As the leading resource on fall protection, we at Diversified Fall Protection are frequently asked for help understanding and complying with OSHA requirements for guardrail and safety railing systems.
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Below, we’ll explain OSHA’s official rules on guardrail for general industry applications and show you how your business can remain compliant with these regulations.
For more help, contact the team of experts at Diversified Fall Protection. Our engineers will design and implement a complete, OSHA-compliant guardrail system to protect your team when working on rooftops and other elevated surfaces.
A guardrail, or guard rail, is a stationary, fixed fall protection system designed to prevent workers from stepping over the edge of a walking-working surface. OSHA 1910.29(b) is the portion of the regulations that contains system requirements that employers must follow to ensure guardrail systems will protect workers from falling to lower levels.
There are three main parts of a guardrail: The top rails, the midrails, and the vertical posts. Each part of the guardrail must comply with OSHA’s rules, including material type, size, height, and location. We explain each of these below.
Diversified Fall Protection provides turnkey guardrail systems that comply with all of the following OSHA requirements for guard rail.
According to OSHA, top rails (or equivalent guardrail system members) must be 42 inches (107 cm), plus or minus 3 inches (8 cm), above the walking-working surface. The top edge height may exceed 45 inches (114 cm), as long as the guardrail system meets all other criteria.
Guardrail is required for any platform 4 feet or higher above a lower floor or the ground. Guardrails are required have vertical heights of 42 inches from the upper surface of the top rail to floor, platform, runway, or ramp level.
If there is not a wall or parapet at least 21 inches (53 cm) high, then midrails must be installed halfway between the top edge of the guardrail and the walking-working surface. Screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid panels, or other equivalents can be considered “midrails” for this purpose.
If screens and mesh are used, they must extend from the walking-working surface to the top rail and along the entire opening between top rail supports.
Intermediate vertical members (such as balusters) must be installed no more than 19 inches (48 cm) apart. Other equivalent intermediate members (such as additional midrails and architectural panels) should be installed so that the openings are not more than 19 inches (48 cm) wide.
OSHA requires guardrail be strong enough to withstand force both outward and downward along the top rail and at the midrail section.
Guardrail systems need to be capable of withstanding a force of at least 200 pounds (890 N) at any point along the top rail. This force is applied in a downward or outward direction within 2 inches (5 cm) of the top edge. When tested in a downward direction, the top rail of the guardrail system must remain at least 39 inches (99 cm) above the walking-working surface.
Midrails, screens, mesh, solid panels, and other equivalent intermediate members must be capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 150 pounds (667 N) applied in any downward or outward direction at any point along the intermediate member.
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Guardrail systems need to be smooth-surfaced. This is to protect employees from injury, such as punctures or lacerations, and to prevent catching or snagging of clothing. Our railings have a powder-coated finish to meet this requirement.
OSHA also requires that the ends of top rails and midrails do not overhang the terminal posts, which are the posts at each end. The only exception is if the overhang does not pose a projection hazard.
Similarly, steel and plastic banding are not permitted to be used for top rails or midrails, and guard rails must be at least 0.25-inches (0.6 cm) in diameter or in thickness. These requirements also protect workers from injury caused by too much force applied at these points.
OSHA says that when guardrail systems are used at hoist areas, there needs to be a removable guardrail section placed across the access opening when employees are not performing hoisting operations. This section must have a top rail and midrail. You may use chains or gates instead of a removable guardrail section if you show they provide the same level of protection as guard rails.
Guardrail systems used around holes must be installed on all unprotected sides or edges of the hole. If materials will be passed through the hole, no more than two sides of the guardrail system can be removed at a time. When materials are not being passed through the hole, the hole must be guarded by a guardrail system along all unprotected sides or edges or closed over with a cover.
When used around holes that serve as points of access (such as ladderways), the guardrail system opening needs to have a self-closing gate that slides or swings away from the hole. The gate must have a top rail and midrail (or equivalent intermediate member) that meets the requirements for guardrail above. The other option is to offset it to prevent an employee from walking or falling into the hole.
For ramps and runways, guard rail must be installed along each unprotected side or edge. You can use Manila or synthetic rope for top rails or midrails if it is inspected as necessary to ensure that the rope continues to meet OSHA strength requirements described above (the 200-pound and 150-pound tests).
Diversified Fall Protection provides a range of OSHA-compliant guard rail and safety railing to protect your team, including LORGUARD.
The following is an excerpt from OSHA 1910.28 (b) that covers the responsibility for fall protection on working and walking surfaces. Please review the full code for further information.
1910.28(b)(1)
Unprotected sides and edges.
1910.28(b)(1)(i)
Except as provided elsewhere in this section, the employer must ensure that each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling by one or more of the following:
1910.28(b)(1)(i)(A)
Guardrail systems;
1910.28(b)(1)(i)(B)
Safety net systems; or
1910.28(b)(1)(i)(C)
Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systems.
1910.28(b)(3)(i)
Each employee is protected from falling through any hole (including skylights) that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level
1910.28(b)(5)(i)
The employer must ensure each employee on a runway or similar walkway is protected from falling 4 feet (1.2 m) or more to a lower level by a guardrail system.
1910.28(b)(6)(i)
Each employee less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above dangerous equipment is protected from falling into or onto the dangerous equipment by a guardrail system or a travel restraint system, unless the equipment is covered or guarded to eliminate the hazard.
1910.28(b)(15)
Walking-working surfaces not otherwise addressed. Except as provided elsewhere in this section or by other subparts of this part, the employer must ensure each employee on a walking-working surface 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling...
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