How to Choose the Right Roof Fall Protection Guardrail System for Your Workplace
Industrial-based businesses are more susceptible to safety hazards such as roof falls. For this reason, you should prioritize the safety of your employees by putting in place adequate and effective fall protection systems as required by the occupational safety and health administration. By complying with the OSHA standards, you will not only guarantee the safety of your employees but also avoid fines as well as legal tussles in the form of workers’ compensation lawsuits. Guardrails are one of the most effective roof fall protection systems you should install on your facility. Considering that roofs vary in structure, you should do your due diligence to select the right guardrails or safety railings for your workplace. Below are tips that will guide you in choosing a guardrail system that will best suit your workplace safety needs.
Installation costs are an essential aspect you should look into when choosing a guardrail roof protection system. Once you assess your safety needs and decide to settle on guardrails, you should keep in mind that it may be a costly undertaking due to initial costs. If your budget is tight, you can opt for portable osha guard rails as they are more cost-effective in the long run. With this type of guardrails, you will not have to worry about purchasing and installing new guardrails each time you move to a different industrial facility as you will be able to use them at your new workplace, thereby saving on costs. You can also compare the various guardrail prices offered on the market and settle on one that seems most reasonable for you.
The other aspect you should look into when choosing a guardrail system for your roof fall protection is your type of roofing system. Before settling on a guardrail system, you should first consider the specifics of the roof your employees will be using in terms of the availability of skylights on the roof, access ways as well as parapets. A non-penetrating guardrail would be your best option if you want to protect both your employees and the roof membrane at the same time. With this type of roof fall protection system, you will not have to worry about drilling or cutting through rubber membranes as the guardrails will be installed without necessarily damaging your roof’s integrity. Non-penetrating guardrails are able to provide the required OSHA safety measures through the use of cast iron bases. If your workers will be working around skylights or other roof openings, it is highly advisable to take great precaution since they can easily fall through the open skylights or glass while concentrating on their work. Therefore, to keep these areas safe, you should set up guardrails or a personal arrest fall system than can support two times the weight that will be exerted on it.
Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_rail.
