A Guide to Enhancing Safety with Durable Guard Rail Solutions

There are plenty of things to consider when operating a business, and not all of them revolve around how to make more revenue. For specific industries, things like workplace safety tend to take center stage purely because of the hazards that are faced by their employees and customers on a daily basis. By implementing specific safety measures, these businesses can sidestep many of the adverse outcomes that can sometimes result, including serious injury or even the death of their employees, customers, or pedestrians.  For businesses that have to deal with enhanced hazardous working conditions, there are plenty of steps that must be taken to ensure the safety of all involved and, therefore, reduce the possibility of injury and any subsequent litigation. The guard rail is just one precaution taken by industrial operations and also the topic of this post, where we will explore how they can be used to protect those most at risk of becoming victims to dangerous working conditions.

Understanding Their Role In Preventing Accidents And Protecting People

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In many ways, these devices are much like any other you might find on a job site or any other business premises, for that matter. The humble guardrail is designed to accomplish various tasks based on the location in which it is being used. It might be that a work site needs multiple guardrails to cordon off areas that are unsuitable for accessing for pedestrians, it might be to prevent falls from great heights, or it might simply be there to provide a visual clue to warn people that they need to initiate some common sense when traveling around that space. However, while you might think that a guardrail is only really used in industries like construction et al., the fact is that they are used in almost all sectors where there might be some sort of risk involved or where they need to control the foot or vehicle traffic that frequents the space. It's also worth noting that they may be required in some guise for businesses to comply with regulations. These regulations are often in place for health and safety reasons and are in place to ensure that people, be they employees or pedestrians, aren't put in a position where they might become injured. Businesses like them because they can reduce the possibility of becoming tied up with lengthy and painful litigation, and everyone ought to like them as they prevent unnecessary injuries that could have occurred if they weren't in place. 

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Types Of Rail Solutions

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While you may now be pretty au fait with their role in various industries, most will be blissfully unaware of the various different types that exist. Because of this safety equipment's sheer number of uses, they have spawned into plenty of options to fit even the most unique situations. 

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Roadside

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When it comes to roadside rails, the number of options available is actually pretty astonishing. The sheer variety available to road planners and local authorities is such because the hazards that exist on most roads are significant enough to warrant the development and placement of different styles. They include:

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• W-Beam: This is possibly the most common style of rail seen on highways and is designed for maximum energy absorption efficiency. Their purpose is to protect by keeping road users in their lane or reducing the damage caused if impacted.
• Three-Beam: Similar to the w-beam, but used in areas where higher impact forces are anticipated. 
• Cable: These consist of high-tension steel cables strung between posts, and while they aren't as robust as the previous options, they still offer a great deal of protection.
• Concrete Barriers: Used in high-traffic areas, construction zones, and medians to provide a robust and rigid barrier, with the primary downside being that they're pretty unforgiving to anyone who does end up in one. 
• Box Beam: the box beam guardrail is typically used in areas requiring high containment, such as bridges and overpasses.

Industrial

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Heavy industry is chocked full of hazards that can range from simple to far more serious incidents involving heavy machinery. As such, the rails used in this sector need to be incredibly tough and withstand a serious amount of force.

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Construction

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Just as with the industrial barriers, constriction also utilizes a number of designs for different reasons. However, in the construction industry, these barriers are also used as a visual barrier or to inform employees of potential danger and pedestrians who might wander on site. They are also required to remain compliant with the various health and safety regulations that cover worksites. Perhaps the most significant difference between industrial barriers and those used in the construction sector, however, is the fact that they are designed to be temporary in most cases and include interlocking systems that make them easy to erect and disassemble when the jobs are completed. 

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Architectural

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When you think of the term guardrail, your mind probably immediately jumps to the image of the high-visibility, brightly colored plastic barriers used on work sites, but a guardrail can also be an architectural feature. Yes, they are included in the designs of bridges and homes and public spaces for the purposes of safety, but they will have a far more aesthetically pleasing look about them as they are also required to blend in or become a part of the environment in which they're placed. 

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Choosing The Right Rails

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Choosing a suitable guardrail calls for careful consideration of several elements. Start by precisely stating the intended use of the guardrail, which might be that of either vehicle confinement, pedestrian safety, or fall prevention. Given possible weather exposure, both interior and outdoor locations considerably affect the material choice, and you might have to sacrifice aesthetics for durability in some cases. Other crucial considerations will include adherence to safety standards, such as OSHA or AASHTO guidelines that stipulate the type of rails selected and for what capacity. For instance, those used in the construction industry will differ hugely from those needed when building an eight-lane highway. Finally, durability will also be a factor since you will need to invest in a pretty substantial quantity in some cases, and you don't want to change them when they get damaged constantly.

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A guardrail is a critical component of modern life that often goes under the radar for the vast majority of people. However, without them strategically placed around various businesses and public spaces, you would soon discover the rate of injury and death rapidly increasing to unacceptable levels.

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