Freestanding guardrails
Freestanding safety railings are the perfect solution when you do not want to drill the roof membrane. Rubber pads ensure complete watertightness of the roof. VECTACO® freestanding guardrails are designed to secure roofs with a slope angle up to 15˚. As a means of collective protection equipment (CPE), it is the most effective protection against falling from the roof. Safety on the roof is thus always guarantee, regardless of the employee’s approach to safety procedures. The modular railing system guarantees very quick assembly.
Freestanding guardrails uses
Freestanding guardrails VECTACO® are used on roofs accessible only by technical personnel. It is an ideal solution when it is not possible to fix the railings directly to the roof or to the parapet wall. Rubber pads ensure complete watertightness of the roof.
The greatest advantage of our freestanding guardrails is how easy they are to assemble. That allows most of our customers to carry out the installation themselves. Our technical department advises clients on how to perform the installation according to the PN EN 14122-3 standard. Plastic weights have ergonomic handles for easy carrying. In this way, we can secure edge roofs in a very short time. This saves time and installation costs.
Advantages of using freestanding guardrails
- the employer is 100% sure that safety on the roof is always guaranteed regardless of the employee’s approach. Collective protective equipment (CPE).
- no maintenance cost of the fall protection system. Unlike traditional EN ISO 795 lifelines systems, freestanding guardrails are a “once and for all” investment that requires neither annual inspections nor training of roof users.
- Companies operating the equipment or performing works on the roof, as well as employees, do not need to have additional qualifications to work at height. Safety railings securing the roof edge are treated as a structural element of the building.
- rubber pads ensure complete watertightness of the roof. No need to drill the roof membrane.
- short delivery time. Very quick assembly.
Freestanding guardrails made of aluminium
By installing VECTACO® aluminium railings, we avoid all maintenance costs that arise when using steel railings. Our standard raw aluminium finish ensures a C3 corrosion category. VECTACO® freestanding guardrails give a modern design to any building.
Other finishes on request, such as anodized aluminium, thermal varnishing and matched to any RAL colour. Thermal varnishing (powder coating) is a process that ensures adequate protection of the aluminum railings coating. This is recommended by the manufacturer when the guardrail is installed in highly corrosive environments, exposed to chemicals, polluted areas or near the sea.
Depending on the needs, we can install a standard straight upright or a inclined upright. The inclined upright is mainly intended for situations where the investor does not want the railing to be visible from the bottom of the building. Also in some situations, it can be useful to use a railing folding system, such as:
- in places where it is necessary to fold the railing in order to perform some specific works
- to maintain the aesthetics of the building, bending to disappear from external view of the building.
Legal basis – European standard EN ISO 14122-3
European Directive 89/391/EEC, which lays down the principles of preventive action, prioritizes CPE over personal protective equipment (PPE). The regulations clearly state that lifeline safety systems and anchor points EN ISO 795 should only be used when it is not possible to use collective protection equipment, such as freestanding guardrails.
Freestanding guardrails are the most effective protection against falling from the roof. As a passive safety system, modular railings allow to secure roof edges without requiring any intervention of roof users. Safety on the roof is thus always guarantee, regardless of the employee’s approach to safety procedures. From a legal point of view, the use of lifeline systems and anchor points EN ISO 795 at roofs where it is possible installing guardrails, may even constitute an abuse of health and safety regulations.
VECTACO® safety railings are certified in accordance with the European standard EN ISO 14122-3 date December 2007 regarding safety of machinery – permanent means of access to machinery – part 3: stairs, stepladders and guardrails. According to this European standard, in the absence of a parapet or element on the edge to secure higher than 10 cm, we should install a toeboard.
Final conclusions
Freestanding guardrails are a quick way to secure against falling from height. Very easy assembly allows you to save the cost of installation by doing it yourself. As a means of collective protection equipment (CPE), it gives the employer 100% certainty that safety on the roof is always ensured. It allows you to save on costs related to the operation of the building, which arise with the use of lifelines systems EN ISO 795. It is an ideal solution when you do not want to drill the roofing.
Thanks to the wide range of VECTACO® fixings, we can offer our customers the best option depending on the specifics of the project. Please contact us and we will send you an offer tailored to the needs of the project.
If you want to read more about securing your roof with safety railings, we encourage you to read our posts on this subject right here.
