Roof guardrails are important for several reasons, the first being to ensure the safety of your roof and its occupants. When a person falls from a rooftop they can suffer a variety of injuries. Most commonly this will result in minor wounds, however, in some worst cases can result in death. The importance of roof guardrails can not be underestimated, after all no one wants their loved ones to suffer due to lack of protection on their roof. Luckily there are a number of different options available to protect you and those working on your roof.
There are three main types of roof guardrails that you can choose from when installing an effective fall protection system on your roof. These include, tapered, solid and round. Each type has their own advantages and disadvantages. In this article I'll quickly run through each and explain how they compare to each other and which may be best for you.
Tapered roof guardrails are typically made out of steel or aluminium. They are lightweight and have a high tensile strength rating, but unfortunately have very limited flexibility when it comes to shape and sizing. As a result, when installing these you often need to either cut them yourself using special equipment, or place them on a slant so that they sit flush with the edge of the roof. This is essential for minimising risk and maximising fall protection.
Solid roof guardrails are a great option if you want the maximum possible protection, especially when working in areas of the country where you get a lot of heavy winds and heavy rains. Because they are solid, they are nearly impossible to crack, or latch into place in the event of a fall. The major problem with solid railing systems however, is that they don't provide much clearance when it comes to leaning against. This limits their use to providing support for steps and other safety applications, limiting their real effectiveness at protecting people from falls.
The highest quality roof safety fall protection railings are manufactured from aluminium and steel. Aluminium roof guardrails have a much higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel, and because they are light you can easily install them yourself, while avoiding the expense of a professional installation. While they are not as durable as the other options, they are far more robust and able to take a bigger and more violent impact without breaking.
You also have the option of installing the highest quality of safety guard rail systems on the market, which can be made from both pre-galvanized and galvanized steel. These are both incredibly heavy and very difficult to cut, which makes them the ideal choice for structures that require very heavy support. Galvanized steel weighs twice as much as galvanized aluminium and offers a great deal more durability. In fact, all of these materials are suitable for pre-galvanized roofs, but pre-galvanized steel is limited to being available on structures that need very heavy support, such as commercial buildings. Regardless of whether you decide on a traditional or modern installation, making sure that the roof guardrails you choose fit your specific structure properly is one of the most important things you can do. This will help ensure the longest possible service life, as well as reducing your maintenance costs over the years. To familiarize yourself with this topic, read this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_rail.
