{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-regulations-northern-ireland-2000/regulation-H1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-regulations-northern-ireland-2000/regulation-H1.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2000/389",
  "legislation_title": "Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-regulations-northern-ireland-2000",
  "path": "regulation/H1",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "H1",
  "heading": "Application and interpretation",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) this Part shall apply to any building or part of a building.\n(2) The requirements of regulation H4(1) shall not apply—\n(a) to the extent that compliance therewith would unreasonably obstruct normal movement into, out of or within any building;\n(b) in relation to the two steps at the bottom of a stair where the landing from which the stair rises does not require guarding in accordance with that paragraph;\n(c) in relation to a flight within a stair with a total rise of less than 600 mm;\n(d) in relation to a sunken area less than 600 mm in depth; and\n(e) in relation to a roof or other place to which access is solely for maintenance purposes provided that either—\n(i) access is infrequent; or\n(ii) any fall would be—\n(A) less than 2000 mm; or\n(B) to an area which does not present a hazard.\n(3) The requirements of regulation H4(2) shall not apply in relation to a car showroom, a garage within the boundary of a dwelling, or a single storey building comprising two or more garages each of which has an area not exceeding 40 m2.\n(4) The requirements of regulation H6 shall not apply to—\n(a) a dwelling; and\n(b) a door or gate which is part of a lift.\n(5) Insofar as they relate to a dwelling, the requirements of regulation H7 shall only apply to a window, skylight or ventilator which opens over a public route of travel.\n(6) For the purposes of this Part access to any place is infrequent if it takes place on average on less than one occasion a month during the course of a year.\n(7) In this Part—\nbalcony includes a gallery;\nbarrier includes a wall or screen;\nflight means that part of a stair or ladder between landings that has a step or a continuous series of steps;\nladder means a fixed ladder having a flight with a pitch greater than 55°;\nlanding means a platform situated—\n(a) at the top or bottom of a stair, ladder or ramp; and\n(b) between consecutive flights of stairs;\nramp means an inclined surface which provides a route of travel; and\nstair means a flight or flights (other than a ladder) and landings that make it possible to pass on foot to another level or levels.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": "prospective",
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "coming into force",
      "affecting": "nisr/2000/389",
      "affecting_title": "Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2000/389/regulation/H1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:13:38.985369+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}