According to statistics, it’s estimated that there is a fall on the stairs every 90 seconds in the UK*, with children and the elderly being the most vulnerable to potential problems on this busy area of the home.

With such shocking statistics hitting the headlines, the team at Richard Burbidge are advising merchants to promote stair safety in branch, including advising customers on the benefits of handrails and secure balustrades.

With additional survey findings revealing that 33% of Brits admit to having fallen up or down the stairs in the last 12 months**, stair safety and safe practices on the stairs are still clearly prevalent issues in homes across the country. With this in mind, merchants can offer advice to their customers on how homeowners can upgrade their stairs and make sure they are secure.

With the nights already beginning to draw in and the clocks going back in just a few weeks, the darker nights mean homeowners are even more at risk of accidents on the stairs. This means that now is a particularly effective time to begin promoting stair safety practices, so your customers can provide their clients with the best options to secure their stairs at this vulnerable time of year.

One easy, yet effective way to advise your customers on how to provide homeowners with the safest stair solutions is the suggestion of upgrading their stairparts. For merchants thinking of stocking up on stairparts this winter, by explaining to customers the benefits, including style and safety, to homeowners, not only can they provide them with peace of mind that their stairs are secure, but merchants can also reap the rewards in profits.

By making your customers aware of the importance of stair safety, merchants can offer the most secure solutions for homeowners, and ultimately benefit from a range of sales opportunities. Installers can encourage homeowners to invest in secure balustrades while carrying out existing work, and this puts merchants in a profitable position to increase sales at this time of year.

[Richard Burbidge completes rigorous tests on its stairparts range to guarantee it complies with these standards.]

*ROSPA

**BWF Stair Scheme

Zara Wylie is Communications Executive at Richard Burbidge.