Why Are Guardrails Important?
Freestanding guardrails are essential for building safety. They are crucial in preventing accidental falls whether of occupants or workers at heights. These systems are specifically designed to withstand heavy loads while maintaining their stability, ensuring reliable protection on roofs where the risk of falling is particularly high.
When Should Guardrails Be Installed?
According to Worksafe BC, every worker must be protected against falls when exposed to a risk of falling from a height of more than 3 m (10ft). In this context, a guardrail is one of the solutions offered to comply with this regulation. Moreover, it is the only collective solution, making it an ideal choice to ensure the safety of all workers without them having to worry about their personal protection equipment. For more details, please visit the “Standards” page on our website, where you will find all the necessary information on this subject.
What Height Should a Guardrail Be?
Guardrails are subject to various standards governing their design in terms of height and resistance to ensure the safety of people working at heights. The main regulations in force are the National Building Code (NBC) and each province fall protection regulation. According to these standards, the essential characteristics of a guardrail are well defined. The top rail must be placed at a height between 91 and 107 centimetres above the surface to be guarded, which ensures an effective barrier against falls. Additionally, an intermediate element, or intermediate rail, must be installed between the floor and the top rail, typically located at mid-height to reinforce stability. Guardrails must also be designed to withstand specific loads: a horizontal point load of 1 kN applied at any point on the top rail, as well as a vertical load of 1.5 kN. These requirements ensure that the guardrail is robust enough to protect users against the risk of falling. For full and specific details on the applicable standards, we invite you to visit our website, where all the necessary information is available.
Conclusion
To secure an elevated working area a such as a roof, it is essential to consider several critical elements. The best way to guarantee quality work is to entrust this task to specialists, such as the team at Delta Prevention. Their expertise allows them to offer turnkey systems designed to ensure the safety of those who need to move and work on your roofs. Thanks to their know-how, you can be confident that all necessary measures will be taken to effectively protect workers.