Safety system

A motorized safety system for protecting an open side of a work area positioned on an upper surface of an elevated structure comprising:

• a first post having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical slot extending from just below said top end to just above said bottom end, said bottom end capable of being secured to said structure;
• a first motor having a shaft and mounted on said first post for rotating a first drive screw, said first drive screw in mechanical communication with said first motor shaft and disposed within said first post;
• a first drive nut disposed within said first post and engaging said first drive screw, said first drive nut traveling up or down within said first post when said drive screw is rotated by said first motor in an upward or downward direction, respectively;
• a second post having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical slot extending from just below said top end to just above said bottom end, said bottom end capable of being secured to said structure, said second post disposed a predetermined distance away from said first post;
• a second motor having a shaft and mounted on said second post for rotating a second drive screw;
• said second drive screw in mechanical communication with said second motor shaft and disposed within said second post;
• a second drive nut disposed within said second post and engaging said second drive screw, said second drive nut traveling up or down within said second post when said second drive screw is rotated by said second motor in an upward or downward direction, respectively;
• a top arm disposed between said first post and said second post and having a first end and a second end, said first end in mechanical communication with said first drive nut via a first top arm connector extending through said vertical slot of said first post, said second end in mechanical communication with said second drive nut via a second top arm connector extending through said vertical slot of said second post, said top arm movable between a first position wherein said top arm is positioned between said top end of said first post and said top end of said second post and a second position wherein said top arm is positioned between said bottom end of said first post and said bottom end of said second post and below said upper surface of said structure;
• a bottom assembly disposed between said bottom end of said first post and said bottom end of said second post and directly below said second position of said top arm;
• and
• a net having a left side, a right side, a bottom side and a top side, said top side of said net secured to said top arm, said bottom side of said net secured to said bottom assembly, said left side of said net movably secured to said first post, and said right side of said net movably secured to said second post, wherein said net and said top arm are disposed below said upper surface of said structure so that movement of workers and machinery into and out of said work area between said first post and said second post is unobstructed.