Guardrail can be designed to be suitable for use as a handrail. For these stair rail systems, the top rail may serve as a handrail, provided the top rail is 36 to 38 inches in height (as measured at the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the top rail) and meets all other handrail requirements in §1910.29 (f). OSHA Stairway and Handrail Regulations. These were raised some years ago after children fell by climbing on chairs and tables. OSHA Handrail Standards. The Building Code requires the structure and materials used to build a balcony or deck to withstand the loads and stresses that would be reasonably expected to be placed on it. As you can see, there are various OSHA guardrail provisions detailing when guardrails and railings should be used and how they should be constructed. A finger clearance of 2-1/4” is … OSHA Standards for Cable Railings; The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OSHA, maintains and enforces worker safety standards for nearly all employers in the United States. Shop Now! OSHA 1910.29 (b) contains system requirements that employers must follow to ensure guardrail systems will protect workers from falling to lower levels: 1910.29 (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. The main query we receive is whether existing railing needs to be modified to meet the current building code if it was built prior to the current code and met relevant requirements in place at the time of construction. According to OSHA regulations, a … The employer must ensure guardrail systems meet the following requirements: 1910.29 (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. The simple answer is NO, as there is currently no retrospective requirement unless significant modifications are made. Page 5 of 6. edge. Handrails must be between 36 inches and 38 inches (if built prior to January 2017, the height limitation is between 30 inches and 38 inches) as measured from the leading edge of the stair tread — the nosing – to the top surface of the handrail. Many Insurance Companies, Councils and other Authorities will confirm this. View the current OSHA standard which applies to construction after January 17, 2017 The top rail of the handrail must be a minimum of 42" [ref. 1926.1052 (c) (7) The current BCA requirements are that a balcony balustrade have the following attributes: – The top of the railing must be least 1 metre (1000mm) from the ground. Each roof railing system is designed by a sales engineer to ensure the highest level of safety. In Queensland, we have strict requirements when it comes to balustrades. Railings must meet a 200-lb concentrated load. Guardrail Load Requirements. OSHA railing requirements are put forward in their “1910.29 Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes”. For example, if furniture and other items are situated near the railing and children frequent the area then a 1m high balustrade is not adequate. When are you required to have handrails on both sides of a stair? The following newsletter was developed to identify safety issues in the industry and to assist you in meeting the requirements of the OSH legislation. See our complete line of in-stock inventory. OSHA Railing requirements for Standard Railing (noted as “Guard” in building codes) : 42 inch minimum height Required if 48 inches or greater drop from walking surface — top rail, intermediate rail and posts Intermediate rail at “about halfway up” Our photo (left) illustrates a handrail that is indeed "graspable" OSHA requires: Handrails must provide an adequate handhold for employees to grasp to prevent falls. OSHA Standards for Cable Railings; OSHA Safety Harness Requirement; OSHA Guidelines for Toeboards; The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates workplace safety by issuing standards and recommendations on how to comply with them. Introduction In 2010 WorkSafe conducted an inspection campaign on escalators and moving walk ways aimed at improving safety and health issues. Steel: 2 x 2 x 3/8 inch angles not more than 8 feet on centers. The Fall Protection … OSHA has proposed to revise the existing rules for Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems), 75 FR 28862 (May 24, 2010), including the requirements under §1910.23(e). the other safety requirements for guardrails. Many Lawyers will agree and there does not appear to have been any successful court cases to suggest this isn’t so. Handrail Height. OSHA regulations require that handrails include a top rail and intermediate rail, and the top rail must be designed to allow for a firm grip, states the U.S. Department of Labor. The height of a handrail above the floor or the nosing of a stair tread, shall be between 900mm and 1100mm. Employers in certain industries, like construction and maritime trades, are subject to more OSHA safety requirements than employers in other industries because of the unique dangers … Handrails are essential for decks higher than 1m, although they will help improve safety even on lower decks. Regulations, standards and design of stairway handrails Assessing and documenting handrail lines are one of the critical steps for architects and designers to correctly specify a set of stairs. By its very nature, OSHA standards apply to scenarios that should have limited access to the general public; therefore, the rules and regulations are less stringent as the guardrail does not need to withstand the same forces as in IBC guardrail. General dimensions . The top of the railing must be least 1 metre (1000mm) from the ground. The height of handrails shall be not more than 37 inches (94 cm) nor less than 30 inches (76 cm) from the upper surface of the handrail to the surface of the tread, in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread. BUT we believe that the day will come when there is a successful claim made against the owner of a historically compliant balustrade, and to be a real fun policeman, even against the owner of a currently compliant balustrade . That is both a simple and difficult question to answer. 