CS :- Guarding & Barricading Of Floor Openings

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Chapter : Construction Safety 

Guarding & Barricading  Of Floor Openings

Fall from height at construction, erection sites can be prevented.

Unprotected holes in the floor, deck, or roof have been responsible for a number of very serious injuries. Yet, through planning and personal attention, falls through openings under foot are very easy to prevent.

Almost all construction sites have unprotected wall openings at some point during construction. This is common between non load bearing stud walls on residential sites.

Train the workers:

• When do you need to guard wall openings?
• When should the guard rails be removed?
• At what height should the guard rails be placed?

Educate workers on the following tips to prevent falls on your site.

1. All wall openings wider than 18" must be guarded.
2. Guardrails need to be installed on wall openings where the outside bottom edge of the wall opening is 6 feet or more above a lower level. 
3. If the inside bottom edge of the wall opening is less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface guard rails are needed.
4. Install guardrails at 42" ± 3" above the walking/working surface and mid rails at 21".
5. Guard rail systems must be capable of supporting a 200lb force in any direction at any point along the top of the rail.
6. If you make a hole / floor opening , guard it. Before cutting the hole / floor openng, barricade the work area to keep people out.
7. If the hole / floor opening  must be open, install permanent barricades around the perimeter. Like railings around the edge of a building or stairwell, these should be a minimum of forty-two inches high, have a mid-rail and be capable of withstanding a 200 pound load. Toe boards are recommended at all times and are required if anyone is going to work under the hole / floor opening .
8. If the hole / floor opening  is not guarded, it must be covered. The cover must be capable of supporting at least a 200 pound load, be larger than the opening, secured against displacement, and labeled "Floor Opening, Do Not Remove". If you have a choice, make a round opening and cover. An oversized round cover cannot fall through a smaller round hole / floor opening .
9. Never cover a hole / floor opening  with any type of non-substantial material such as paper, cardboard or plastic. You may ask, "Why would anyone do that?" Unfortunately, it happens surprisingly often.
10. Be extremely careful if you have to walk over protective paper or plastic. A hole could be lurking underneath. Step very tentatively. If you find a hole / floor opening , expose it immediately for others to see, barricade it or post someone to warn others of the danger, and notify your supervisor. Even shallow holes can cause serious injuries.
11. Plastic skylights and smoke vents are very popular. You should never stand or sit on a skylight. They are not made to support your weight. If you do sit or stand on one, odds are it will break and you will fall. If installing skylights, protect the openings as described above, until installation is complete.

When workers are working at elevated levels (for example, a worker on stilts), the height of the top rail must increase to an amount equal to that of the stilts. This ensures that workers on stilts can not fall over the guard rail.

The danger is very real. The control is very simple. This is a hazard that should never be allowed to exist.