ABHM says brass and steel handles meet building regs

The Association of Building Hardware Manufacturers (ABHM) has dispelled fears that specifiers of stainless steel and polished brass door handles risk being sued under new Building Regulations.
Claims that stainless steel and polished brass door handles could become illegal surfaces arose after the publication of Approved Document M of the Building Regs.
The document said that all door opening furniture should contrast visually with the door surface, and that the difference in light reflectance value between the two surfaces should be at least 30 points. There were fears that if these criteria were not met, visually impaired people could have trouble locating door handles made from stainless steel and polished brass.
"There's been a lot of misinformed comments about this aspect of Part M and we want to reassure specifiers and end users that it is business as usual when it comes to choosing stainless steel and polished brass door levers and pull handles," said ABHM chairman David Whitworth.
The ABHM, along with other trade associations, is talking to the authors of the document in order to clarify matters.
"There is no approved simple method to calculate the proposed 30 points visual contrast between door furniture and the door. Many factors affect the contrast in any particular location, such as levels of natural light, how light is reflected off walls and ceilings, and the juxtaposition of the door and adjacent windows. As soon as progress is made, we will publish the outcome," Whitworth said.