Compliance News: Guards in the Means of Egress

By Robert Trotter, CBO, CFM, MCP

While the guard pictured in the example is aesthetically pleasing it may not provide for the greatest level of protection for life safety.  In fact, NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® specifically addresses guards in the means of egress.  Means of egress components that might require protection with guards include stairs, landings, balconies, corridors, passageways, floor or roof openings, ramps, aisles, porches, and mezzanines.  To understand the Life Safety Code® provisions for guards, consult the adopted edition for your jurisdiction. 

The fundamental requirements for guards in the means of egress that are more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below include the following:

• Guards are to be provided with guards to prevent falls over the open side. 
• The height of guards is measured vertically to the top of the guard from the surface adjacent thereto. 
• Guards should not be less than 42 inches high. 
• Open guards, other than approved, existing open guards, must have intermediate rails or an ornamental pattern such that a sphere four inches in diameter cannot not pass through any opening up to a height of 34 inches. Relative to the example pictured, vertical intermediate rails are preferred to reduce climbability.  

Handrails are often incorporated into guards as part of a protection package for the means of egress components described above.