Changing Requirements for Nosing Strips
Image credit: Mitchell Luo, Pexels
Why are nosing strips so important?
Trips and falls on stairs can result in serious injuries and fatalities.
Contrasting nosing strips are used to define the edge of stair treads. Nosing strips assist people to assess the depth of a tread and locate where treads end so they know where to place their feet which helps minimise the risk of trips and falls.
Nosing strips are an important safety feature for all users, but are exceptionally important for people with vision impairments. Very few people with vision impairments have no vision at all; many have some vision and can perceive light, shade and reflections. Ensuring stairs within the public realm are provided with appropriate nosing strips with sufficient luminance contrast can greatly enhance safety and legibility for people with vision impairments.
Nosing strips are also important for safe egress in emergencies when lighting levels may be low and/or smoke is impacting visibility.
Current NCC / BCA requirements for nosing strips
Except in relation to Class 9b and Class 10 public transport buildings, the access requirements of the National Construction Code / Building Code of Australia (NCC / BCA) for nosing strips reference the 2009 edition of AS 1428.1 and not the 2021 edition of the Standard. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has advised that a final version of the revised NCC will not be issued for commencement in May as per past cycles, and that practitioners should continue to work with the NCC version, and adoption timeline, currently in place in the jurisdiction relevant to their work.
In a building required to be accessible (other than where NCC / BCA Part I2 applies to Class 9b and Class 10 public transport buildings), NCC 2022 Volume One BCA requires nosing strips to every stairway, including fire-isolated stairways, to comply with AS 1428.1 (2009) Clause 11.1(f) and (g):
Each tread at the nosing must have a strip 50 mm to 75 mm deep across the full width of the path of travel
The strip may be set back a maximum of 15 mm from the front of the nosing
The strip must have a minimum luminance contrast of 30% to the background
Where the contrasting strip is affixed to the surface of the tread, any change in level must comply with AS 1428.1 Clause 7.2 and Clause 7.3
Where the contrasting strip is not set back from the front of the nosing then any area of luminance contrast must not extend down the riser by more than 10 mm
In the Access Institute’s excellent guide, ‘The ‘Why’s’ of Access’, it’s noted that approximately 25% of the front and back edges of nosing strips visually ‘wash out’ against the dominant background of a tread. Hence, if a nosing strip is too narrow, it is less likely to be easily detectable. If the strip is too wide and extends too far back towards the riser, the strips can appear to blend in with the nosing strips on the above treads, especially when viewed by a person descending a stairway. Similarly, if the contrast of the strip extends too far down the face of the riser, it can be difficult for some users to detect where the edge of the tread is.
Changes stemming from the revision of the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010
The Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (often referred to as the Premises Standards) is one of the Disability Standards made under subsection 31(1) of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
The Premises Standards contains the ‘Access Code’ which outlines accessibility requirements that must be met for DDA compliance for certain classes of new buildings and new parts of existing buildings undergoing refurbishment or expansion. The requirements of the Premises Standards’ Access Code are based on the NCC / BCA access provisions, however revision of the Premises Standards does not keep pace with revision of the NCC / BCA and there are a number of inconsistencies between them.
The Premises Standards was amended on the 23rd of November 2024. One of the key changes is the Access Code now references the 2021 edition of AS 1428.1, except where Part H2 is applicable to Class 9b and Class 10 public transport buildings.
The revised Premises Standards was tabled in the Senate and House of Representatives in November 2024, and unless repealed during the parliamentary process, the revised Standards will take effect. The ABCB has advised that until such time, the previous revision of the Standards remains the applicable version and there is currently no obligation to comply with the 2021 edition of AS 1428.1.
The ABCB further advised that should the amended Premises Standards take effect, they will immediately amend the NCC to align with the updated requirements of the Access Code.
In relation to the requirement for nosing strips, the reference to the 2021 edition of AS 1428.1 results in a minimal, but important change. Clause 8.1(f) of AS 1428.1 (2021) includes wording to make it explicitly clear that ‘stripy’ or ‘multistrip’ nosing strips are not permitted. The dimensions and luminance contrast requirements are unchanged, but the clause now requires that each tread must have at the nosing:
a single strip and not a multistrip; and
the single strip must be of a continuous colour
Multistrip nosing strips that were comprised of alternating strips of colour and metal often did not achieve an appropriate contrast due to a visual ‘washing out’ effect.
