Recommended Locations for Railings

Educational Institutions:

The intense pressure to excel academically, social isolation, and the stress of transitioning to new life phases can significantly affect students' mental health, potentially leading to suicidal ideation. Dormitories, libraries, and other educational buildings are often tall enough that falls from higher floors would be lethal.

Healthcare Facilities:

Patients may experience despair from chronic pain, chronic illness, severe mental health disorders, or the perceived burden of medical costs. Many hospitals rise several stories, posing a significant risk of death by falling.

Bridges:

One of the most common suicide hotspots, bridges attract many seeking suicide due to their ease of access, extreme height, and reputation.

Public Attractions:

Locations such as observation decks can be tragically attractive due to their height and the symbolic nature of the site, offering a dramatic setting that might appeal to those in a vulnerable state.

Residential Buildings and Hotels:

Factors such as loneliness, domestic issues, and privacy can exacerbate the risk of suicide in high-rise residential buildings and hotels. The windows, balconies, and rooftops of these buildings often provide the means to attempt suicide by jumping.

Parking Garages:

Their accessibility and height make them vulnerable spots for those seeking the means to commit suicide. They also tend to have low levels of security or surveillance, making it easier to reach a place where falling would be lethal.

Atriums:

 Often found in public buildings such as shopping malls, the upper floors of atriums may provide a lethal spot for one to jump from.

Train Platforms:

Open train platforms pose a risk of one falling onto the tracks and being struck by a train. Without railings or barriers, these platforms allow people to access train tracks with no hindrance whatsoever.

Natural Attractions:

The idea of dying in a seemingly peaceful or isolated area increases the risk of suicide by jumping at locations such as cliffs, waterfalls, riverfronts, and other natural attractions.

Rail Heights Visualized

Specifications for Railings

Rail Height:

The current minimum guardrail height is only 42”, roughly waist height on the average adult. We propose this minimum be raised to 54” for all railings above 40 feet from the ground level. The diagram demonstrates how raising this height offers comprehensive protection from falls while preserving visibility.

Window Guards and Limit Stops:

New York City code currently requires that windows in apartment and public hallways have a window guard installed if children age ten or younger reside there, with the exception of emergency windows such as those that open to a fire escape or secondary egress windows in first floor apartments. Raise the Rail advocates for window guards or limit stops to be installed on all non-emergency windows above 40 feet from the ground level. 

Atrium and Rooftop Barriers:

In public atriums where height exceeds 40 feet, floor to ceiling screens should be installed. For accessible rooftops at a height above 40 feet, we recommend a minimum height of 96” for a barrier, reduced to 72” minimum if other security measures such as surveillance or hostile planting are incorporated.

Visibility:

In general, preventative designs should facilitate visibility, preserving views and allowing for easy monitoring of the area by security personnel or by the public. Enhanced lighting is recommended to increase visibility and act as a deterrent to unsafe behavior.