Guards (guardrails) protect people from falling off elevated walking surfaces (balconies, landings, open sides of stairs). Handrails provide a graspable support along stairs/ramps to reduce falls. Code rules focus on when they’re required, minimum heights, opening limitations (to prevent children from slipping through), and handrail graspability/continuity.

Worked example(s)
Example: A raised platform with an open edge typically requires a guard; a stair requires a handrail (often both handrail and guard depending on configuration).