1 The requirements for fall protection systems criteria and practices are under proposed § 1910.29. KeeGuard roof railing exceeds this requirement and has the testing documents to prove it. Handrail is rail that provides a handhold on a platform, walkway, stairway or step ladder. OSHA generally applies to areas not open to the public and requirements are different from what you would expect to see in the residential and commercial building codes. Any smooth surface railing that can withstand the load requirements. Note: OSHA updated their requirements on Jan. 17. Learn how your comment data is processed. (c)(6) The height of handrails shall be not more than 37 inches (94 cm) nor less than 30 inches (76 cm) from the upper surface of the handrail to the surface of the tread, in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread. If you manage a Hotel, Resort, Office Building or Apartment Building then this RISK MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST may be useful to you. 1910.29(b)(3) OSHA requires that guardrail systems must be able to withstand a force of at least 200 lbs of point load without failure. OSHA intends the proposed 37-inch upper limit for handrails to provide a measure of flexibility, allowing a 1-inch tolerance for the height of a stairrail that also serves as a handrail. Thus the barrier height on a landing, other than in housing, must be 1100mm. Any opening must not allow a 125mm sphere (ie childs head) to pass through. Handrails must be 30–38" above the leading edge of the stair tread. Oregon OSHA requires that employees at general industry workplaces be protected from falls to a lower level of four feet or more and from any height above dangerous equipment. Here are some basic pieces of information to bear in mind when constructing a handrail to comply with OSHA Standards. Under 1910.24, OSHA prescribes the use of handrails and railings as fall protection. Straightforward installation and the ability to customize your look. The pitchline is defined as ‘the line joining the leading edge or nosings of successive stair treads’. IBC Guardrail Load Requirements . Systems mounted after 01/17/2017 must be 42" or higher. Systems mounted before 01/17/2017 must be 30" or higher. © ©2020 The Wagner Companies, R&B Wagner, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Installing Handrail, Railing & Misc. Click here to read about the update. Where a deck or balcony is one metre or higher above the ground, balustrades need to be at least one metre high. Balustrade/handrail requirements to meet AS1428. Paragraph (c) (7) allows any stairrail system between 36 and 37 inches in height to double as a handrail. For instance, OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.23 covers requirements for ladders and includes information on when handrails are required on mobile ladder stands or platforms (when they have a top step height of 4 feet or more) and how high a railing must 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). LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS – PREVENTING FALLS FROM HEIGHTS 14 5. OSHA covers a variety of guidelines for guard railings and balusters: Guard railings are required if the area has a drop of 48 inches or higher Openings between intermediate railings must be less than 19 inches Intermediate balusters must be placed no more than 19 inches apart However, issues arising from an incorrect or unachievable handrail line represent some of the most common problems that arise when stairs go to contract. One of the most common searches on this site is in regards to the legal heights of balcony railings and balustrades. This is measured from the top surface of the handrail. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The gap between the balcony surface to the bottom rail must be no more than 100mm. OSHA Standard 1910.23 is part of For decks more than one metre above the ground, openings in balustrades, including decorative balustrades, cannot be greater than 125 millimetres. There were no comments on paragraph (c) (7). All ErectaStep stairs comply with OSHA standard 1910.25 which covers all stairways including standard, spiral, ship, and alternating tread-type stairs. An older height balustrade near an area where large crowds congregate (and/or drink alcohol) should be subject to some serious risk assessment. Download the OSHA cheatsheet. Always ask for the test documentation. on Balustrade and Railing Height Regulations, Make Safety a Reality – Don’t Be a Fatality, Blood In My Pockets Is Blood On Your Hands: A Better Approach to Worker Safety, The Paradox of Conformity and the Challenge for New Ideas, Next Generation Safety Leadership–Book Review, Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning. Specific requirements apply for decks higher than 4m. Our opinion is that Building Codes and Standards are a MINIMUM requirement and there is an overriding legal obligation to fully assess the risk and go above and beyond minimum standards if required. See our information sheet from our Public Liability Website, The current BCA requirements are that a balcony balustrade have the following attributes: –. Guardrails, stair rails, and handrails are common fall protection solutions. Installation & Assembly Instructions – Resources, View the current OSHA standard which applies to construction after January 17, 2017, Required if 48 inches or greater drop from walking surface — top rail, intermediate rail and posts, Required on stairs with four or more risers, Wood Railings: 2 x 4 stock, not more than 6 feet apart, Pipe Railings: 1-1/2″ nominal diameter, not more than 8 feet apart. So the vertical components must … Warning: If you think OSHA is a small town in Wisconsin, you’re in trouble. You must … Below is a quick reference guide for ensuring your facility is OSHA compliant. 1910.23(e)(1)] The intermediate (middle) rail should be located in the middle of the upright creating equal space between the floor and the top rail. Handrails must be ‘positioned between 900 and 1000mm above the pitchline’. The following are the minimum requirements for balustrade/handrails under the AS1428 code; The code requires a circular or elliptical handrail, with a minimum width of 30mm and a maximum width of 50mm (see FIG 1.1 below). Learn about Ultra-tec® cable cutting, swaging measurements and how to install cable railing. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.23includes requirements for ladders, when handrails are required on platforms and how high safety railings must be. Railings, on the other hand, protect employees from falling over the edge of an open-sided stairway. OSHA's requirements for guardrail can be found on the OSHA website. If the stair han… [ref. The basic requirements for railings, including handrails, and toeboards used for guarding floor and wall openings and holes are set out in OSHA Standard 1910.23 – Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes. The Acceptable Solution F4/AS1 (Table 1) requires barrier heights in buildings other than housing to be 900mm on stairs and ramps, and 1100mm elsewhere. Many OSHA standards relate to the construction industry, where workplace accidents have historically been common. NB: the following relates only to properties in Australia. Like guardrails, OSHA regulations provide specific handrail and stair rail requirements. Any opening must not allow a 125mm sphere (ie childs head) to pass through. And yet there’s more provisions for railing safety. OSHA's requirements for handrails.