Handrails and Guardrails on Industrial Sites that Provide Unrestricted Movement

How to meet handrail guidelines on infrastructure and industrial sites, as per AS/NZS 1657

The traditional welded ball joint that connects top handrails with vertical rails has always been a pain point. Sometimes literally.

The accepted industry standard has long been a large diameter ball with a hollow centre into which the handrail can be inserted. But the lumpy protruding welded joint is quite the obstruction, stopping the smooth flow of a user’s hand as it slides along the rail. This is certainly not in the spirit of Australian/New Zealand Standard 1657 which specifies that handrails provide an ‘unrestricted movement of the users hand’.

Customers of Australasia’s leading handrail manufacturer Moddex had been vocal about their disenchantment with the status quo so the company set about developing a solution that would solve the problem once and for all. Its innovative, experienced and talented design team found a way to eliminate the need for the clunky, welded 73mm ball joint altogether, by replacing it with a smooth-fitting, adjustable top rail fitting. This instantly solved more than just the AS/NZS 1657 compliance problem and was lauded as an industry first!

The new adjustable top rail fitting also removed the difficulties often encountered at installation when pre-measured and pre-fabricated components don’t quite fit or suit the angle of the top rail on stairs. In these situations, the joint may need to be adjusted on site or in worst case situations taken away to be recut, rewelded and have the coating touched up before being returned to the site for re-installation. Such delays in the smooth flow of an installation project cost both time and money. Futhermore, the welded area will always be a weak spot in the unit that is prone to corrosion.

But the Moddex adjustable top rail fitting swivels to any angle of stair with no custom fabrication and can be adjusted on-site, so there is no need for the join to be cut or welded. However, Moddex hasn’t stopped there with this particular innovation. The adjustable top rail fitting also features rounded edges. This makes it less jarring, annoying or painful should a user be running their fingers along the sides of the rail as they walk. The screws have been strategically placed out of the way beneath the rail leaving the entire top rail clean, smooth and obstruction-free.  

An additional advantage for project managers and architects is cost. The adjustable top rail fitting is cheaper than its welded counterpart. When added to the benefit of simple on-site adjustment, it becomes a no-brainer to specify as part of a Moddex modular handrail system. 

Available as part of our Tuffrail® system in hot dip galvanised, marine grade aluminum and stainless steel for industrial uses, the new adjustable top rail fitting from Moddex answers all the Australian and New Zealand handrail industry’s needs and meets not only the spirit of AS/NZS 1657, but the letter of the law.

With Moddex, everything fitsâ„¢!