Edge protection
Edge protection: temporary guardrail systems used at roof and floor edges to prevent falls. AS/NZS 4994.1:2023. Required when fall risk exceeds 2 m.
Ask Chalkline about this →Edge protection is a temporary guardrail system installed at the exposed edges of roofs, floor slabs, and elevated platforms to prevent workers and materials from falling. It is a passive fall-prevention control: workers do not need to attach to it, so it protects everyone in the work area without relying on individual behaviour.
Also known as: temporary edge protection, perimeter guardrail, roof edge protection, edge guard.
Category: WHS / Working at heights
The Australian standard for temporary edge protection is AS/NZS 4994.1:2023 (current edition). It specifies minimum guardrail height (not less than 900 mm above the working surface), toeboard requirements (not less than 150 mm high), and loading and deflection criteria. Edge protection is the preferred passive fall control for HRCW category 1 tasks (fall risk over 2 m) such as roof framing, upper-floor slab edges, and gable-end work. Where physical edge protection is not practicable, fall-arrest systems (harness and lanyard) may be used instead, but passive systems are preferred in the hierarchy of controls (Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces, verified 2026-05-10).
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Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10. Quarterly review for currency.