Regardless of when the Premises Standards finish the parliamentary process and the NCC / BCA is revised, it’s recommended considering adopting the requirements for nosing strips outlined by AS 1428.1 (2021) as best-practice. Doing so is a simple way of ensuring the built environment is suitably safe and accessible for everyone and it does not affect compliance with the current Premises Standards or NCC / BCA requirements, except in relation to public transport premises and infrastructure as discussed in the following section.
The inlaid metal strips provided to the nosings of these stairs do not meet the requirements of AS 1428.1 (2021).
Image copyright © Realm Access 2025
Proposed future changes to requirements for nosing strips used in public transport premises and infrastructure
In the revised edition of the Premises Standards, no changes were made to the references to AS 1428 in relation to nosing strips for Class 9b and Class 10 public transport buildings that are subject to Part H2 of the Access Code. This maintains alignment with the requirements of NCC / BCA Part I2 and the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (commonly referred to as DSAPT or the Transport Standards).
Part H2 of the Access Code, Part I2 of the NCC / BCA, and DSAPT reference older Standards including AS 1428.2 (1992) which requires nosing strips to have the strip of contrast extend 25mm to 50mm down the face of the riser. Our experience on public transport projects has been that, in recognition of safety considerations, the requirements of the current Australian Standards for nosing strips are typically adopted via a performance solution.
It's widely acknowledged that some of the requirements of Part H2 of the Access Code, Part I2 of the NCC / BCA, and DSAPT require modernisation. In 2019, state, territory and the Commonwealth infrastructure and transport ministers agreed to reform DSAPT to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of DSAPT in removing public transport discrimination against people with disability. The reform process was undertaken in two stages with public consultations held in mid-2022, and on the 20th of March 2024, the Australian Government announced it has decided to reform DSAPT.
As part of Stage 1 of reform, identified reform area #17 aims to update DSAPT to:
Reference more current Australian Standards in a manner that imparts either no change in material outcome or only minor material changes
Align DSAPT with the Premises Standards where this gives favourable outcomes and achieves consistency
Harmonise language with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
DSAPT will be updated to reflect the reforms where a legislative change has been agreed. Once drafted, the updated legislation will be tabled in Parliament and the updated edition of DSAPT will come into force once it has completed the parliamentary process.
These stairs lack nosing strips. This can make it difficult to gauge where the edge of the tread is which is potentially dangerous, especially for people with vision impairments. The lack of TGSIs increases the risk that someone with a vision impairment may not detect the stairs.
Image copyright © Realm Access 2025
Best-practice and Universal Design considerations for nosing strips
As highlighted in our post which discusses compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act – “Is it DDA compliant?” – the Premises Standards, DSAPT and the NCC / BCA do not apply to all types of premises and the requirements do not consider the full diversity of disability or the functional needs of all users. Thinking beyond the requirements set out in the Disability Standards and the NCC / BCA, and designing the built environment so it supports and enhances access and inclusion for everyone is key to meeting the intent of the DDA. Designing with consideration to Universal Design principles is one way to achieve this.
Providing nosing strips to level changes within the public realm can enhance the safety and legibility of the built environment for everyone. As best-practice, consideration should be given to providing nosing strips to:
Edges of raised platforms and stages
Edges of seating tiers / terraces
The nosings of single steps and level changes that are not assessed as stairs for NCC / BCA and Premises Standards compliance
Stairs that are not subject to the access requirements of the Premises Standards, DSAPT or the NCC / BCA such as stairs within parks and open spaces
Edges of steps that lead into pools and spas (to illustrate this, we have a Pinterest board where we’ve collated beautiful examples of pool and spa steps with contrasting nosings, including at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa on the Mornington Peninsula)
Choosing the right nosing strips and keeping them well maintained is also important in ensuring the luminance contrast and integrity of the strips remains appropriate across their lifespan. Specification and detailing of nosing strips should consider whether:
they are more likely to be subject to vandalism (some strips have inlays that can be picked and pulled out)
they will wear away faster due to environmental conditions (applied or painted-on strips can wear away quickly, especially when subject to sandy conditions such as at the beach or in playgrounds with a sandpit)
the luminance contrast will change too quickly and require more frequent maintenance or replacement (some strips with a textured and/or porous surface can retain dirt more easily which can affect the luminance reflectance value (LRV), especially for lighter coloured strips)
These steps are in a public space subject to vandalism. On multiple occasions, we observed the coloured inserts to the nosing strips had been pulled out.
Image copyright © Realm Access 2025
We’ll post an update once we’ve received confirmation the revised Premises Standards has completed the parliamentary process and the NCC / BCA has been updated.
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Posted 29 June 2025