Guarding Requirements for Balconies, Terraces and Edges

What This Requirement Covers

Approved Document K requires guarding (balustrades, barriers, or railings) at any location where people could fall from a height and be injured. This includes balconies, terraces, floor edges, mezzanines, galleries, and roof areas to which people have access.

Key Requirements

When Guarding Is Required

1. Guarding is required at any change of level where the drop is more than 600 mm in dwellings
2. In non-domestic buildings, assembly areas, and areas where children under 5 may be present, guarding is required where the drop exceeds 380 mm

Minimum Heights

1. In dwellings:

- Stairs, landings, and ramps: 900 mm minimum height - Balconies, roof edges, and other locations: 1100 mm minimum height

1. In non-domestic buildings:

- All locations: 1100 mm minimum height

1. In front of openable windows: Guarding to 800 mm above the floor is required where the window cill is below 800 mm and the drop outside exceeds 600 mm

Design Requirements

1. Guarding must be designed to resist a horizontal load of at least 0.36 kN/m (at the top of the guarding) for domestic buildings, or 0.74 kN/m or more for assembly and public buildings
2. Guarding must not be climbable by children: no horizontal rails, footholds, or ledges that would assist climbing
3. The gap between balusters or infill panels must not allow a 100 mm sphere to pass through (to prevent children's heads becoming trapped)
4. Glass guarding must use laminated glass or toughened laminated glass; toughened glass alone is acceptable only for infill panels (not structural glass)

Juliet Balconies

1. A Juliet balcony (a guarding across a full-height window opening, with no projecting platform) must meet the same height and loading requirements as a conventional balcony guarding
2. The guarding must be securely fixed to the building structure

Roof Terraces

1. Roof terraces require guarding along all open edges
2. The guarding must be at least 1100 mm high
3. Wind loading on exposed roof terraces must be considered in the structural design of the guarding

Practical Compliance Tips

1. Specify guarding that prevents climbing; avoid horizontal rail designs where children may be present
2. Use a 100 mm test sphere to check gaps between balusters during installation
3. Ensure glass balustrades are installed by specialist contractors and that the glass type and thickness are confirmed by structural calculations
4. Fix guarding securely to the structure; inadequate fixings are a common cause of balustrade failure
5. Consider the maintenance implications of the guarding material (steel requires painting, glass requires cleaning, timber requires treatment)
6. For roof terraces, check the planning implications; some areas restrict the use of roof terraces due to overlooking
7. Keep structural calculations, glass certificates, and fixing details for the building file