In other posts we have discussed safety guardrails as collective protection: where to install them, what features they have, and how to install them.
Next, we will focus on counterweighted guardrails, and specifically on our own: Ananke Weight.
Counterweighted Guardrails
To understand when to use Ananke Weight and what it is for, let’s first briefly explain what counterweighted guardrails are.
What Are Counterweighted Guardrails?
Counterweighted guardrails are a type of safety system used on rooftops, roofs, and other elevated structures. Their design is based on the counterweight principle, which means they use additional weight to balance the force exerted on the guardrail.
This makes the guardrail more stable and resistant to external forces, such as pushes or impacts, thus acting as collective protection to prevent falls by workers and operators.
Function of Counterweighted Guardrails on Roofs
Counterweighted guardrails on roofs have several important functions, mainly related to safety and accessibility.
Here are some of their key functions:
- Fall prevention: The main function of guardrails is to prevent falls from the roof. They act as a physical barrier that protects users, especially in areas where the risk is high.
- Counterweight: It allows us to put protection in place without having to anchor to the roof surfaces or the parapets, giving it the stability required to withstand external forces, such as wind or accidental pushing by people. This is especially important on roofs exposed to adverse weather conditions.
- Enabling safe access: Guardrails allow people to access the roof safely, whether to enjoy the space, perform maintenance, or carry out specific activities, without the need for specific work-at-height safety training.
- Regulations: In Spain, the OHS Law states that collective protection must take priority over personal protection, and counterweighted guardrails help comply with this regulation.
- Adaptability to different environments: They can be used in a variety of applications; among others, since no drilling is needed, they preserve the waterproofing and insulation of surfaces, and are commonly used on deck roofs, gravel roofs, and green roofs, and to a lesser extent on metal sheet or sandwich panel roofs.
The function of the Ananke Weight counterweighted guardrail is therefore to ensure safety in areas such as rooftops or roofs for the users and operators who need to access them to carry out their daily tasks.
Ananke Weight Counterweighted Safety Guardrail
Ananke Weight is the trade name we have given to our counterweighted safety guardrails, which are intended to ensure safety at height through collective protection.
This system is a free-standing guardrail with concrete counterweights, manufactured in accordance with the EN 14122-3 standard.
In addition, Ananke Weight has components studied and designed to make assembly easier while maintaining quality and ensuring safety at height:
- 12.5 kg concrete counterweights
- Self-adhesive rubber pads for the counterweights, which protect the surface where they are placed
- Counterweight connection plate
- Double and triple counterweight sets depending on the section
In addition to being of high quality, all these components ensure safety without the need to pierce or drill the surface where the guardrail will be installed, thus avoiding the risk of leaks appearing later.
The Ananke Weight counterweighted guardrail has been designed and manufactured so that it can be installed by a single person.
Conclusion
In short, Ananke Weight counterweighted guardrails are a great choice for ensuring safety on elevated surfaces such as roofs, where, in addition, the existing waterproofing is not damaged.
In addition to being easy to assemble, it protects trained and untrained personnel equally by creating a safe fall arrest zone.
For more information about this safety system, you can visit the Ananke website.