Parapet height
The parapet height (BRH) is a dimension from the building industry which indicates the height of a parapet above the upper edge of the finished floor and serves as a fall protection . The parapet height required today depends on several factors, in particular the potential fall height. On flights of stairs , the parapet height is measured vertically on the leading edge of the step.
Legal situation
In Germany, the minimum amount for the private sector is regulated in the state building codes and other ordinances. It is usually 80 cm. Some of the remaining federal states (e.g. North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) stipulate a minimum height of 90 cm in the state building regulations. The majority of the federal states specify a minimum height of 100 cm in the state building regulations. From a fall height of 12 m, the parapet height must be at least 110 cm.
In other countries (such as Ireland and the United Kingdom), 90 cm is sometimes required, and for higher heights even 110 cm.
In the commercial sector, more stringent requirements apply to insured persons in the sense of the professional association. A minimum height of 1 m is generally required here. Deviations from this are only possible through a written risk assessment. Here, the entrepreneur must conclusively prove why he is foregoing the required minimum height of the parapet.
The protection of existing buildings under building law also applies to parapets (see the basic judgment of the Federal Administrative Court: BVerwG IV C 75.71 ). Exceptions are z. B. regulated in the workplace ordinance.
Regardless of the state building regulations, increased requirements also apply to areas such as day-care centers, schools, etc.