First of all here are some applicable requirements for guardrails and safety railings included in osha s walking working surfaces standard for general industry 29 cfr 1910 29.
Osha height requirements for roof guardrails.
Osha 1910 29 b contains system requirements that employers must follow to ensure guardrail systems will protect workers from falling to lower levels.
Height of guard rails.
Ibc guardrail is required to be a minimum of 42 above the leading edge of the tread or walking surface.
For example if employees are using elevated footwear for some reason the top of the rails will need to be correspondingly higher.
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.
Section r312 is titled guards and window fall protection.
1910 29 b 2 osha requires a 21 midrail such that.
1926 502 j 7 ii materials which are piled grouped or stacked near a roof edge shall be stable and self supporting.
To meet osha s railing height requirements the top rail needs to be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the walking working surface.
Materials and equipment shall not be stored within 6 feet 1 8 m of a roof edge unless guardrails are erected at the edge.
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.
Employers may need to go beyond osha s requirements if safety.
1910 29 b 1 the height of top rails must be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the walking working surface.
Osha guardrail height requirements.
The top edge height may exceed 45 inches 114 cm provided the guardrail system meets all other criteria of paragraph b of this section see figure d 11 of this section.
Osha also requires a top rail at 42 above the working working surface but allows for some flexibility of 3 inches from the 42.
The top edge of the guard rails must be between 39 and 45 inches above the walking area taking account of all circumstances.
For a roof railing to be effective in preventing a fall it must meet system requirements laid out in osha 1910 29.
This section explains when guardrails are required the minimum height and opening limitations to provide a minimum level of safety.
Except as provided elsewhere in this section the employer must ensure that each employee on a walking working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet 1 2 m or more above a lower level is protected from falling by one or more of the following.
Or personal fall protection.
Osha 1910 28 b 1 i 1910 23 a 4 ibc1015 7 roof access.