Posted By Ken Taylor If you mean for a stairway within a building, the Building Regulations say that the top of the hanrail should be within 900mm and 1000mm from the pitch-line or floor. This should not be confused with requirements for heights of guards forming edge protection which vary according to premises types. A secondary handrail is recommended for pupils aged 12 and under in schools - which for infants should be at 600mm. Scaffolds need a guardrail at least 910mm above the platform.

Posted By Ken Taylor So we are talking edge protection. If you were building a floor in a hospital today that required edge protection, the Approved Document would require 1100mm height to the guarding. As to people on trolleys, this seems a good case for risk assessment and, at least, some categories of passenger would seem likely to need side guards or straps! However, this is not my industry and others may be able to assist further in this respect.