When are two handrails required on a ramp?

• A. When the ramp is wider than 60 inches
• B. When the slope exceeds 1:12
• C. When either more than six inches in height or more than 72 inches in length
• D. When the ramp length exceeds 100 inches

Answer: (C)

Ramps require two handrails on both sides once they reach a safety-critical size determined by rise and run. Specifically, handrails are required on both sides whenever the ramp rise is more than six inches or the ramp run is more than seventy-two inches. This threshold ensures there’s a secure handhold for stability on longer or taller ramps.

This is not about ramp width or slope alone. A wider ramp doesn’t automatically mandate handrails, and the slope alone isn’t the trigger for adding handrails in this standard. The important cutoffs are the height (more than six inches) and the length (more than seventy-two inches); ramps exceeding those dimensions must have two handrails.