Open-ended floors must be guarded on all open sides at a height of __ feet above the ground.

Open-ended floors must be guarded on all open sides at a height of __ feet above the ground.

• A. 3 feet
• B. 4 feet
• C. 5 feet
• D. 6 feet

Answer: (B)

Open sides of elevated floors need a protective barrier that stops falls in a practical, everyday workspace. The guardrail should be placed high enough so it’s not easy to step over or lean over and fall. Four feet above the ground is the standard height used in this context, giving a solid barrier that suits most typical open-edge situations. If it were only three feet high, it would be too easy to slip over and the fall risk would rise. Pushing the height to five or six feet isn’t necessary for standard open-edge protection and can create unnecessary obstruction without adding meaningful safety benefits in common layouts.

Open sides of elevated floors need a protective barrier that stops falls in a practical, everyday workspace. The guardrail should be placed high enough so it’s not easy to step over or lean over and fall. Four feet above the ground is the standard height used in this context, giving a solid barrier that suits most typical open-edge situations. If it were only three feet high, it would be too easy to slip over and the fall risk would rise. Pushing the height to five or six feet isn’t necessary for standard open-edge protection and can create unnecessary obstruction without adding meaningful safety benefits in common layouts.