Guard rails may be used to provide effective fall prevention:
- at the edges of roofs
- at the edges of mezzanine floors, walkways, stairways, ramps and landings
- on top of plant and structures where access is required (see Figure 17)
- around openings in floor and roof structures
- at the edges of shafts, pits and other excavations.
Guard rails should incorporate a top rail 900mm to 1100 mm above the working surface and a mid rail and a toe board.
Before using a guard rail system you should check that it will be adequate for the potential loads. The required load resistance will depend on the momentum of a falling person. For example, the momentum of a person falling from a pitched roof will increase as the pitch (or angle) of the roof increases.
- Refer to AS/NZS 4994—Temporary Edge Protection series for further guidance.