible to both parties to encourage living standards to be the best possible, as all humans have the right to live cleanly and safely. The Quran puts this sentiment very nicely, suggesting that ‘he who saves a life will be as if he had saved the lives of all humankind’ (The Qur’an, 5:32). There are further quotes which support the fact that Islam is for the preservation of human life, rather than destroying it, and saving a life is incredibly important in the religion. The aim of Islam is to ensure that everyone lives a long and happy life (Hashimi, 1997). Similarly, the UDHR suggests, in article 25, that ‘everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family’ (United Nations, 2012). This is yet more evidence for the fact that the UDHR and Islam stand for several similar principles in a number of matters. There are, however, a number of times in