Stairwell and Atrium Safety Nets for Buildings

Why stairwell voids need protection

Many staircases are built around an open void, and many shopping centres and hotels are designed around a multi-storey atrium. They are attractive spaces, but they also allow people and objects to fall several floors. A child leaning over a handrail, a phone dropped from the third floor, an intentional jump: a net stretched across the void at the lowest practical level reduces these risks without changing the architecture.

Made to measure, not cut on site

Every void is different. We start with a survey or a drawing, agree the layout and the fixing points with the building owner, and produce the net to the exact shape of the opening. Border ropes are fitted in the factory, so the net arrives ready to fix. Fixings are chosen for the structure: anchors in concrete, clamps on steel, or a wire rope perimeter where the net must stay clear of walls and finishes.

Choosing mesh and colour

The mesh size decides what the net holds back. A 100 mm mesh is open and almost invisible from below. A 60 mm mesh also stops larger objects. In schools, smaller meshes are usually chosen so children cannot climb through. Colours are chosen to disappear against the building: black against dark interiors, white or grey in bright atriums.

Our article on stairwell and atrium nets in schools and malls covers the choice in more detail, including what building managers usually ask before approving an installation.

During construction and after handover

During construction, open stairwells and lift shafts are protected with System S safety nets or edge protection nets. After handover, permanent stairwell nets take over. Both can be supplied for the same project.