How high must a platform be to require a handrail? 1

[vwillet]

I have been searching for the maximum clearance above the finished floor which a platform may be before it requires handrails. I have found several references to a 30" maximum height, on various websites. Most of them purport to be reporting OSHA regulations. But I have been entirely unsuccessful in finding the actual code citation to justify the 30". Does anyone know where, in OSHA Code, that 30" appears?

 

[JAE]

Mr. McCann.....you never stop. heh.

 

[TXStructural]

NO. The OSHA requirement is more stringent that this. First, the General Duty clause requires that employers protect employees from hazards. Any condition which can be dangerous must be avoided through proper controls. A few specifics are below, but they are out of context. And just because there is no specific rule does not mean an unsafe condition can persist. Consider that the reason the 4 foot rule is adopted was for wall openings like dock doors.
-- (General Duty Clause)
OSH Act of 1970, SEC. 5. Duties
(a) Each employer --
(1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
(2) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.
--
1910.22(c)
"Covers and guardrails." Covers and/or guardrails shall be provided to protect personnel from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats, ditches, etc.
--
1910.23(c)(1)
Every open-sided floor or platform 4 feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level shall be guarded by a standard railing (or the equivalent as specified in paragraph (e)(3) of this section) on all open sides except where there is entrance to a ramp, stairway, or fixed ladder. The railing shall be provided with a toeboard wherever, beneath the open sides,
(i) Persons can pass,
(ii)There is moving machinery, or
(iii)There is equipment with which falling materials could create a hazard.
--
But the rule for stairs and along exit ways is more restrictive, and there is not minimum height before they are required:

1910.24(h)
"Railings and handrails." Standard railings shall be provided on the open sides of all exposed stairways and stair platforms. Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of closed stairways preferably on the right side descending. Stair railings and handrails shall be installed in accordance with the provisions of 1910.23.

 

[msquared48]

JAE:

Someone here has to be crazy...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Just pick one of us - we are all nuts/crazy

BTW OSHA 1926.501(2) Subpart M says 6 feet. So why do roofers NEVER use fall protection??