required height for a non required guardrail?

[mtCDCcb]

We have a raised floor area in our business that is 24" above the floor. We want to install a 36" tall guard along the border of this raised floor area. The IBC states that a guard is required if the clearance is >30" and guardrail is required and must be 42" tall. If the guard is not required but we want to install one anyway can we build to 36" in height or must we go to 42"?

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

That is a question for your AHJ as some will tell you that a guard rail is required to be at least 42 inches high, others will ask you "What guard rail?" as their way of saying 'if it not required it is not a guard'.

I ask this question to help you decide: "when someone falls over that "barrier", what will their attorney call it in the legal papers they send to your attorney when demanding payment of the claim?"

A "Guard" rail is what the attorney will call it.

Then your insurance company will need to decide what they call it. If your insurance company calls it anything other than a "guard"rail ... a judge will get to decide what that "barrier" is to be called. I'm guessing a judge will call it a "guard" rail. Now you get to write checks to a lot of people in addition to the contractor who will replace it with a 43 inch high one (43 inches because you don't want to take a chance that it may not be at least 42 inches high).

Just some food for thought ... even if the AHJ does not call it a guard rail.