Bolt On or Lift Out Guard Rail. What's the Difference?

Warehouse guard rail plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and preventing accidents in various environments, such as manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. When it comes to guard rail, two common installation methods are lift-out and bolt-on systems. Each method has its own set of advantages and considerations, making it essential to understand the differences between lift-out and bolt-on guard rails to choose the best option for your application.

Lift-Out Guard Rails:

Lift-out guard rails are known for their flexibility and ease of installation. The key feature of lift-out systems is the ability to remove individual rail sections without the need for specialized tools. This makes them ideal for situations where periodic access is required, such as maintenance or equipment adjustments.

The considerations of lift-out guard rail are security and stability. The lift-out design will sacrifice some stability compared to bolt-on systems because of the ability to be removed so easily. This makes lift-out systems more suitable for low impact environments. Another consideration is that since the rails are removable you run the risk of employees removing rails and not putting them back.

Bolt-On Guard Rails:

Bolt-on guard rails are fixed in place using nuts and bolts, creating a more rigid and permanent structure. This type of system is more commonly used in heavy traffic areas where impact with the rails would be expected. Also, the permanent nature of bolt-on guard rails enhances security by minimizing the risk of employees removing them and not putting them back. Additionally, the bolt-on systems are capable of withstanding greater force therefore typically have a longer life cycle. 

A consideration of bolt-on guard rails is that the installation will take longer because of the additional hardware required to install, so labor costs to install tend to be a little more expensive. In addition to labor costs, it will be more of a permanent structure so if you have to access something on the other side of the guard rail, it would require more time to unbolt the rails vs. a lift-out style. 

A good compromise is to get a bolt on system, but purchase lift out adapters for only the areas where you may want to remove railing from time-to-time. Some manufactures such has Handle It, offer bolt on style as standard, but also offer lift out adapters that you can purchase for areas where you want to access. A picture of a lift out adapter style is shown in the image above.