California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 1 - General Physical Conditions and Structures › Article 2 - Standard Specifications › Section 3210 - Guardrails at Elevated Locations

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Buildings. Guardrails shall be provided
						on all open sides of unenclosed elevated work locations, such as: roof
						openings, open and glazed sides of landings, balconies or porches, platforms,
						runways, ramps, or working levels more than 30 inches above the floor, ground,
						or other working areas of a building as defined in Section
						3207 of the General Industry Safety
						Orders. Where overhead clearance prohibits installation of a 42-inch guardrail,
						a lower rail or rails shall be installed. The railing shall be provided with a
						toeboard where the platform, runway, or ramp is 6 feet or more above places
						where employees normally work or pass and the lack of a toeboard could create a
						hazard from falling tools, material, or equipment.
EXCEPTIONS:
1.
						Runways used exclusively for oiling, adjusting or otherwise maintaining
						shafting or other machinery may have the guardrail on the side adjacent to the
						machinery omitted provided that additional guarding as required by Group 6
						Power Transmission Equipment, Prime Movers, Machines and Machine Parts is
						complied with.
2. Stationary
						elevated platforms secured to buildings or structures used exclusively for the
						service and maintenance of overhead bridge cranes and similar mobile equipment
						may be equipped with removable railings in lieu of guardrails on the side
						adjacent to the machinery provided such railings are secured against falling
						when they are not serving as a protective railing. In existing installations
						where clearance prohibits railings on the outside of the platform, railings
						will be permitted on the building side to serve as handholds.
3. Portions of loading or storage platforms
						which are used primarily for loading or unloading railroad cars or trucks, or
						at waterside edges used for cargo handling.
4. Open-sided platforms or floors used for
						storage of lumber or other materials may be guarded with movable single rails,
						sliding panels, gates or other barriers provided they are of strength and
						design equivalent to guardrails.
5.
						Open sides of storage platforms less than four feet wide, or portions thereof
						which are loaded and unloaded exclusively by means of stackers or lift trucks
						handling pallet supported loads.
6.
						Glazed sides that are in compliance with Section
						3242.
7. Open hearth and hot metal pouring
						platforms.
8. Platforms, runways,
						ramps, or other working levels less than 4 feet above floor, ground, or other
						working level constructed prior to January 1, 1967.
9. Theatre galleries, balconies, or other
						such elevated seating locations, where a 42-inch railing would obstruct the
						sight lines, may be protected by a guardrail or other barrier of not less than
						34 inches in height provided that a horizontal concave safety ledge not less
						than 6 inches in depth and not less than 36 inches in effective width is
						installed beyond the railing at the balcony floor level. The safety ledge shall
						be designed to carry a live load of 100 pounds per square foot.
10. On outside plaza, patio, and garden
						areas, alternate means of protection are acceptable if the same degree of
						safety is provided.
11. Elevated
						locations used infrequently by employees if the employees using them are
						protected by a fall restraint/fall arrest system used in accordance with the
						requirements in Article 24 of the Construction Safety Orders.
12. On fire hose drying towers, the top rail
						may be omitted on the inboard or working side of the platform if the hose
						drying fingers or hangers are spaced not more than 6 inches apart and extend
						the full length of the platform along the open or working side to within 6
						inches of the end rails. The ends of the fingers or hangers shall be positioned
						at the same height as prescribed for the top rail and within 5 inches from the
						vertical projection of the platform edge.
13. On the auditorium side of a stage, raised
						platforms and other raised floor areas such as runways, ramps and side stages
						used for entertainment or presentation. At vertical openings in the performance
						area of stages.