Use a Safety Gate to Restrict Access and to Prevent Falls

helps to create a barrier to prevent people from falling or gaining access to restricted areas inside and around your building. You should install gates in any location where someone could easily fall down and get injured or in areas to limit access. For example, gates could be installed at the top of stairs, at the bottom of stairs, or as part of a guard rail.

Avoid Creating a Hazard When Installing a Safety Gate

 

The placement and installation of a safety gate should not encumber or create a hazard whenever it is opened. The gate will need to swing clearly open without hitting other people, objects, or disrupting other work processes. If there are objects, equipment or other items in the way of the gate, it creates a hazard, both for the person trying to access the gate, as well as people walking between the gate and the objects. You may also want to use caution signs on your gates to include safety messages, such as to stand clear anytime the gate is opened.

Prevent People from Falling through Skylights by using Skylight Guards

Industrial buildings which have skylights should have skylight guards installed in order to prevent accidents. Skylights are a common cause of falls when people are working on the roof. Falling through a skylight can be fatal and can result in death. By installing guards around and over your skylights, you are able to prevent these types of falls, while ensuring the safety of anyone working on your roof.

Safety Agencies Require Skylight Guards for Commercial Buildings

 

Skylight guards are required by various safety agencies for commercial buildings. The guard needs to include a screen or other barrier which will support the weight of a person, in the event they trip and fall down onto the top of guard. The guard is designed to stop the person from falling through the skylight and getting hurt. Guards should be installed so that they completely cover the skylight.

Portable Guard Rails are Required Equipment Needed by Construction Companies

Construction companies which undertake new building projects are required to use fall protection equipment. This commonly includes harness systems and lifelines but many are now utilizing portable guard rails. There is far less training required and workers are more productive when they are unencumbered by ropes. What happens when an employee forgets to tie-off or just neglects Personal Fall Arrest System training?  Portable guard rail is the solution for construction site safety.

Use Portable Guard Rails to Temporarily Block off Access to Sections in Warehouses

 

The use of portable guard rails can be required to block off sections to prevent access for short periods of time. For instance, in storage warehouses, anytime you are using a forklift or other equipment to move items around, you should block off the area with guard rails to prevent others from accessing the location. Once the items have been moved, you can take down the rails and use them in another location.

Install Permanent Guard Rails to Fix Areas with Drop Offs

As a business owner, you are responsible to ensure the safety of your employees and visitors. You should inspect all aspects and locations of your facility to verify they meet or exceed OSHA guidelines, as well as other safety agencies. Whenever you find locations which could be potentially hazardous or result in an accident or injury, you need to take steps to resolve this situation. For example, your loading dock could have areas where they drop off to the ground below. This is a safety hazard that can be resolved by installing permanent guard rails.

Permanent Guard Rails Can Help Limit Your Organization’s Liability

 

Besides helping to create safety in your facility, permanent guard rails can also help to limit your liability. Slip and fall accidents are one of the more common types of accidents which often results in the business owner being taken to court. The injured party has to prove the owner was negligent and allowed a potentially dangerous condition to occur that resulted in their accident. However, business owners, who take the time and install the right safety equipment, like guard rails, will be able to show they took every step possible to help prevent an accident was exercising due diligence.  Fall protections is smart risk management.

Safety Guard Rails Not Only Prevent Falls but also Provides Support

Safety guard rails should be used on stairways, landings and other elevated locations. People can grab onto the rail whenever they are walking up or down stairs for added support. Railings also serve to provide a barrier from a drop off where someone could easily walk off a ledge if they were not paying attention, like on loading dock.
  

Use Safety Guard Rails along Emergency Evacuation Routes

 

Another location where you can use safety guard rails is for evacuation routes in your plant or facility. During an emergency, such as a fire, the power may go out, and there will be smoke. This can make it difficult for people to find their way out of the building or down corridors, stairways and other routes to safety. By installing guard rails, people are able to follow the railing along and know they are going in the right direction for evacuation.

Ladder Guards Help Provide Safety in Areas You Use Ladders

The purpose of ladder guards is to help provide safety in locations where ladders are in use. A ladder guard is placed on a rooftop as an approach to an access ladder. A ladder guard will funnel personnel to the ladder acting as a control zone.  Distractions can happen quickly. A simple cell phone call as a person is approaching a ladder on a roof edge can be life threatening.  A ladder guard at the base of the ladder can be an easy method of preventing people from accidently walking off a roof while approaching a ladder. 

Use Hatch Guards around Rooftop Access Hatches and Other Removable Covers

 

Rooftop access hatches are required to have permanently installed hatch guards. The railings and gate on the hatch guards act as a barrier to prevent people from accidently falling through the hatch opening when left open. Falls tend to happen in areas that people don’t consider as hazards. Everyone knows to be careful near a roof edge but falls often happen far away for roof edges. The two most common falls are through skylight cover and open access hatches. Hatch guards and skylight guards are a key element to any rooftop fall prevention strategy.

Safety Railing Is One Type of Fall Prevention Equipment

Organizations have the responsibility of creating safe working environments. OSHA and other government agencies will have specific requirements for different types of protections, such as safe noise levels, fall protection and providing safety equipment. For instance, safety railing should be installed in any location which is elevated off of ground level in order to prevent accidental falls.

Use Safety Railing to Create a Barrier that Prevents Falls

 

Safety railing can be used on stairwells, landings, and other elevated places. Besides these locations, portable railing can be used to secure potentially hazardous work locations. You can install rails around machinery and equipment to prevent access when it is in operation or during maintenance periods. Railings can be set up around access covers where someone could fall into a whole without this barrier in place. You can also use portable railings on roof tops near the edge of the roof whenever work is being performed.

Make Your Skylights Secure by Installing Skylight Guarding

When you have skylights on the roof of your building you are required to secure each skylight. OSHA views skylights in a similar manner as they would a hole in your roof or other location. If someone is able to fall into a hole, they are also equally able to fall through a skylight. In order to make your skylights secure you should install skylight guarding.

You Can Get Custom Sizes for Your Skylight Guarding

 

Skylight guarding fits around and over your existing skylights to create a protective barrier. It can be obtained in custom sizes to fit over your skylights. The covers can protect personnel with significantly reducing the light they provide. No welding, mounting or drilling is required in order to install our guarding. The steel used in the construction of the guarding meets OSHA guidelines and is able to prevent falls, as well as skylight glass breakage.