9.8.8.1. Required Guards

This Article indicates where guards are required and addresses a number of specific situations related to the protection of doors, windows and glazing. Guards are intended to prevent people from falling from one level to an adjacent level. Generally, guards are required for the open sides of stairs, ramps, landings, balconies, porches, decks, mezzanines, galleries and raised walkways where there is a difference in elevation of more than 600 mm (24 in.) between the walking surface and the adjacent surface or where the adjacent surface within 1.2 m (4 ft.) of the walking surface has a slope of more than 1:2 (Figure 9.8.-15).

Quoted from Illustrated User's Guide - NBC2015