Roof free-standing guardrail regulations simplified
Ensuring safety while working at heights is paramount, and implementing effective roof edge protection systems is a critical component of fall prevention strategies. These systems are designed to safeguard individuals from potential falls during roof maintenance, inspections, or installations.
Understanding Roof Edge Protection Systems
Roof edge protection systems serve as barriers that prevent accidental falls from rooftops. They are essential for maintaining safety standards in various industries, especially in construction and maintenance sectors. These systems can be categorized into several types:
- Fixed Guardrail: Permanently installed along the roof edge, providing continuous protection without the need for personal fall arrest system.
- Freestanding Guardrail: Modular systems that do not require penetration of the roof membrane, preserving the roof's integrity.
- Parapet Guardrail: Designed to be installed on existing parapet walls, enhancing safety without significant structural modifications.
Freestanding Guardrail Regulations and Standards
The following regulations, standards and guidance documents can often be confusing. When specifying roof edge railing, many require different load and testing criteria. In addition, there isn’t a specific regulation or standard relating to cantilevered or free-standing guardrails which can be used as both temporary and permanent solutions.
- The Building Regulations Part K 2013
- EN 13374 Temporary Edge Protection Systems – Product Specification, Test Methods 2013.
- EN 14122-3 Safety of machinery. Permanent means of access to machinery, stairways, stepladders and guardrails 2010
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005
- Workplace Health Safety & Welfare Regulations 1992
- BS 6180 Protective Barriers In and About Buildings 1999
- HSE Specialist Inspectors Report No 15 1987
- Eurocode 1 EN 1991-1-1 supersedes BS 6399 Part 1 Loading for Building 1996
- Eurocode 1 EN 1991-1-4 supersedes BS 6399 Part 2 Code of Practice for Wind Loading 1997
- Construction Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1996
- HSE Health & Safety in Roofwork 2012
Advantages of Freestanding Roof Edge Protection
Freestanding systems, such as the Kee Guard® Roof Edge Protection, offer several benefits:
- Non-Penetrative Installation: These systems utilize counterbalanced weights, eliminating the need to drill into the roof structure, thus preventing potential leaks and preserving the roof warranty.
- Modular Design: The use of Kee Klamp components allows for flexibility, enabling the system to navigate around obstacles and adapt to various roof configurations.
- Compliance with Safety Standards: Kee Guard systems are tested and comply with international safety standards, including BS 13700:2021 and EN 13374 Class A, ensuring reliable protection.
Selecting the Appropriate Roof Edge Protection System
When choosing an edge protection system, consider the following factors:
- Roof Type and Slope: Ensure the system is compatible with your roof's material and pitch.
- Installation Requirements: Determine whether a freestanding or fixed system is more suitable based on structural considerations.
- Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the system meets local and international safety standards relevant to your industry.
EN 13374
This standard, most commonly used in the UK for the specification of roof fall protection barriers, relates to the design of temporary edge protection systems and requires a system to withstand loads applied perpendicular, horizontally and vertically to the system. This standard was introduced in 1997 and replaced the UK HSE Specialist Inspectors Report No. 15 1987 and other European Standards. EN 13374 has recently been revised by Technical Committee 53, Working Group 10 (TC53/WG10) following discussions about changing the title of this European Norm to accommodate permanent counterbalanced systems. Unfortunately, the change never occurred, however, in the UK National Forward, there is a clear reference to include such permanent counterbalanced systems.
EN 13374 outlines requirements for three classes of edge protection system.
Class A 0-10° roof pitch
Class B 10-30° roof pitch
Class C 30-45° roof pitch
All classes have a static load requirement, and classes B & C also have a dynamic load applied representing someone rolling down the roof slope and making contact with the edge protection system.
Under Clause 7.3 friction or counterbalanced systems should be tested at the maximum inclination, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The performance will vary according to the roof pitch, base material (wet or dry) and whether or not there is an upstand (restraint/roof edge) present. The manufacturer of a Roof Edge Guardrail system must demonstrate compliance with this standard by testing the variations, e.g. roof pitch and membrane type, where they claim their products can be installed.
Eurocode 1: Actions on Structures – Part 1-4: General Actions – Wind Loads.
When edge protection is installed as a permanent system, it should comply with appropriate wind loading criteria as outlined in Part 1-4 of Eurocode 1: Actions on Structures.
Although EN 13374 now includes a degree of wind loading assessment it has become clear that wind loading is a far more onerous force than that of a person falling against a guardrail. As a result, any professional manufacturer should provide a wind design for every installation dependent upon the topography, height of the building and geographical location..
EN 14122-3
Confusion regarding the standards and their relevance has led to some companies commissioning independent assessment and testing by institutions, such as, ”The British Board of Agrément.”
Where there are no specific standards relating to a product, it is essential to establish the product is “fit for the intended use.” In these situations, some European authorities have applied standards such as EN 14122-3 Safety of Machinery. Permanent means of access to machinery, stairways, stepladders and guardrails 2010.
This standard provides a uniformly distributed load and deflection criteria. It is intended for guardrails around plants and machinery, it was widely adopted in the UK as the applicable standard for many years instead of an alternative. It does not refer to roof pitch, roof membrane, wet or dry conditions, upstand details or toe-board requirement and is less appropriate for edge protection specification on roofs. That said it is possible to configure free-standing guardrails to meet the loadings of EN14122-3 by limiting the maximum roof pitch to less than 3 degrees and using additional counter-balance weights and the manufacturer providing testing in both the wet and dry.
Work at Height Regulations
Introduced in 2005 the Work at Height Regulations require all those that have a duty of care to ensure that work at height is carried out safely with the implementation of a Risk Assessment. Solutions need to be suitable and sufficient to ensure the prevention of both persons and objects from falling.
These Regulations revoked Regulation 13 of the Workplace Health Safety & Welfare Regulations 1992 and Regulations 6-8 of the Construction Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1996.
Schedule 2 of the Regulations, “Construction Work” (Temporary Provisions of Protection) states that the top guardrail or other similar means of protection must be at least 950mm high. Toe boards should be suitable and sufficient to prevent the fall of any person, material or object, from any place of work. The intermediate guardrail or similar means of protection must be positioned so that any gap between it and other means of protection does not exceed 470mm.
Permanent protection barriers need to be suitable and sufficient and must comply with the Building Regulations Part K criteria about height. As a result, the 470mm gap stipulation would not be possible to achieve. However, if the “existing place of work” becomes “Construction Work” then the Work at Height Regulations would take precedence so you would need to consider toe boards and further intermediate guardrails to comply with the 470mm gap.
In conclusion
To correctly specify a fall protection guardrail system, there needs to be a clear understanding of the various standards and regulations to design a system that is fit for purpose. Incorrect specification could be fatal.
Always request manufacturers' test reports as well as data to demonstrate that the system is suitable for the intended use including the roof pitch, membrane type, and both wet and dry performance and state whether the system was tested with or without an upstand.
A risk assessment should also be completed to determine if the product is fit for purpose. If freestanding guardrails are to be used in a permanent application at 1100mm high, it may be appropriate to adopt the loading criteria of EN 13374 about the frequency of access and other controls that are in place.
The risk assessment will determine whether it is necessary to use toe-boards (kick plates) or include a 470mm gap between principal/intermediate guardrails. Roof loadings may also influence the decision, with EN13374-A being the most appropriate as the roof may not cope with the higher loadings suggested in the Building Regulations or other standards relating to permanent systems.
Choose KeeGuard roof edge protection
- Doesn't penetrate the roof
- Will last decades
- Corrosion resistant
- Easy to install and maintain
- Exceeds EN standards
