Maximising Safety with Edge Protection
One of the most important things that you need to know when it comes to balconies and open slabs is keeping people safe. In the construction industry, safety is one of those things that you need to constantly be thinking about during projects to ensure that the end result is as safe as it can be. If you’re not doing this, then you are risking the lives of people going forward, especially those that live in the buildings or work in the commercial buildings with balconies. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at what you can do to maximise safety using edge protection. Keep reading if you would like to find out more about how this can be done.
What Is Edge Protection?
Edge protection is a safety solution for rooftops, balconies, and any kind of open area that is high up. The last thing that anyone wants is for someone to fall off the edge of a building onto a lower level, or even the ground, which is where edge protection comes in. It ensures that there is a safety precaution in place to stop people and objects from potentially going over the edge, keeping them safe while they are higher up than ground level.
It’s true to say though that not all buildings have this solution in place, whether on their roof or on their balconies which is a massive safety concern.
If you are a construction business, and you’re going to be erecting a building or you have been tasked with making it safer, this is definitely something that you should consider.
What Counts As Edge Protection?
Edge protection comes in a variety of forms. Essentially, if it keeps people from falling off the platform, then it will be covered under this umbrella. Some of the most common forms of edge protection though include guardrails and handrails as these typically tend to be the easiest solution to work onto balconies. We are sure that you have never seen a balcony without some kind of protection on it, as it’s actually against the law to do so. All residential and commercial properties that have balconies are required to have some kind of protection to stop people from falling off the edge, risking injury or death.
It’s important that when you are constructing a building, you are checking all of the requirements of edge protection to ensure that you are not violating any laws. The Building Code of Australia will outline everything that you need to know, so make sure that you are referring to this to ensure that you are conducting your construction in accordance with all of the correct guidelines.
Potential Falling Objects Hazard
But, it’s not just people that edge protection are there to stop from falling. Falling objects are a massive hazard, and edge protection is there to avoid this becoming an even bigger problem. Some people have objects on their balconies, and a strong gust of wind may be enough to send them over the edge, potentially hurting someone. As such, edge protection is not only for the safety of those who are high up, but also those who are directly underneath to prevent any injury or death from occurring.
Open Slabs During Construction Work
During construction, there are often platforms and high up places that provide a place for workers to stand and complete their tasks. However, as they are only temporary, or they do not yet have edge protection, this needs to be fixed to keep things safe. There are temporary edge protection options that you can look into as a construction business that clamp onto the concrete slab, providing a barrier between your employees and the edge, keeping them safe from potentially falling.
As a temporary solution to the lack of permanent protection, you can also use balcony brackets until the permanent edge protection is ready to put in place. These are easy to install and uninstall as needed, and don’t take too much time out of the otherwise busy schedule of the construction process. But, even if it did take some time to get in place, safety should always be the top priority during both the construction process and the finished result.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be doing to maximise safety on balconies and open slabs using edge protection. As long as you plan this out carefully, there is no reason that you cannot make this work, ensuring the safety of every single person who steps out on one of these balconies in the future.
