The majority of falls when working at height start with a slip. From wet ground to uneven flooring, a simple slide of the foot can send you tumbling to the ground and - with nothing there to support you - can potentially lead to a serious injury. This is never more scary than when it occurs at the very edge of a building.

Luckily, a little slip doesn’t have to result in a fatal fall. By adding roof edge protection to spaces where people are working at height, the safety of staff is put first.

At Altus Safety, we install and test quality edge protection as part of our fall protection services. We’re also one of the UK’s leading voices in roof access safety and take edge protection seriously, which is why we wanted to take a closer look at exactly what it involves in this guide.

Learn why it’s important, essential information for legal compliance, and how you can ensure your guardrails keep your team safe. Let’s dive in.

What is Edge Protection and What Does it Do?

Roof edge protection is a safety measure applied to the edges of buildings where there’s a risk of falling. Most commonly, edge protection comes in the form of guardrails and handrails, which are installed in situations where individuals are working at height.

Edge protection can be placed on the roofs and lower levels of various buildings, including warehouses, factories, sports stadiums, and hospitals, and is used to keep guests, staff, and construction employees safe when moving around at height.

It’s also common for edge protection to be used during the construction of a building, with temporary guardrail options available that can be removed when work is complete. These solutions are frequently used alongside other roof safety systems, such as fall arrest restraints.

It’s important to remember that edge protection isn’t only necessary on rooftops. If needed, it can also be implemented at lower levels of a building, including at ground level if there’s a risk of falling.

Define Guardrail

To define ‘guardrail’ succinctly, we’ve put together a quick sentence that encompasses this type of roof edge protection:

A solid structure that’s placed at the edge of a surface to prevent individuals from falling.

It’s as simple as that.

When is Edge Protection Required?

Generally, edge protection is needed when there’s a possibility of falling over 2 metres. In these cases, guardrails and handrails with sufficient toe boards are required as a barrier between those accessing the site and a potential fall.

On sites that aren’t well suited to edge protection, other fall protection - including horizontal lifelines and mobile man anchors - can be used. These come under the category of fall arrest systems, meaning that they stop falls as they happen to reduce potential injuries caused by impact.

At Altus, we specialise in edge protection for those working at height, following The Work at Height Regulations 2005 to ensure complete compliance with UK law.

What Are the Legal Requirements for Edge Rails?

Aside from the laws already mentioned, The Working at Height Regulations (2005) list multiple factors that your edge protection needs to meet in order to reduce risk. Some of the regulations included specify that:

Your top guardrail should be at least 950 millimetres above the edge
Your edge protection should incorporate sufficient toe boards to provide additional fall protection
The gaps between guardrails should be no bigger than 470 millimetres
You must use edge protection that’s sufficiently strong enough for the purpose and correctly secured

Following these legal requirements boosts the security of your edge protection system, helping keep everyone safe while they work. It also protects your business in the case of any legal disputes, with a record of your edge protection installation proving that you’ve taken the necessary precautions against falls.

Legal Requirement For Edge Protection Testing

When it comes to roof edge protection, you’re legally required to test your systems regularly. This includes:

Pre-use checks carried out before work begins by a competent individual, including a thorough visual inspection of the guardrails and handrails to ensure there’s no damage or corrosion that could affect their function.
Professional testing carried out by a qualified fall protection expert, like a member of the Altus team.

Following The Work at Height Regulations 2005 and PUWER 1998, your edge protection systems must be inspected, tested, and maintained at least every 12 months. That’s where we come in.

At Altus, we carry out full testing and certification of edge protection solutions, including those installed by our team and by other providers (we don’t discriminate!). All of our testing is in line with BS 13700:2021, making it simple for your building to prove compliance.

What Are the Different Types of Guardrail Edge Protection?

Edge protection isn’t just one product; it’s a broad term used for various types of roof safety equipment. At Altus, we provide a wide variety of edge solutions to suit a range of buildings and purposes.

To learn more and choose the right edge protection for your project, let’s take a look at each option in more detail.

Freestanding Handrails and Guardrails

Freestanding handrails and guardrails are a great solution when working at heights is unavoidable, providing fall protection that eliminates the need for any drilling or penetration to the roof. Heavy balance weights make these a solid safety system, ensuring that they won’t budge even with large loads pushed against them.

They’re easy to install, don’t require a lot of training to use, and can be moved around to suit the changing needs of your fall protection system.

Collapsible Handrails and Guardrails

Collapsible guardrail systems are often chosen for their aesthetic benefits. These roof edge protection systems are able to fold down when not in use, creating an invisible barrier for buildings where style is crucial.

Once erected, they work the same way as the freestanding handrails and guardrails, without the need for any drilling into the roof. They have similar advantages to the above, such as being very simple to install and easy to reconfigure, with the added bonus of their discreet appearance.

Some of the buildings that can benefit from collapsible guardrails include:

Listed, heritage, or historical buildings
Buildings with height restrictions that edge protection would surpass
Buildings in conservation areas

Fixed Guardrails

Fixed guardrails and handrails are a permanent roof edge protection solution. These rails can be fixed directly onto a number of roof types, including composite, standing seam, and built-up roofs, providing a great solution for many buildings.

Unlike freestanding guardrails, fixed options don’t incorporate any protruding bars on the floor. This reduces tripping hazards associated with the rails, adding an additional level of safety to your fall protection.

Clamp Handrails

Clamp handrails are a type of freestanding handrail made from adjustable brackets. This allows you to configure them at various heights and angles, making them ideal for spaces with unusual layouts.

A clamp handrail system easily moves when needed and requires no drilling or penetration to the roof.

Other Fall Protection Systems

Using guardrails alongside other forms of fall protection is a fantastic way to boost the safety of your site when working at height. To give you an idea of the options available, we’ve taken a quick look at the definitions of different roof safety solutions:

Define ‘davit’ - a small crane used to suspend or lower people when working at height.
Define ‘mobile man anchor’ - a weighted structure that individuals working at height can be harnessed to as a method of arresting falls.
Define ‘lifelines’ - a length of rope or wire securely connected to a building that an individual working at height can attach their harness to.

All of these systems are designed to prevent falls and minimise the chance of injury if an accident does occur, ensuring everyone working at height has the equipment they need to stay safe.

How Can Altus Safety Help?

At Altus Safety, we supply a wide range of fall protection equipment, including the roof edge protection solutions outlined in this guide. We also offer testing and certification in compliance with British law, ensuring that your systems are up to scratch and improving safety when working at height.

To ensure your compliance, contact us to arrange the installation or testing of your roof edge protection.

What is Edge Protection?