Hinged safety gate

A hinged safety gate comprising:

• a gate frame configured to control access through an elevated work surface access area, the gate frame having a frame adjustment region, a distal upright member, an upper cross-arm, and a lower cross-arm, the upper cross-arm including an upper cross-arm main portion and an upper cross-arm extension, the lower cross-arm including a lower cross-arm main portion and a lower cross-arm extension;
• and
• a retainer assembly configured to be attached to a proximal end of the gate frame and configured to hingedly couple the gate frame to a first stationary vertical surface to permit the gate frame to swing between an open position and a closed position in which the distal upright member is positioned proximate to a second stationary vertical surface, the second stationary vertical surface opposing the first stationary vertical surface, the retainer assembly having a retainer plate with a retainer adjustment region;
• wherein the frame adjustment region and the retainer adjustment region facilitate adjustment of a horizontal position of the gate frame relative to the retainer assembly, and
• wherein the gate frame is movable between an extended position and an unextended position, with the upper cross-arm extension being movable relative to the upper cross-arm main portion and the lower cross-arm extension being movable relative to the lower cross-arm main portion.

A method comprising:

• identifying an elevated work surface access area,
• the elevated work surface access area being defined by an elevated work surface platform, a first stationary vertical surface, and a second stationary vertical surface, and
• the first stationary vertical surface and the second stationary vertical surface being positioned an access width apart from one another;
• providing a hinged safety gate comprising a gate frame and a retainer assembly,
• the gate frame having a distal upright member, an upper cross-arm, and a lower cross-arm,
• the upper cross-arm having an upper cross-arm height, and the lower cross-arm having a lower cross-arm height, and
• a vertical spacing extending between an upper edge of the lower cross-arm and a lower edge of the upper cross-arm, and
• the retainer assembly being attached to a proximal end of the gate frame;
• and
• installing the hinged safety gate in the elevated work surface access area by securing the retainer assembly to the first stationary vertical surface, thereby hingedly coupling the gate frame to the first stationary vertical surface to permit the gate frame to swing between an open position and a closed position in which the distal upright member is positioned proximate to the second stationary vertical surface;
• wherein the upper cross-arm height, the lower cross-arm height, and the vertical spacing enable the gate frame to satisfy a platform-to-lower-edge safety requirement of not to exceed 500 mm, a spacing-between-cross-arms safety requirement of not to exceed 500 mm, and an overall height safety requirement of 1100 mm.