Handrails, Guardrails, and Railings

What’s the difference between handrails and guardrails?

Guardrails — also known as standard railings — are vertical barriers that protect employees and visitors against falls from elevated surfaces, alert workers to the presence of hazards, and prevent unauthorized access to restricted areas. Guardrail is also utilized in industrial settings to protect machinery and structures. For this discussion, we’ll focus on guardrails designed to protect employees and visitors from falls on elevated surfaces. While guardrails can come in a variety of custom styles, they consist of top rails, intermediate rails, and posts assembled to prevent employee falls, as well as toeboards, which keep equipment, materials, and employees’ feet from slipping off the edge. Unlike handrails, guardrails are designed to be life-saving devices around metal steps, landings, platforms, openings, accessible roof spaces, or other hazards. Handrails – promote safe movement but are not intended to be life-saving devices. Mounted to a wall or partition by brackets attached to its lower side, a handrail provides a supporting handhold for employees or visitors who might be disabled, have trouble walking, or otherwise prefer assistance when navigating stairs, ramps, slopes, or other surfaces. The minimum clearance between it and any other object is 2.25 inches to keep everyone safe from harm while providing stability when moving around the workplace. Handrails are typically used with any stairway consisting of more than three risers. Per OSHA standard 1910.24, handrails are prescribed as fall protection. Standard railings are required on the open sides of all exposed stairways and stair platforms. Handrails must be provided on at least one side of closed stairways, and both railings and handrails must be installed in accordance with 1910.23. These requirements are calculated according to stairway width and the number of closed sides for each flight of stairs having four or more risers. For example, on stairways more than 44 inches wide but less than 88 inches wide, there must be one handrail on each enclosed side and one stair railing on each open side. Handrails must have the shape and dimension necessary to grasp firmly, and the ends of handrails and handrail systems must not present any projection hazards. Handrails are required under the following circumstances:

• When a worker must use stairs, ramps, or steps to access another building level, all areas with no alternative route that will provide safe passage without using stairs should have handrails, including doorways and landings at the top and bottom of staircases.
• If any area on a level, including hallways and corridors, that contains one or more steps with the span of four inches (100 mm) or more within 36 inches (910 mm) horizontally to the ground.
• The design of ramps can allow for the installation without handrails. Handrails are only required in an employee work area if it’s a walking surface with running slopes less than 1:20 in height that doesn’t need to have rails in place.

Install guardrails to safeguard employees and visitors from falls around shipping pits, loading docks, and elevated areas like mezzanines. Handrails should be installed along stairways, ladders, and ramps to provide stability and prevent slips or falls during ascent or descent. Together, these systems play a vital role in ensuring a safe workplace by addressing various fall hazards. At W.W. Cannon, we not only provide these fall protection systems, but we also handle the installation and ongoing service, giving you peace of mind that your facility is always secure. Review our product brochures in the Product Documents section, then give us a call or Contact Us and let our knowledgeable staff guide you through the selection process.