Locking and lifting mechanism for safety fence support post

A support post for a safety fence assembly, the support post to be positioned between a floor and a ceiling, the support post comprising:

• an outer tube including a floor engaging end for engagement with the floor;
• an inner tube adapted for sliding telescoping engagement with the outer tube;
• a ceiling engaging end for engagement with the ceiling coupled to the inner tube, the ceiling engaging end including a stem slidingly received in the inner tube and a top compression spring captured between the stem and a supporting collar fixed to an interior surface of the inner tube;
• a locking lever assembly for urging the ceiling engaging end against the ceiling and for fixing a position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, the locking lever assembly comprising:
• a collar element positioned on the inner tube;
• a lever pivotable about a pivot pin for moving the collar element to a tilted configuration in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube for engagement of the collar element with the inner tube;
• the lever being movable between a release position, in which the collar element is slidably movable longitudinally along the inner tube, and a lock position, in which the collar element is tilted relative to the inner tube and engaged therewith;
• and
• the lever being adapted, upon the collar element engaging the inner tube as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, for urging the collar element upwardly, thereby moving the inner tube upwardly relative to the outer tube, wherein the lever comprises at least one cam surface for engagement with at least one cooperating surface as the lever moves from the release position to the lock position, wherein said at least one cooperating surface is positioned on the outer tube.