Safety Railing and OSHA Guardrail Requirements

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provided new fall protection standards back in Fall of 2016. These updates became effective in January 2017 and many of them align general industry regulations for OSHA guardrail height, ladders, and stairways with construction standards.

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Organizations continue to work toward understanding and implementing the required changes and complying with OSHA regulations. Although the updated standards have been in place, many employers remain confused or have questions about the changes required of their fall protection and guard rail system.

Areas of confusion often arise with fall protection railing requirements, OSHA guardrail height, handrail requirements, and safety railings / temporary guardrails. This is especially true when differences arise in Cal-OSHA guardrail regulations.

Fall Protection Railing Requirements

There are many places in a facility or on a rooftop that pose a hazard for workplace injuries and fatalities. Many rooftops include elevated pipes, ducts, HVAC equipment. Technicians need to access these structures from an elevated position and may need safety railings. A roof handrail can also provide a physical barrier and help prevent falls from the edge, and is an important measure to be taken along with standard roof hatch guardrails.

A safety handrail helps to provide stability for a handhold whether on a walkway, steps, or platform. Fall protection guardrails are a system of railings to prevent workers from falling off a landing, platform, or walkway.

Common applications include standing seam or metal roof fall protection installations and the popular Accufit system for flat roof railings. Including guardrails and safety rail systems is an important consideration in fall prevention systems. Further, complying with OSHA’s safety railing and requirements can reduce falls and citations.

Are you curious about OSHA handrail requirements or what OSHA railing height is appropriate for your facility? First of all, here are some applicable requirements for guardrails and safety railings included in OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces standard for general industry to help prevent fall hazard, 29 CFR 1910.29:

OSHA Guardrail Requirements: Height and Strength

OSHA 1910.29(b)(1):

To meet OSHA’s guardrail height requirements, the top rail needs to be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the walking-working surface. This is the first OSHA requirement to be aware of. We will now cover some additional areas.

OSHA 1910.29(b)(2)(i-iv):

If the vertical opening in the rail is more than 19 inches, then there must be a mid rail / intermediate rail. Install the mid rail halfway between the top rail and the walking surface. The distance between intermediate vertical members (such as balusters) is no more than 19 inches. Openings are no more than 19 inches wide for other intermediate members (such as additional mid rails and architectural panels). (This is where the measurement of an equivalent intermediate member comes into play.)

OSHA 1910.29(b)(3),(5):

This fall protection requirement deals with the strength of the railing. They are to withstand a force of at least 200 pounds applied in a downward or outward direction within 2 inches of the top edge at any point along the top rail. Mid rails (and each intermediate member) are to withstand a force of at least 150 pounds applied in any downward or outward direction.

Also, OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.28 includes information that employers need to ensure that a fall protection plan is incorporated when employees are exposed to a fall of 4 feet or more to a lower level. Keep in mind that even temporary work situations such as scaffolds should be addressed. (Solutions such as a personal fall arrest system can aid these arrangements.)

OSHA Handrail Requirements: Guardrail vs Handrail

As you can see, there are various OSHA provisions detailing when guardrails and railings should be used and how they should be constructed. And yet there are more provisions depending upon the application. It gets confusing for many people charged with locating and installing the right solution.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.23 includes requirements for ladders, where OSHA defines handrail requirements on platforms and how high safety railings must be. Handrails are required when there is a top step height of 4 feet or more and a railing needs to be 29.5 inches for stands with a top height of 4 feet or more, 36 inches for stands with a top step of 10 feet or more.

There’s also confusion about the need for gates around ladders. There’s a misconception that a safety chain can be used to protect a ladder entrance. According to OSHA, a gate is required at the top of all ladders. In fact, OSHA requires a guardrail system and toe boards on all exposed sides (except at the entrance) of a ladder way floor hole or ladder way platform hole (29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(iv)).

To meet OSHA requirements in the construction industry, if workers are six feet or more above a lower level, there must be protection from falling by the use of guard rail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1)).

OSHA Guardrail and Handrail Height Requirements: Other Considerations

OSHA guardrail requirements also include that safety railing systems be required even when occasional or temporary work is performed on the roof, whether for repair or for maintenance. In addition, a roof handrail must be able to withstand 200 pounds of force without falling.

Other Uses of Safety Railings and Guard Rail Systems

Safety railings can also be used commercially to protect workers and pedestrians from falls off steps, walkways, platforms or other raised areas. These guard rail systems provide safety for various applications including protection over a stair rail system, culverts, ramps, service platforms, loading bays, mezzanines, and pedestrian pathways.

In addition to creating a barrier to prevent falls off a raised area, they also provide a handhold when ascending or descending. And in situations where a more temporary or less penetrating solution is required, parapet railings (wall clamps) are worth exploring.

Dealing with Railing Safety

Bottom line: railings provide a needed barrier and help protect people from falls. Yes, it may seem like there are so many rules (OSHA and more) to understand and follow, but the whole point of these rules is workplace safety. It is important to keep workers safe, to prevent falls, and maintain a culture of safety. The number of workplace fatal falls is growing. In fact, in 2017 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that fatal falls reached their highest levels, 887 worker deaths. This is one reason why installing both passive and active fall protection solutions is so critical.

