27 Feb Guardrails

Guardrails

Guardrails are one of the most effective methods of protecting workers from falls from elevated walking and working surfaces. Missing, incomplete, damaged, or improperly constructed guardrail systems can expose workers to serious or fatal falls.

Guardrails may be installed around open-sided floors, roof edges, platforms, ramps, stair openings, floor openings, and other elevated areas where employees could be exposed to a fall hazard.

When Are Guardrails Required?

Under Federal OSHA construction requirements, fall protection is generally required when employees are exposed to falls of 6 feet or more to a lower level. In general industry, fall protection is generally required at 4 feet or more.

Depending on the work activity, other OSHA requirements may establish different fall-protection thresholds.

Guardrail Requirements

A compliant guardrail system generally includes:

• Top Edge Height: The top edge of the top rail must be approximately 42 inches, plus or minus 3 inches, above the walking/working level.
• Midrails: When there is no wall or parapet at least 21 inches high, a midrail, screen, mesh, intermediate vertical member, or equivalent protection must be installed between the top rail and walking/working surface.
• Top-Rail Strength: The top rail must withstand at least 200 pounds of force applied within 2 inches of the top edge in an outward or downward direction.
• Midrail Strength: Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, and equivalent structural members must withstand at least 150 pounds of force applied in any downward or outward direction.
• Surface Condition: Guardrails must be constructed and maintained so they do not create puncture, laceration, or snagging hazards.
• Rail Ends: Top rails and midrails must not overhang terminal posts where the projection could create a hazard.
• Steel or Plastic Banding: Banding material may not be used as top rails or midrails.
• Wire-Rope Guardrails: Wire rope used for top rails must be flagged with highly visible material at intervals of not more than 6 feet.

Toeboards and Falling-Object Protection

Where employees below could be exposed to falling tools, materials, or equipment, additional falling-object protection may be required.

When toeboards are used, they must generally:

• Be at least 3½ inches high from the top edge to the walking/working surface.
• Have no more than ¼ inch clearance above the walking/working surface.
• Be solid or have openings no greater than 1 inch in their greatest dimension.
• Withstand at least 50 pounds of force applied downward or outward.

Screens, panels, canopies, barricades, or other protective measures may also be required depending on the falling-object hazard.

Safe Work Practices

Employees should remember these basic rules:

• Install required guardrails as work progresses rather than waiting until an exposure has already been created.
• Inspect guardrail systems regularly and after activities that could damage or displace them.
• Never remove, modify, lean on, climb over, or use a guardrail for purposes for which it was not designed.
• Immediately report damaged, missing, loose, or incomplete guardrails.
• Restore guardrails promptly when they are temporarily removed for material handling or other authorized work.
• Do not work near an unprotected edge simply because a guardrail is scheduled to be installed later.
• Use appropriate personal fall protection when installing, removing, or repairing guardrails if the work exposes you to an unprotected fall hazard.
• Subcontractors or other personnel who temporarily remove guardrails must follow site procedures and ensure required fall protection is maintained.

Important: Wood Guardrails

Do not assume that simply using 2 × 4 lumber at 8-foot spacing automatically creates an OSHA-compliant guardrail. Guardrail construction must satisfy OSHA’s applicable height, strength, configuration, and performance requirements. Lumber dimensions, post spacing, fastening methods, material condition, and the overall system design must be adequate for the required loads.

Remember

Guardrails are there to prevent a fall before it happens. Never remove or bypass a guardrail without providing equivalent fall protection, and never work near an unprotected edge unless the required protection is in place.