Collective Edge Protection - Edge-Shield

A Free-standing counter balanced guard-rail system to EN13374 offering protection against falls from roof edges.

Figures issued by H.S.E. indicate that, during the period from 1997 to 2000/01 (half year), there were 47 fatalities due to persons falling from edges or openings, in the construction industry alone. The installation of Edge-Shield free standing
guard-rails is an economic means of preventing such falls.

Edge-Shield assists clients, designers, contractors, planning supervisors and employers to meet their obligations under the following legislation:

• Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 1994, clauses 13(2)(a) and 14(a)
• The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992, clause 13(b)
• The Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1996, clause 8(1) to (5)
• The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, clause 8(1)(c)

Edge-Shield is a fully galvanised, easy to assemble free standing guard-rail system, designed as edge protection on nominally flat (maximum 100 slope) roofs. Edge-Shield also provides fall prevention at roof openings and at open lift shafts, stairwells etc. during construction. The system incorporates appropriate cantilevers, does not require permanently fixing to the roof itself, and may be used as either a temporary or permanent installation. It is height adjustable to assist levelling for aesthetic appeal and individual legs may be raised, rotated and/or removed for roof maintenance without dismantling the system. Correctly installed, there is no possibility of Edge-Shield systems causing damage to the roof or subsequent leaks, as protective rubber pads are applied to all surfaces intended to be in contact with the roof. Edge-Shield should be installed at the roof edge to prevent falls from the roof.

Where there is a risk of materials being pushed off the working surface, a toe board should be installed. Where the roof edge is in the form of a parapet, or other raised element of not less than 150mm, such toe boards are not required. The toe board is not included in the Edge-Shield system, but is available as an optional extra where required. The system has been designed to withstand the forces exerted by a worker stumbling against the rails, and has been tested at The National Engineering Laboratory .

In accordance with our continual commitment to maximum safety, requirements for testing longer lengths of guard-rail were submitted to, and agreed by the H.S.E. Subsequent additional testing has now drawn attention to the varying performance of free-standing guard-rail, particularly where lengths are under 6 metres, or where the roof surface is either profiled steel sheets or single plymembrane. The following guidance has been compiled from information obtained during our programme of additional testing.

Layout of a typical Edge-Shield guard-rail system

1. The 800mm Base/Leg Assembly (Drawing Number SE 05), spaced at 2M centres, constitutes the basis of the system. They MUST be replaced by the 1150mm Base/Leg and counterweight assembly (Drawing Number SE 06) at every system end (bay end), also within 20M of each corner assembly or bay end, and at no more than 20M centres thereafter. In certain circumstances (see table above), additional counterweights must be added.
2. The gap below the bottom rail should not exceed 470mm, measured from any raised roof edge or parapet. If there is no parapet, raised edge, etc. toe boards of not less than 150mm high MUST be added. These can be supplied as required (see main photograph), in addition to the standard Edge-Shield guard-rail system.
3. Where the system is under 6M overall the bay end MUST be adjacent to (maximum 50mm) the end Base/Leg and counterweight assembly. For all systems of 6M or over a 500mm maximum overhang is permitted.

Components available:
See drawings below. Toe-boards and gate assemblies available at extra cost.

(This document is also available as an Adobe .PDF file. Click here to download).

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