![]() Carson’s also found that where serious injuries are sustained, it made no difference whether handrails were present or not. Research conducted by Carson in 1978 showed that stairway incidents where no injuries were sustained were four times more with handrails than without handrails. The same study also showed that on staircases with no handrails people aged over 60 experienced twice as many accidents as those less than 60. In the early 1960s Sheldon’s study found that 44% of stair accidents amongst elderly people could be avoided with handrails on staircases. In another case in 1971, McGuire found that 16% of accidents were due to missing handrails. According to one study by Miller and Esmay in 1958, 75% of stair falls happened where no handrails were present. There has been an extensive body of research on handrails and staircase related accidents. While not central to the topic, do handrails really save lives or prevent people from falling from staircases is a good place to start. What can the example of handrails teach us about human nature in the face of uncertainty? I will offer some reflections in this short write-up. But there’s a bigger question to be asked here. I took the message on LinkedIn and the post received more than 15K viewings in a matter of few days. Lifesaving rules have now become life threatening. ![]() It was a telling example of how our priorities have shifted so much within weeks. Don’t hold that rail, it could carry infection” he repeated. “What did you just say”, I asked the manager. Hearing this for the first time, I felt a sense of utter disbelief. “OK, stay safe, look after yourself and as you go down, be careful, don’t touch the handrails.” Those were the words of a ship manager whom I visited in my hometown just a few week ago. “The greatest enemy of truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”
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