Fall Protection - Guardrails

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• What are guardrails?
• Are guardrails and handrails the same thing?
• When do you use guardrails?
• What are the main types of guardrails?
• What is meant by load specifications?
• What else should be considered when installing guardrails?
• What should be done if you need to remove the whole or part of a guardrail?

What are guardrails?

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Guardrails are a stationary (or "fixed") system used to protect workers from falls when working at heights. Guardrails are a preferred means of protecting workers because the system does not rely on the worker to be trained to use, inspect, and wear a fall protection system.

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Well built guardrails are a reliable and convenient means of fall protection because they act as a visible and physical barrier to help prevent falls from heights or between levels including falls from roofs, balconies, stairwells or falls into open holes. Guardrails are used where covers, floors or walls cannot be installed or are not practical.

Guardrails are used in every industry and can be seen in:

• retail shops
• industrial settings
• construction sites
• warehouses
• shipping facilities
• landscaping and work areas in natural settings, and
• any workplace with an accessible rooftop.

Are guardrails and handrails the same thing?

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While guardrails often also have handrails, they are not the same thing. Handrails serve as a handhold people use to support themselves while using up or down stairs, ramps, or crossing flat surfaces. Guardrails are designed to prevent falls over an unprotected edge or into an opening.

When do you use guardrails?

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Install a guardrail if the fall hazard or working at heights cannot be eliminated. Guardrails should be used when a worker could have access to the unprotected edge of any of the following work surfaces and is exposed to a fall from a height or between levels. If an employee can fall into or onto dangerous equipment such as a conveyor belt, it is also good practice to prevent such falls by installing guardrails and toe boards. Make sure the guardrail is installed around the edge or opening before work begins.

Installing a guardrail is good practice:

• around a balcony or mezzanine
• at the edges of catwalks or overhead conveyor platforms
• along the bridges
• around scaffolds, raised platforms, or open platforms on aerial devices
• at the edges of roofs where work may be performed
• along the open edges of elevated working areas such as the upper floors of building under construction or being repaired
• around work elevated work surfaces including platforms, scaffolds, runways, or ramps
• around openings in floors, roofs, and in working surfaces where the openings are not covered or protected
• open edges of slab formwork for floors and roofs
• any where workers could fall into water, operating machinery, or hazardous substances.

In most jurisdictions, use of a guardrail is specified for certain circumstances. Always check with your jurisdiction for exact requirements.

What are the main types of guardrails?

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There are two main types of guardrails - job built guardrails and manufactured guardrail systems. While job built guardrails are typically made of wood, manufactured guardrail systems are available in a variety of materials and may have parts made of mesh, netting or fencing. Guardrails typically feature a top rail, mid-rail, toe boards with evenly spaced vertical posts.

Regardless of type, make sure all guardrails used meet the regulatory requirements and are built according to requirements (e.g., height and spacing requirements of guardrail components and/or are installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

To prevent people from falling, guardrails must:

• be high enough to prevent a person from falling over the top of them.
• be strong enough to withstand the force of the number of people likely to lean or push up against them. Consider also possible impacts from tools and other materials used nearby.
• have evenly spaced posts that areclose enough together to prevent people from falling through the gaps. If using a manufactured guardrail system that does not use vertical posts, it must provide equal protection against similar gaps.
• be installed as close to the open edge as is reasonable.
• extend along the whole length of the opening or unprotected edge.
• be made of materials with smooth surfaces that are not abrasive and will not cut skin or snag clothing. Common materials used are wood and metal.

What is meant by load specifications?

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Regulations often require a load specification. This requirement refers to the amount of force that guardrails may be expected to support, and is measured in newtons (N) or pounds (lbs).

The force requirements will depend on the application of the guardrail and the legislative requirements in your jurisdiction.

The CSA Standard Z797-18 Code of practice for access scaffold also provides minimum load bearing and height requirements for guardrails and toe boards.

What else should be considered when installing guardrails?

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Make sure workers in the area near the unguarded edge are protected from falls by other means (travel restraint, fall arrest, netting, etc.) until the guardrail is completely installed.

