Safety gates for elevated platforms, and related methods of use

A method comprising:

• moving a ledge gate and a staging gate, relative to a pair columns, into a loading configuration, the pair of columns forming a structural frame and being spaced from one another along a peripheral edge of an elevated platform to define a ledge entrance to a staging area of the elevated platform, in which the ledge gate and staging gate are connected to move together, and in which while moving into the loading configuration the ledge gate rises and pitches upward, and the staging gate moves, to allow a) the ledge gate to open the ledge entrance and b) the staging gate to enclose the staging area;
• moving the ledge gate and the staging gate, relative to the pair of columns, into an unloading configuration, in which while moving into the unloading configuration the ledge gate lowers and pitches downward, and the staging gate moves, to allow a) the ledge gate to close the ledge entrance and b) the staging gate to expose the staging area;
• and
• in which the ledge gate is mounted to move along opposed rails on the pair of columns, the opposed rails define a curved portion of a path along which the ledge gate pitches during movement, the ledge gate defines a free base end and top end, and is mounted to pitch upward and downward via a first pivot axis intermediate the free base end and the top end.