Still Have Questions?

Beyond common OSHA regulations, we can also advise on nearly every OSHA requirement. This ranges from roof edge, stair tread, installing a safety net system, safety harness requirements, falling object protection, and more.

Don’t hesitate to tap into our experience as you plan your project compliance with the right products to help meet your specific OSHA requirement.

There are many OSHA requirements and updates to keep up with, and some exceptions that haven’t been included in this short post focused on OSHA guardrail height requirements.

After reading the information provided here, perhaps you have questions about OSHA railing height requirements for your specific needs.

Still wondering about equivalent guard rail system members, or when OSHA requires a handrail in your facility?

Whether you are looking for a 360 mobile roof safety rail, industrial and removable safety railing, handrail, stair rail, or a customized safety system, every product we manufacture meets or exceeds OSHA requirements.

Contact us for help!

The company is the world’s best w beam highway guardrail custom supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

For more information about our products, reach out to the EDGE Fall Protection team.

Reach us at at 844-314-1374.

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Before purchasing any guardrail systems for your facility, make sure you know what to look for. OSHA requirements for guardrails aren’t complicated, but they are specific. They cover things like the sizing, positioning, and material composition of railing. Review the requirements below and ensure your guardrails comply.

The basics of OSHA guardrail compliance

A “guardrail” is a permanent fixture that prevents people from going past an established walking-working area. Installing guardrails is essential in areas where people aren’t likely to be wearing fall harnesses but could be at risk of a fall from heights. Some examples of this include:

• Runways and ramps
• Access points like holes (where someone would be on a ladder)
• Elevated platforms
• Mezzanine and gallery areas

But simply having a guardrail doesn’t necessarily protect anyone walking in these areas. If the railing isn’t sturdy enough to handle force, then it can cause injuries and accidents. That’s why OSHA has constraints for the construction of guardrail systems. You can find OSHA’s guardrail requirements under standard 1920 Subpart D.

Below, we break down this standard into its various components. Make sure to read through all the requirements so you don’t miss a critical piece of information.

Guardrail measurements

You want to ensure that your guardrails are tall enough to prevent employees from accidentally crossing the walking-working surface. Here are OSHA’s requirements for guardrail height:

The top of the rail system must be 42 inches (±3 in.) from the surface of the walking area.

Any vertical intermediate members (EX. balusters) can be a maximum of 19 inches apart. The same width maximum goes for any other posts within the guardrail system.

All top rails and midrails need to be at least 0.25 inches thick.

In the diagram below, you can see the side profile of two different types of guardrails:

The first option shows a guardrail system with a horizontal midrail and center post. The second shows an option with vertical balusters. Both styles follow OSHA guardrail requirements by having a height of 42 inches. The second option follows the 19-inch maximum distance between vertical posts.

If you’re building a guardrail yourself, make sure your designs account for these limits. If buying guardrails commercially, you shouldn’t have to worry about the design passing OSHA’s guidelines. However, you still need to oversee the construction and ensure that all pieces are the proper distance from the walking surface and each other.

Guardrail materials

Most guardrails are made from sturdy materials like metal and wood. You may choose a different material, however, if it meets OSHA’s strength requirements.

Standard 1920.29 includes two very specific points about the strength of guardrail materials.

1: “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.”

2: “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.”

This means that you need sturdy materials. While wire and cable guardrails might look nice, they must be safe as well. Manila and synthetic rope can be used for top and midrails as long as they can handle the required 200-pound force.

OSHA requirements for guardrails also state that you need to use a smooth material for the handrail. This is to prevent hand injuries, clothing snags, etc. from happening.

Guardrails around holes

Unlike traditional walking surfaces, holes are a bit more unexpected for the average worker. That’s why OSHA requires guardrails around all unprotected sides and edges of holes.

Guardrails around holes need a gate that slides or swings away from the hole. They also need to follow one of these two conditions:

• Have an intermediate member of some kind (top rail, midrail, etc.)
• Be offset from the hole to stop anyone from accidentally falling in

If you’re passing objects through a hole, you can’t remove more than two guardrails from the unprotected sides. And when you’re not actively passing items through, you need to either put guardrails around the sides or to cover the hole.

Ensuring compliance

Now that you know OSHA requirements for guardrails, it’s important that you assess your current systems. Make sure to measure for height compliance. Check vertical components for width maximums. And provide anyone working near a hole with the resources to set up a proper guardrail system.

To track guardrail compliance and all other forms of OSHA requirements, consider a digital tracking system. With EHS software, you can compile all your reports, hazard assessments, and OSHA compliance documents in one spot.

If you find during one of your assessments that a guardrail isn’t in compliance, you can simply create an action item to fix the problem quickly. And once it’s complete, you’ll have a detailed record of your finding and resolution of the issue.

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