WEEKLY TOOL BOX SAFETY MEETINGS
GUARDRAILS
You should be familiar with OSHA’s requirements for guardrails so that you can identify locations that need to have guard- rails installed, and know the key components of a standard guardrail. In many situations, other fall protection systems may be used instead of guardrails, such as personal fall arrest systems or safety nets. If guardrails are used, remember these guidelines on where and how they should be installed.
First let’s consider some of the fall hazards which must be guarded.
1. Ladder ways and stairways must be guarded except at the actual point of access. The access point must have a gate, or be offset from the opening so that no one can walk straight into the hole.
2. Hatchways and floor openings for chutes must have guardrails or hinged covers.
3. Any hole in a floor must be guarded with a standard guardrail or cover; this includes skylights. OSHA defines a hole as “a gap or void 2 inches or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface.”
4. Wall openings or windows must be guarded when there is a drop of 6 feet or more on the other side, and the bottom of the opening is less than 39 inches from the working surface on your side.
5. Open-sided floors and platforms which are 6 feet or more above the adjacent floor or ground must be guarded.
A standard guardrail will have:
1. A smooth surfaced top rail (often made of 2x4 stock) at a height of approximately 42 inches.
2. An intermediate rail (often made of 1x6 stock) at about half the height of the top rail.
3. A four-inch-high toeboard at floor level.
4. Vertical posts (again, often made of 2x4s) spaced not more than 8 feet apart.
5. Paneling or screening if materials are piled high enough or close enough to the edge that a toeboard is inadequate.
By properly guarding holes, openings, and open-sided floors, we can eliminate a big source of potential accidents and in juries. Know when to use fall protection, and use it. More information about fall protection can be found in Subpart M of OSHA’s regulations beginning at 29 CFR 1926.500.
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These instructions do not supersede local, state, or federal regulations.
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