Full compliance with the requisite industry standards for handrail and balustrade systems on any facility is, of course, non-negotiable. For councils, ensuring that every aspect of a facility or public space complies with the building code can be a real headache. But it’s a necessity, and for a good reason. Ensuring our buildings and public spaces are compliant should be mandatory to us, so people get home safely, every day.
What’s involved
The compliance of a building or public facility depends on a huge range of factors – including accessibility (depending on location), whether or not the facility is open to the public, whether it is for service only, who occupies the building/area and lastly, whether there is a risk of falling more than 1m.
For instance, if a public area has a pedestrian bridge with a fall hazard of over 1m, you need to consider the New Zealand Building Code F4 – Safety from falling to ensure the area complies and is safe for the public.
The challenge when choosing the correct handrail and balustrade system is having that complete confidence that the system complies and will ensure safety for users now and in the future. The risk of installing a non-compliant solution which could result in an accident is daunting. Not only could this ruin your reputation, waste time and money, but potentially affect someone’s life. That’s why at moddex we like to eliminate all health and safety risks before they happen.
Once you have the correct system installed with a maintenance plan in place, health and safety audits will ensure you retain the safety of your solution in the future.
Moddex make it easy.
Thanks to the many years’ research, development, design, and engineering behind every pre-designed modular configuration, we guarantee your Moddex system will be 100% industry standard-compliant and fit-for-purpose from the get-go.
We have producer statements readily available which will give you the confidence that our handrail and balustrade systems have been designed, manufactured, and installed to meet the building code. You can avoid the crippling costs, wasted time and safety concerns that are involved with a non-compliant building or public area.
One of our clients said:
“We are excited to see that Moddex is making it easy to satisfy council and standard requirements.”
Compliance upgrades and Retro-Fitting
In addition to guaranteeing compliance on new builds, Moddex can also assist with compliance upgrades.
Over the past decade, , barriers and handrails have been installed to meet the various requirements and standards at the time of purchase. Many of these standards have been superseded in subsequent years, leaving a non-compliant solution.
An example of this was the Pukete and Dinsdale Reservoir project in Hamilton. The handrails and balustrades on this facility were identified as non-compliant after a health & safety audit was conducted.
Such problems are not uncommon. With Moddex’s pre-engineered systems, existing facilities can also be brought up to code by either retro-fitting our proprietary systems or replacing sections. Avoid the dangers of re-work and ensure compliance is covered with available producer statements.
With a low lifetime cost of ownership – choosing the correct handrail and balustrade system from the very start will not only save you time and money but making the world a safer place to live in.
Moddex – we’ve got you covered. If you need pre-engineered, modular, ready to assemble handrail with minimum risk, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.