Question of the Day - #94 Stairway width minimum?

[RDavidson]

It looks like we may have stair width requirements after all. The new rule requires stairways to be not less than 36 inches wide above the permitted handrail height and below the required headroom height. For the area below the required handrail height the width must be as follows: the width must be not less than 31 ½ inches when a handrail is on one side and 27 inches when handrails are on both sides. How wide must a stair be if there are no handrails? Handrails are required when there are four or more risers. So it appears that a stairway that has three or fewer risers and does not have a handrail has no minimum width requirement. If someone builds a 24 inch wide stair with three risers and then installs a handrail on one side, does that make the compliant stair non-compliant?

Part of the argument for the width requirements is to provide access for emergency personnel. What happens if the emergency is in a bedroom and there is only a 24 inch door? Can the emergency person get through the door?