Safety railings are one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of worker protection in industrial facilities. They serve to protect workers, equipment and structures from accidents caused by machinery and vehicles.
These railings are therefore an important piece of safety equipment, and all industrial properties should have them. Here’s everything you should know about safety rails.
Where safety railings are necessary
Safety rails can be useful in many different locations and for an assortment of applications in an industrial facility. Here are just a few:
• Any time there’s a difference of more than 76 centimetres (30 inches) between an upper and lower surface, such as landings, platforms and accessible roof spaces.
• A workspace that’s six feet higher than a lower level.
• Anywhere forklifts or other material handling vehicles are operated. In this case, guardrails protect both your equipment and workers from accidents.
Types of safety railings
Safety rails come in different heights and lengths, depending on your needs. They can come equipped with one, two or more rails. Additionally, while the posts are generally permanent, it’s also possible to get safety railing with removeable rails. This is useful for situations in which you want to protect your machinery or equipment, but still need access to it periodically.
Furthermore, safety railings are available with different impact ratings, which is beneficial in situations where you want to protect your workers and equipment from vehicles that operate in your workplace. Many safety rails have impact ratings of 10,000 pounds. This means that it can deflect impact from a machine, such as a forklift, that weighs up to this weight, thereby protecting what’s behind it. If necessary, there are safety railings with stronger impact ratings.
To know which type of safety railing your space requires, it’s best to speak to an expert.
Professional installation is key
No matter how impact resistant your safety railing is, if it isn’t installed properly, it won’t provide effective protection. In order to make sure your industrial building is secure, it’s imperative to get your guardrails professionally installed by an experienced fencing contractor.
Safety rails and more in the GTA
If you’re looking to protect your employees and your property, the expert fence builders at City Fence can help. We offer custom iron fences, gates, partitions and safety rails for industrial and commercial properties all over the Greater Toronto Area. Contact us today to find out more about our services or to request a free quote.