Rank: Forum user 
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I have been asked if there is any guidance or British Standard relating to the dimensions of safety railings running along the edge of a river bank path. The tarmac path is used by substantial numbers of people on a daily basis all year round.
A safety rail is already in situ, however, I would like to benchmark against standards or guidance to ensure it is fit for purpose. (The railings exceed the requirements of safety rails in the appendix to the Work at Height Regulations , but I would like to make sure this is sufficient).
I have searched the information sources available to me without luck. If you are able to point me in the direction of this information it would be appreciated.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Try the 'Building Regs' apprved docs as many designers uses these as a 'coverall' for many situations
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Rank: Super forum user 
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You could compare with the standards for design of pedestrian bridge parapets. Highways Agency standards, mandatory for trunk roads and adopted by almost every road authority for all other roads, are at http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/ . 'DMRB' is the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Footbridges design criteria are a document by the catch title of BD 29/04, found in the DMRB, volume 2, section 2, part 8. Or here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha...ol2/section2/bd2904.pdf.Chapter 7 has a couple of paragraphs on parapets requirements. Note the distinction between parapet and handrail - the handrail is the rail mounted on the parapet. It refers to BS EN 1317. However, my understanding is that while that is in development, it is not yet issued. (Other parts of BS EN 1317 are published, but not the pedestrian parapets bit).
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Rank: Super forum user
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(Talking to myself now). You may also want to look at chapter 9 of TD 19/06 - http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha...vol2/section2/td1906.pdf - which covers all sorts of road restraint systems, including pedestrian parapets. That refers to BS 7818. I'm not familiar with that BS.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks for the help, I will carry out some research.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Are you planning to fence off the countryside?
There are so many rivers, often with precipitous edges to their banks with deep drops down to water level. Many are used by large numbers of people, for an occasional country walk or as a more regular thoroughfare. And in the vast majority of cases, people are expected to behave and look after themselves and others without the visual distraction of railings, fences etc. And they manage to do just that.
If you feel that in some areas this fencing is necessary, what might the environmental groups say about this insult to visual amenity?
It's a strange circumstance on which to make a decision, and one that will make people take perhaps diametrically opposing views of right and wrong. I guess the same decision applies to fencing around certain road areas.
Personally, I take the view that the countryside and those areas where towns and cities overlap as rivers run through them should not be built up in this way. In London, the length of the Thames path is a great example. Along it's lower length, high walls are used as part of the flood defence arrangements though elsewhere, in those rare gaps where there is a little bit of green space, within the various London boroughs and in the higher reaches beyond Richmond, the river is entirely unfenced yet has vertical drops of 10 feet or more from busy paths. And absolutely no edge protection.
It looks better like that, and as far as I know there isn't a problem with accidental falls.
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