US Patent 10100576 Undergrate stairway access assembly

The undergrate stairway access assembly is a portable stairway designed to provide safe access to different levels through temporary openings in supporting surfaces such as floors and sidewalks. Specifically, the undergrate stairway access assembly is an assembly comprising an integrated guardrail and step structure that allows a worker to safely traverse between different levels through openings in the supporting surface while preventing workers from inadvertently falling through these openings. The undergrate stairway access assembly is ideal for providing protection for projects that require the removal of grated surface protections such as sidewalk grates, sewage grates or undercarriage bays. The undergrate stairway access assembly comprises one or more step structures and a guardrail structure.