“Put guardrails in place” is a metaphor used to describe efforts to make social media responsible, especially regarding children. It is raised to ensure that companies behave conscientiously for their customers and shareholders. There is a high alert about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, with cries of “We need guardrails!”

The examples of figurative guardrails are diverse, but the common denominator is that guardrails provide protection.

Real-life guardrails provide fall protection in public spaces such as parks, playgrounds, ramps, bridges, roadways, waterfronts, event venues, transit stations, sidewalks, construction sites, and other places essential to separate people from hazards.

Guardrails are also standard in commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities, where they serve as fall protection systems for workers at loading docks, on mezzanines, in warehouses, on elevated platforms for production and equipment maintenance, on rooftops, and to designate restricted areas in laboratories, petrochemical and power plants, zoos and museum exhibits, and many other areas. 

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, a guardrail is a stationary or fixed system consisting of a horizontal top rail and mid-rail supported by vertical posts, forming a barrier that can withstand significant force.

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