When building guardrails on the job,

• Consider how long the guardrail will be required (and factor in the local weather and other environment conditions).
• If building the guardrail from wood, only use lumber that is construction grade quality or better. Some jurisdictions require the lumber used be spruce, pine or fir (S-P-F) timber.
• Inspect the lumber for damage or rot. Lumber should have no visible defects that could affect its loadbearing capacity.
• Choose the appropriate fasteners for the materials being used. Make sure all nails and other fasteners used are strong enough to withstand the forces applied to them.
• Make sure the wooden surface is smooth and that the finished guardrail does not have protruding nails, screws, or rough edges.
• Do not reuse old construction materials.

Other items to consider include:

• The number of people in a work area
• The size of the work area
• The weight and type of tools or materials being used in the area
• Whether the guardrails are to be a permanent or temporary solution

What should be done if you need to remove the whole or part of a guardrail?

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It may be necessary to remove guardrails or sections of a guardrail in a working area, such as unloading materials at a site above ground level. Follow good practice to ensure there are not falls through an unprotected opening. Improper removal of the guardrails can leave protruding edges or parts, like nails, that may injure workers, so use the right tools and follow all established construction procedures.

Before removing a guardrail:

• Identify the work area that will be affected by the removal of the guardrail. Mark an area large enough to keep unprotected employees away from the fall hazard. For example, in Ontario it is recommended that this distance be "at least 2 metres (6 feet, 6 inches) from either side of the opening and at least 2 metres back from the open edge of the work surface".
• Clear that area so it is free from slip or trip hazards such as ice and debris.
• Mark it off as a fall hazard area with caution tape or a warning barrier.
• Alert all those working nearby that a guardrail is being removed. Post warning signs outside the roped off area alerting anyone of the danger from the unprotected fall hazard.
• Set up travel restraint or fall arrest systems for everyone working in the fall hazard area after the guardrail is removed.

After the guardrail is removed, everyone working inside the marked off area must use a travel restraint or fall arrest system at all times.

When reinstalling or rebuilding a guardrail, make sure it is installed as intended according to the manufacturer's instructions or its original design. Store the removed guardrails or sections in a place where they cannot fall on someone or become a trip hazard.

• Fact sheet first published: -11-07
• Fact sheet confirmed current: -01-10
• Fact sheet last revised: -11-07

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Protecting your people is the top priority. Throughout your rooftop there may be areas that need protectionbut can’t necessarily fit non-penetrating guardrail. To solve this problem, wall-mounted guardrail can provide the same protection that will better fit your space, and possibly budget. 

In this article, we’ll discuss why you may want to use a wall-mounted guardrail system, the various ways to mount your guardrail, and a brief look at the OSHA requirements around wall-mounted rooftop guardrail. 

Why Choose a Wall-Mounted Guardrail?

So, let’s start with why someone may choose to go with a wall-mounted system over a non-penetrating system. 

Rooftop Space

A primary reason someone would choose a wall-mounted system is because of the space, or lack thereof, on their rooftop. 

A non-penetrating system requires space for the counterbalance weights. These weights do what their title says to support the guardrail and anyone who would be utilizing the railing. 

Because of this, there usually needs to be greater than 4-feet of space between the edge of the roof and where the guardrail would be placed. 

Parapet Walls

Another reason someone would choose a wall-mounted system is that they already have parapet walls around their roof edge. 

A parapet wall makes the perfect spot to mount a guardrail and provides multiple mounting options. Parapet wall guardrail additionally saves on space so you can check both these boxes. 

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Budget Constraints

Now, let me preface this part by saying that you can’t put a price on a human life. However, we are not naïve to the fact that budget and cost play a factor in fall protection projects. 

That being said, a wall-mounted system requires less materials, therefore making the overall cost less than a non-penetrating system. 

However, this shouldn’t be a key factor when looking to install rooftop guardrail. As mentioned, protecting your people is the top priority. 

