Guard rails may be used to provide effective fall prevention:

  1. at the edges of roofs
  2. at the edges of mezzanine floors, walkways, stairways, ramps and landings
  3. on top of plant and structures where access is required (see Figure 17)
  4. around openings in floor and roof structures
  5. 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.