9.8.8.5. Openings in Guards

 9.8.8.5. Openings in Guards

In general, openings in guards must prevent the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 100 mm (4 in.) in order to prevent small children from crawling through them.

In industrial occupancies, larger openings are allowed in guards, except where they serve storage garages, because small children are not likely to be present in such occupancies. The guards in such occupancies are permitted to consist of a top railing and one or more horizontal intermediate rails spaced such that the size of the openings through the guard prevents the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 535 mm (21 in.). This limit on the size of the openings is intended to reduce the risk of an adult falling through the guard. 

In other occupancies, the size range of openings in non-required guards is limited to prevent children from getting their head stuck in the openings.

Quoted from Illustrated User's Guide - NBC2015

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