A FLT ATTENDANT RPTS THAT A PAX; WHO WAS CARRYING AN INFANT; FELL FROM THE TOP OF THE SCFT STAIRS WHILE DEPLANING. THE GND PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ASSIST THE PAX SO THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED.

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FLT XXXX ORD-DAY. OUR ATR42 AND ATR72 ACFT HAVE AN 'AUX PAX ASSIST HANDRAIL.' MANY OF OUR PLANES DO NOT HAVE THIS HANDRAIL IN WORKING ORDER. THEREFORE; ONLY 1 SIDE OF THE ACFT STAIRS IS PROTECTED AGAINST PAX FALLING; STUMBLING; ETC. WHILE ENTERING THE ACFT I NOTICED THAT THIS ACFT HAD NO ASSIST RAIL AVAILABLE FOR USE. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS CARRIER IS CERTIFIED TO FLY WITH ONLY 1 INTEGRATED HANDRAIL AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO DEFER OR DOCUMENT THE MISSING OR INOP RAILS. WHILE DEPLANING; A PAX WHO WAS CARRYING AN INFANT IN A CHILD RESTRAINT DEVICE; FELL OFF THE TOP OF THE ACFT STAIRS. FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE AIRLINE PERSONNEL STANDING FORWARD OF THE STAIRS TO ASSIST THIS PAX; PREVENTING SERIOUS INJURY. MANY OF THE GND PERSONNEL ARE NOT AWARE OR WILLING TO STAND BESIDE THE STAIRS. WITHOUT A HANDRAIL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT STAIRS ON THE ATR42 AND ATR72; OUR PAX ARE IN DANGER OF FALLING; STUMBLING; TRIPPING. ETC. THOSE WHO ARE EASILY CANDIDATES FOR POSSIBLE INJURY INCLUDE: PAX WITH CHILDREN AND INFANTS; RUSHED BUSINESS PEOPLE; SENIOR CITIZENS; AND PAX WITH CARRY-ON ITEMS. TO CORRECT THIS PROB AN INTEGRATED HANDRAIL SHOULD BE INSTALLED OR JET BRIDGES SHOULD BE USED AT ALL OUTSTATIONS. A QUICK TEMPORARY FIX WOULD BE TO FULLY INSTRUCT GND PERSONNEL TO STAND BY THE STAIRS TO ASSIST.