Shipping Container Access Stairs
Lapeyre Stair's shipping container access stairs are engineered for standard (8'6"), high-cube (9'6"), and stacked container configurations — in industrial, modular office, and containerized data center deployments where compliant, durable access is non-negotiable. Standard platform widths from 24" to 48", plus 56° and 68° alternating tread options, where maximizing available floor space is the priority.
Every system is custom-built to your exact ground-to-threshold measurement, down to 1/8 of an inch.
Shipping Container Stair System Key Benefits
Purpose-built for the dimensional reality of ISO shipping containers, with the same lead times and quality standards Lapeyre has maintained for over 40 years.
Configuration Options
- Standard-angle industrial stairs in 24″, 30″, 36″, and 48″ platform widths
- 56° and 68° alternating tread options for constrained approach footprints
- 24″ ATS platform width aligns with standard container door openings
- Stacked and multi-level configurations with intermediate landing platforms
Materials & Finishes
- Powder-coated carbon steel, hot-dipped galvanized, aluminum, and stainless steel
- Standard safety yellow or custom RAL powder coat colors
- Galvanized for outdoor and high-humidity container deployments
Performance & Compliance
- 1,000 lb. load capacity standard across all configurations
- Meets OSHA 1910.25 stair requirements out of the box
- Alternating tread design reduces required footprint by up to 40% vs. standard stair
- Dimensional precision to 1/8 of an inch from confirmed measurement
- Powder-coated carbon steel ships in 25 daysÂ
Every system is built to your confirmed ground-to-threshold measurement. No field cutting, no shimming.
Our 56° and 68° alternating tread systems reduce stair footprint by up to 40% vs. a standard-angle stair at the same rise.Â
Powder-coated carbon steel ships in as few as 25 days.
All systems meet OSHA 1910.25 with compliant handrails on both sides, non-slip treads, and 1,000 lb. point load capacity.
Galvanized for outdoor and high-humidity sites. Powder-coated carbon steel for sheltered applications — the most common spec and fastest to ship.
As containerized data centers scale, compliant stair access is required at every unit. Lapeyre supports single-unit and program buys.
Photos of Shipping Container Access Stairs Installations
Where Shipping Container Access Stairs Are Used
Container access stairs are specified wherever a containerized structure requires safe, OSHA-compliant personnel access — with varying constraints on available floor space, environment, and frequency of use.
- Modular and containerized data centers, single units and high-density campus deployments
- Stacked shipping container offices on construction sites and event venues
- Warehouse and secure storage container access in distribution and manufacturing yards
- Construction site trailers and welfare units in outdoor environments
- Military, government, and remote operations containerized facilities
- Pop-up retail, hospitality, and event structures using stacked containers
- Telecommunications and edge compute container deployments
- Emergency and disaster recovery containerized infrastructure
Shipping Container Access Stairs Specs
| SHIPPING CONTAINER ACCESS STAIRS — PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapeyre Stair | Two Stacked Containers — Access to Upper Container | ||||
| 1. PRODUCT LINES | ||||
| Specification | Standard OSHA Stair | ATS 68° | OSHA Reference | Notes |
| Stair type | Standard industrial | Alternating tread | 1910.25(c) / (f) | |
| Angle from horizontal | 30°–45° | 68° | 1910.25(b)(8) | ATS used only when standard stair not feasible |
| Descent method | Face-forward | Face-forward | — | ATS advantage vs. ship ladder which requires face-in descent |
| Handrails required | Both sides | Both sides | 1910.25(b)(3) | |
| 2. PLATFORM WIDTHS OFFERED | ||||
| Width | Standard OSHA Stair | ATS 56°/68° | OSHA Minimum | Notes |
| 24" | N/A | ✓ | 22" min clear | For ATS approach to end cap platform |
| 36" | ✓ | ✓ | 22" min clear | Recommended for high-traffic or double-door access |
| 48" | ✓ | ✓ | 22" min clear | Recommended for high-traffic or double-door access |
| 3. RISE HEIGHTS — STACKED CONTAINER CONFIGURATION | ||||
| Container Type | Stack Height (total) | Stair Rise to Upper Door | Intermediate Landing? | Notes |
| Two standard containers stacked | ~17'0" / 204" | ~102"–108" | Not required | Single-run stair — same rise as accessing roof of one standard container |
| Two high-cube containers stacked | ~19'0" / 228" | ~114"–120" | Not required | Single-run stair — high-cube preferred format for data center deployments |
| ⚠Rise varies by ground conditions, leveling pads, and door threshold height. Build to confirmed field measurement — not nominal container height. | ||||
| 4. STAIR FOOTPRINT — APPROXIMATE HORIZONTAL RUN | ||||
