What are the rules for covering floor holes?

Holes must be covered or guarded. Covers must support at least twice the maximum intended load, be secured against displacement, and be marked with 'HOLE' or 'COVER' so no one removes them by accident.

When can I remove a guardrail to do work?

Only briefly, when the work requires it, and only if you protect the exposed edge with an alternative system such as a personal fall arrest system or controlled access zone. The rail must be reinstalled immediately when the task is done.

Who is responsible for inspecting guardrails on site?

A competent person — someone able to identify hazards and authorized to correct them — must inspect guardrails, covers, and platforms. Best practice is a documented pre-shift inspection before any work near an edge begins.

How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting missing guardrails?

OSHA Scan detects missing and non-compliant guardrails. It locates open edges and floor holes, checks rail height and completeness, and returns the specific location and OSHA citation.

OSHA Scan

Missing Guardrails Turn a Routine Job Into a Fatal Fall

A rail that should be there is the one thing standing between your crew and the ground

Guardrails are the simplest, most reliable form of fall protection — but only when they are actually installed, complete, and built to spec. A removed section, a missing mid-rail, or an unguarded floor hole gives a worker nothing to catch them. OSHA Scan analyzes job-site photos to flag open edges, missing or undersized guardrails, and uncovered holes before someone steps into the gap.

A missing guardrail is any open-sided floor, platform, walkway, mezzanine, or opening six feet or more above a lower level where a compliant rail system should be but is not. OSHA requires a top rail at 42 inches (plus or minus 3 inches), a mid-rail roughly halfway, and a system that can withstand a 200-pound force without failing. Anything short of that — a low rail, a missing mid-rail, or no rail at all — leaves the edge unprotected.
In practice, guardrails go missing when crews remove a section to move materials and never reinstall it, when a floor hole or skylight is left uncovered, or when a temporary platform is built without rails to save time. Leading edges during deck and floor construction are especially exposed, and mezzanine or loading-dock gates are often propped open and forgotten.
The danger is that a gap in the rail reads as 'almost protected' to a busy crew. The surrounding rail creates a false sense of safety, so workers move confidently right up to the one section that is open. That is precisely where falls happen — and precisely what photo-based detection is built to catch.

How tall does a guardrail have to be under OSHA?

The top rail must be 42 inches high, plus or minus 3 inches, above the walking or working surface. A mid-rail (or equivalent intermediate member) is required roughly halfway between the top rail and the surface when there is no wall at least 21 inches high.

How much force does a guardrail need to withstand?

A compliant top rail must withstand a 200-pound force applied within 2 inches of the top edge in any outward or downward direction without failing and without dropping below 39 inches. The mid-rail must withstand at least 150 pounds.

Do I need a toeboard on my guardrail?

Yes, where there is a risk of tools or materials falling onto workers below. Toeboards must be at least 3.5 inches high and capable of withstanding a 50-pound force, or you must screen the opening or use a canopy.

Can I use a chain or rope instead of a rigid rail?

Only if it meets the same height and strength criteria and does not deflect below 39 inches under a 200-pound load. Most single chains and ropes sag too much to comply, which is why self-closing swing gates are preferred at access points.