Now, while wall-mounted guardrails have lower upfront costs in materials, there can be a couple of drawbacks. Installation will take longer and require more engineering on the front end to ensure that mounting the guardrail will function properly. Drilling into the wall or parapet presents its own risks, which should be discussed with your . 

Different Ways to Wall-Mount Guardrail

With a wall-mounted system, there isn’t a “one size fits all” or one style that gets installed everywhere. There are a handful of different ways you can mount to the wall of your rooftop. 

Top Mounted Guardrail

The top-mounted guardrail typically mounts to the top of a parapet wall as you don’t want to be installing this directly into the roof of your building. This includes a standard flange and utilizes an inline guardrail style that keeps the horizontal rails in between the posts. 

Side Mounted Offset Guardrail

The side-mounted offset guardrail attaches to the face of a parapet wall. The offset railing base will set your post back 1-2 inches, allowing you to navigate the guardrail over small obstacles like overhanging stone caps. 

Side Mounted Guardrail

The side-mounted guardrail as a standard railing flange that connects to the face of a parapet wall or the façade of the building. The single socket tee is used for the horizontal rails. 

Angle Mounted Guardrail

The angle-mounted guardrail mounts to the top of the parapet wall and hangs off the side. The connections are placed under the flashing, which helps with water resistance. The angle of the post helps with greater separation from the hazard. 

Wall-Mounted vs. Non-Penetrating Guardrail

Now, let’s directly compare a wall-mounted versus a non-penetrating guardrail. 

Firstly, they both will protect your people and meet OSHA regulations. We’ll discuss the different OSHA regulations later on, but we just wanted to cover that point so that we understand there’s no safety concern between these two guardrails. 

Next, a non-penetrating guardrail can be installed “almost” everywhere. As mentioned, if you do not have the space, you might not be able to fit a non-penetrating guardrail on certain parts of your rooftop. However, a non-penetrating guardrail doesn’t mount to anything, so there is no need for any wall or surface to mount to. 

On the flip side, a wall-mounted guardrail requires either a parapet or a building façade to mount to. For this, the building will need to have a sturdy exterior material like concrete to be mounted too.

OSHA Requirements for Mounted Guardrail

To wrap this up, let’s discuss different OSHA requirements when it comes to mounted guardrail. 

.29(b)(1)
The top edge height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members, are 42 inches (107 cm), plus or minus 3 inches (8 cm), above the walking-working surface. 

If your wall or parapet is less than 39 inches, then you need a top rail above that parapet to meet the OSHA requirement of 42 inches. 

.29(b)(2)
Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid panels, or equivalent intermediate members are installed between the walking-working surface and the top edge of the guardrail system as follows when there is not a wall or parapet that is at least 21 inches (53 cm) high.

.29(b)(2)(iv)
Other equivalent intermediate members (such as additionalmidrails and architectural panels) are installed so that the openings are not more than 19 inches (48 cm) wide.

Additionally, if your parapet is less than 21 inches high, then you need a midrail to meet the OSHA standard. 

For a midrail, you must ensure that there is no more than a 19 inch space between the top rail and the midrail/parapet. 

This is commonly referred to as the "19-inch sphere rule" which is, like all these regulations, meant to help prevent any fall hazards. 

.29(b)(3)
Guardrail systems are capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 200 pounds (890 N) applied in a downward or outward direction within 2 inches (5 cm) of the top edge, at any point along the top rail. 

.29(b)(4)
When the 200-pound (890-N) test load is applied in a downward direction, the top rail of the guardrail system must not deflect to a height of less than 39 inches (99 cm) above the walking-working surface. 

.29(b)(5)
Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid panels, and other equivalent intermediate members are 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. 

If you would like to learn more about guardrail requirements, check out our full OSHA Guardrail Guide.

In Review

Wall-mounted guardrail brings many benefits to your rooftop, first and foremost being that it protects your people from fall hazards. 

However, we recommend connecting with a to see if a wall-mounted system is best for you and what other fall protection solutions are needed for your rooftop. 

Contact one of our experts today to get started on your fall protection project. 

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