| Rise Height | Standard Stair (38° typical) | ATS 56°/68° | Footprint Savings (ATS vs. Std) | Notes |
| 102" — standard container | ~128"–132" (~10.7'–11') | ~41"–45" (~3.4'–3.7') | ~67% smaller | |
| 114" — high-cube container | ~143"–148" (~11.9'–12.3') | ~46"–50" (~3.8'–4.2') | ~68% smaller | |
| 5. TREAD AND RISER DIMENSIONS | ||||
| Dimension | Standard OSHA Stair | ATS 56°/68° | OSHA Minimum / Maximum | Notes |
| Riser height | 7"–9.5" | N/A (alternating design) | Max 9.5" [1910.25(c)(2)] | |
| Tread depth | 9.5"–11" | 7" at nosing | Min 9.5" std / 7" ATS [1910.25(c)(3)] | |
| Tread type | Bar grate or diamond plate | Alternating split tread | Non-slip surface required | |
| Approx. tread count at 102" rise | 11–12 treads | 11–12 treads | — | Final count set by confirmed rise and riser spec |
| Min. clear width | 22" (OSHA) — offered at 24"/30"/36" | 18" (OSHA) — offered at 24" | 22" std / 18" ship / no ATS min | Lapeyre offered widths exceed OSHA minimums |
| 6. TOP LANDING / PLATFORM | ||||
| Dimension / Feature | Front Access (FR) | Left Side Access (LS) | Right Side Access (RS) | Notes |
| Min. platform depth (direction of travel) | 36"–42" | 30" at stair landing in direction of travel | 30" at stair landing in direction of travel | Front depth accommodates outward container door swing |
| Side walkway run to door | — | 48"–60" | 48"–60" | Run length to be standardized before drawings — recommend 54" fixed |
| Platform width | Matches stair width | Matches stair width | Matches stair width | |
| Guardrail — open sides | 3 sides | 3 sides + walkway rail | 3 sides + walkway rail | OSHA 1910.29 — 42" top rail height |
| Door swing accommodation | Built into platform depth | Walkway run clears door arc | Walkway run clears door arc | Standard container doors swing outward ~90°–270° |
| 7. HANDRAIL SPECIFICATIONS (ALL CONFIGURATIONS) | ||||
| Spec | Requirement | OSHA / IBC Reference | ||
| Number of handrails | 2 — both sides | OSHA 1910.25(b)(3) | ||
| Vertical height | 34"–38" from tread nosing | OSHA 1910.29(f)(1) | ||
| Outside diameter | 1.25"–2.0" | IBC 1014.3.1 | ||
| Wall / surface clearance | Min. 1.5" | IBC 1014.6 | ||
| Top horizontal extension | 12" | IBC 1014.6 | ||
| Gripping surface | Continuous, no rotation within fittings | IBC 1014.3 | ||
| Guardrails | 42" minimum | |||
| 8. LOAD CAPACITY | ||||
| Spec | Standard OSHA Stair | ATS 56°/68° | OSHA Reference | Notes |
| Min. point load capacity | 1,000 lbs. | 1,000 lbs. | 1910.25(b)(5) | Regardless of anticipated live load |
| Vertical clearance | Min. 7' above any tread | Min. 7' above any tread | 1910.25(b)(6) | Check for container frame overhang at multi-story configurations |
| 9. MATERIALS AND FINISHES | ||||
| Material / Finish | Best Application | Lead Time | Notes | |
| Powder-coated carbon steel | Sheltered, indoor, covered container sites | 25 days | Safety yellow standard; custom RAL available | |
| Hot-dipped galvanized steel | Outdoor, exposed, construction sites, high humidity | TBD on quote | No surface maintenance vs. painted systems | |
| 10. ACCESS ORIENTATIONS | ||||
| Orientation | Approaches From | Platform Addition Required | SKU Suffix | Notes |
| Front (FR) | Short end — approaches from extended side of front platform | None — stair arrives at door threshold | Most common; smallest total footprint | |
| Left side (LS) | Long side — left as viewed from front of container | 48" platform walkway turning 90° to doors | Mirror image of RS; share drawings with chirality flag | |
| Right side (RS) | Long side — right as viewed from front of container | 48" platform walkway turning 90° to doors | Mirror image of LS; share drawings with chirality flag | |
Shipping Container Access Stairs — Choosing the Right System
The primary difference is footprint. Use this table to determine which system fits your available floor space. All measurements reflect overall required system length in inches.
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Need more space and prefer a standard stair?
| Obstacle (H × L) | 68° Crossover Ladder | 56° Crossover Ladder | Standard Crossover Stair |
| 42" × 24" | 70" | 90" | 106" |
| 48" × 48" | 99" | 122" | 150" |
| 54" × 24" | 80" | 106" | 128" |
| 60" × 48" | 108" | 137" | 168" |
| 66" × 24" | 89" | 122" | 146" |
| 72" × 48" | 118" | 154" | 188" |
| 78" × 24" | 99" | 138" | 194" |
| 84" × 36" | 128" | 170" | 206" |
Shipping Container Stair Resources
Quality Assurance
Every crossover ladder that leaves our facility has been built to the same quality standard Lapeyre has maintained since 1981. Our welders are certified to AWS D1.1, and dimensional control is held to 1/8 of an inch from spec — so what you approved in the drawing is what arrives on the dock.
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That standard doesn’t soften for lead time or volume. If something doesn’t meet spec, it doesn’t ship. If an issue surfaces after delivery, it’s resolved within 24 hours — no exceptions, no escalation required.