Should you worry about our perimeter protection after guardrail installation?

As the name suggests, a fixed guardrail is any guardrail that is permanently attached to the structure of the building. The performance of the guardrail relies on the quality of the product, the installation and the structural integrity of the building. During an inspection, our engineers will consider not only the guardrail but also the background to which it is fixed.

When carrying out an inspection, our first job is to check all critical dimensions, to ensure the minimum height above the finished roof level is accurate, that the maximum spacing between the mid-rail and top rail is compliant and the same with the spacing between mid-rail and roof parapet. We also check the spacing of the uprights, which varies with every manufacturer, but each is assessed against that manufacturer’s instructions. Failure to achieve the minimum or be within the maximum requirements will result in our non-certification of the system, with our engineers informing the customer that remedial work needs to be carried out.

Our engineers check essential features of the building, to ensure the stability of the wall end piece, also ensuring that no fall hazard is present in the event of failure. We check the stability of the parapet via a visual and physical check and also the stability of the junction part and the corner section. Following this, we carry out a physical check of all grub screws, a function check of any additional components – such as self-closing gates and also tag the systems adjacent to the access point. Where necessary, we photograph to record our findings or via a dimensional sketch.