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Strength criteria for guardrails and stairways

Summary An engineer asked OSHA whether a proposed pipe size satisfied construction guardrail and stairway strength criteria. OSHA quoted the then-applicable requirement for a completed railing to withstand a 200-pound load on the top rail and said the supplied design appeared to need pipe larger than 1¼ inches. OSHA archives the letter.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1984-11-02-0
Date issued
November 2, 1984
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Guardrails Stairways Construction
Source
View the official document

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OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy. It may no longer reflect the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
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NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

November 2, 1984

Hubert L. Moore, P.E.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Moore:

This is in response to your letter of October 11, 1984, concerning the strength criteria for guardrail and stairway systems. This also confirms your telephone conversation on October 18, 1984 with a member of my staff, Mr. Simms.

29 CFR 1926.500(f)(iv) requires that the anchoring of posts and framing of members for railings of all types shall be of such construction that the completed structure shall be capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied in any direction at any point on the top rail, with a minimum of deflection.

Based on the information you provided in your letter it appears that you must use a pipe greater than 1-1/4" to comply with the above mentioned minimum design criteria.

If I may be of further assistance, please let me know.

Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Field Operations

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