Patent ID: 8555555

Claim:
A hatch guard configured to facilitate access through a hatch opening in a walking surface, the hatch opening having a hatch lip that is raised above the walking surface, the hatch guard comprising: at least one handrail having an extended and a retracted position, the at least one handrail in the extended position extending upwards above the hatch lip and crossing the hatch lip to extend outwards across the walking surface from the hatch opening, the at least one handrail in the retracted position being wholly within the hatch opening and wholly below the hatch lip; an access step having an extended and a retracted position, the access step in the extended position extending horizontally above the hatch lip and crossing the hatch lip to extend outwards across the walking surface from the hatch opening, the access step in the retracted position being wholly within the hatch opening and wholly below the hatch lip; and one or more motion devices, at least one of the one or more motion devices causing the at least one handrail to move from the retracted position of the at least one handrail to the extended position of the at least one handrail and the access step to move from the retracted position of the access step to the extended position of the access step.