Dear Editor,
I have observed buildings and homes this Season wrapping the bannister (hand) rails of stairs with Christmas decorations. I went recently to a prominent city hotel and had to use the stairs and was surprised, because both rails were wrapped there was no way to hold on to, in order to get a good grip as I wended my way up and down the stairs.
The rails/Bannister are good safety aids particularly for children, the elderly and differently abled. With the rainy season on stairs can become slippery. The rails will aid support in this regard.
The practice of making these rails unusable by wrapping them is a poor decision and a safety hazard. If wrapping has to be done to the rails of stairways one side should be left unwrapped.
Safety should be paramount in all things we do. A happy and safe Season to all!