Always Make Sure to Install OSHA Approved Safety Rails

Certain work locations around your building need to have safety rails installed for various reasons such as preventing accidental falls from high locations. You should make sure the gates you select meet or exceed current OSHA guidelines. By ensuring you use railings that meet OSHA safety guidelines is smart risk management.

Use Approved OSHA Safety Gates Along with Your Guard Rails

You have to make sure to include approved OSHA safety gates anytime you want an opening along railings. Gates should be placed in locations where ladders and stairs are used to prevent people from accidently falling. You will want to also include gates to make accessing equipment and machinery easy by authorized personnel. The gate should be mounted corrected so the top rail of the gate is level with the top rail of your guard rails and should satisfy the current OSHA guidelines.

Approved OSHA Safety Gates Are Often Installed to Swing Outwards

 

The swing of approved OSHA safety gates will depend upon how the gate is mounted to your railing. In most situations the gate is attached to your railings where it swings outward rather than inwards. For instance, if the gate is placed at the top of stairs or a ladder, then the gate should swing outwards and not towards the stairs or ladder. If the gate is installed into railings placed around dangerous equipment, the gate also swings outwards and away from the equipment.

Obtain Safety Equipment Required for Construction Projects from a Rail Company

You will need to include safety equipment like guard rails, gates, skylight guarding, and hatch guards as part of a new building. Even during the building process the construction company needs to use safety railing and other safety equipment to complete the required work. You can obtain the necessary equipment needed during construction work, as well as for the building from our rail company.

Use the Safety Equipment Available from a Rail Company to Make Your Building Safe

 

The types of items you require from our rail company depend upon the location where the safety equipment is going to be used. For example, your maintenance workers often need portable guard rails to set up and block off areas where they are performing repairs and maintenance on equipment. Anytime work is being performed on your roof you also require guard rails as well as mobile fall restraint systems. If you maintain your own parking lot and sidewalks around your building you will want to make sure you have visual warning line systems. In addition to these items there are other safety systems and equipment available to help make your workplace safe.

Move Your Visual Warning Systems Using a Stanchion Cart

When you need to move your visual warning line system from one work site to another you can easily transport the poles using a stanchion cart. This type of cart is designed to hold a specific number of stanchion poles securely in place. Using the cart makes it easier to set up and take down your warning line posts. Since the cart is on wheels you are able to move it to each area you need to place or pick up a post.

You Can Use a Stanchion Cart for Storing You Stanchion Posts

 

There are several pieces of equipment required in order to set up a visual warning line system. You will need the right types of stanchion posts and flags placed at the correct spacing. For instance, you should place a stanchion every 50 feet when using plastic OSHA flags. In addition to these basic items you may want to also have access to a stanchion cart for storing your stanchion posts anytime they are not in use.

Use an Industrial Safety Gate and Guard Rails to Section off Restricted Work Areas

You can section off unsafe work areas in your facility my installing an OSHA approved industrial safety gate and guard rails. The rails will prevent employees from wandering into these restricted locations or getting too close to production equipment. Gates allow authorized workers the ability to access the work locations when wearing the appropriate safety equipment or to perform routine maintenance.

Use Signage with Your Industrial Safety Gate and Guard Rails

 

You will want to make sure to use the right types of signage in locations where you have installed an industrial safety gate and guard rails. For example, if workers are required to wear hard hats and safety goggles, you should have a warning sign stating this equipment is needed to enter the location. When the gate and railings are near working machinery you might want a sign that states to keep the gate closed while equipment is in operation. By properly placing signage near gates you help increase awareness about potential hazards and often help to prevent accidents in your workplace.

What Is the OSHA Guard Rails Height Requirement?

There might be some confusion about OSHA guard rails height requirements. Depending upon the age of your plant you may have some guard rails which were grandfathered in at the time OSHA increased the height requirement to 42 inches. Existing railings that had a vertical height of at least 36 inches have been accepted to provide suitable safety in work areas. It should be pointed out the railings had to be permanently installed in their locations in order to be grandfathered in when the height was increased.

Removing Existing Railings Requires Replacing Them with Approved OSHA Guard Rails

 

Companies which remodel or update their facilities have to make sure they meet the current safety guidelines and requirements. You might be expanding your loading dock or installing a new roof where your existing rails has to be removed. If you were to remove any permanently installed guard rails that were grandfathered in by OSHA you must replace them with the new OSHA guard rails height requirement. It is your responsibility to check the current guidelines and make sure your facility remains compliant.

Install a Self-Closing Safety Gate to Help Prevent Falls

In certain locations in your facility you will want to install a self-closing safety gate. This type of safety gate automatically closes after someone passes through the gate. An ideal location to install these kinds of gates is at the tops of stairwells leading up to mezzanines used for storage. The gate can prevent someone from accidently falling down the stairs anytime they are picking up or dropping off items in storage.

Use a Self-Closing Safety Gate in Areas Where Employees May Have Items in Their Hands

 

A self-closing safety gate is well suited for areas where your employees may not always be able to have their hands free. For instance, you maintenance workers could be entering a restricted area and carrying tools and replacement parts. Rather than having to set down these items, they can still open the safety gate and it will close behind them. The direction the gate opens is reversible to suit with your facility and needs.