It is the responsibility of the owner to make sure that a stairway is in good repair and safe condition.  Injuries incurred on stairways are generally caused by slip and fall/ trip and fall accidents.

It is important that people are warned when they are approaching stairs.  Changes in floor surfaces, an extension of decorations or even inclination of handrails are ways of cueing people that there are stairs ahead.  However, visual confusion, misleading information, and distractions might lead to a person missing the stairs and therefore falling down them. 

There are many factors that can lead to people tripping on stairs, including:

-         Failure to observe stairways when the changes in levels connect is small

-         Stairway is in an unexpected position

-         Distractions from light outdoors or street scenes

-         Vision impairment by glare caused by windows

One of the main causes of stairway accidents is vision impairment.  Improving visibility on a stairway greatly reduces the risk for common mistakes caused by misjudging distances.  With more visibility it is unlikely a person would trip on a step or miss it completely.  It is the responsibility of the owner of the stairway to make sure that there is adequate visibility on the stairway to ensure the safety of all those that travel up and down it.