Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: PRO 3 Products Pty Ltd Actual Inventors: Andrew Paul Crothers Simon Noack Philip Ooyendyk Address for Service: C/- MADDERNS, GPO Box 2752, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS FOR SAFELY ENCLOSING HANDRAILS, STAIRWAYS, WALKWAYS AND PLATFORMS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.
PRIORITY CLAIM The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2010905499 entitled "SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS FOR SAFELY ENCLOSING HANDRAILS, STAIRWAYS, WALKWAYS AND PLATFORMS", the entire content of 5 which is hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to safety barriers. In a particular form the present invention relates systems and components for safely enclosing barriers such as handrails, stairways 10 walkways, and platforms. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Safety barriers such as guardrails, handrails, walkways, and platforms are found in a large variety of industrial commercial, residential and public sites. They are typically located at the 15 edge of walkways, stairs, or platforms where they are used to limit access to potentially unsafe or dangerous areas, and/or to provide support or protection in uneven or potentially slippery ground. In particular Australian Standard AS 1657-1192 relates to the design, construction, and 20 installation of fixed platforms, walkways, stairways, and ladders which are intended to provide means of safe access to and safe working at places normally used by operating, inspection, maintenance, and servicing personnel. This standard defines guardrailing as any structure to prevent persons from falling off any platform, walkway or landing. Handrails include rails to provide handhold on a platform, walkway, stairway, or step ladder and may 25 form part of a guardrailing. A walkway is passageway that is either level or sloping from the surrounding floor or level. It may be a continuous structure or steps with landings and covers inclinations in the range from 0* to 26.50. A stairway is a sloping stepped structure having not less than three rises and having a slope within the range of 26.5 0 to 45 degrees inclusive. A platform is an area provided for access or working, which is elevated above the surrounding 30 floor or level, and a landing is a level area used to provide access to a stairway or ladder, or located at an intermediate level in a system of stairways or ladders. A common type of guardrail or handrail system often found in public and industrial sites uses an open framework of horizontal, vertical or inclined pipes or tubes (which may be circular, 35 square, rectangular, oval, etc) to support a handrail. However in some cases such open systems do not provide a sufficient barrier to prevent people, or carried objects such as tools or products, from escaping the confines of the handrail system. This can create hazards for 2 both people on the walkways, who can slip out of, or may be forced to lean out over the handrail or through gaps into potentially unsafe areas to retrieve lost objects, as well as to persons below them who may be hit by falling objects. Further, many walkways, stairways and platforms in industrial or commercial sites include floors constructed of open grid mesh 5 or grating, which provide little protection to persons or equipment below the floor from material (solid or liquid) spilled or dropped whilst being carried across the floor. There is thus a need to provide systems and components to at least partially enclose open barrier systems, or at least provide installers with a useful alternative. 10 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bracket for use in mounting a guard panel to a post having a predefined profile, including: a post engaging portion wherein the post engaging portion has an open configuration 15 to allow the bracket to be removably clipped onto and retained around the post whilst in the open configuration, and a closed configuration to allow clamping of the post engaging portion to the post; a clamping portion including: a first clamping portion; and 20 a second clamping portion wherein in the closed configuration the second clamping portion is brought towards the first clamping portion to clamp the bracket to the post and are fastened in the closed configuration by a first set of one or more fasteners passing through apertures in the first and second clamping portions; and a mounting portion including a mounting plate to allow mounting of the guard panel 25 to the bracket with a second set of one or more fasteners. According to further aspect, the post engaging portion is located between the mounting portion and the clamping portion and includes a profile matching at least a portion of the predefined profile of the post to allow clipping of the bracket to the post when in the open 30 configuration and the first and second clamping portions extend from the first and second ends of the post engaging portion so that movement of the first clamping portion towards the second clamping portion clamps the bracket around the post to form the closed configuration. According to a further aspect the bracket may be is formed from a single sheet of material 35 (such as steel or plastic) and the post engaging portion includes a clip portion having a profile matching at least a portion of the predefined profile of the post to allow clipping of the bracket to the post when in the open configuration and a slot to allow the moveable portion to 3 be deformed to allow the bracket to be reconfigured from the open configuration to the closed configuration. According to a further aspect the mounting plate includes a plurality of apertures to allow a 5 guard panel to be mounted at a range of locations and inclinations with respect to the plate. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of installing a guarding system for enclosing a substantially open sidewall of a barrier system including a plurality of support members, the method including the steps of: 10 obtaining a plurality of brackets according to the first aspect for attachment to two or more of the plurality of support members; and obtaining at least one guard panel for attachment to the plurality of brackets, to enclose at least a portion of the vertical space of the open sidewall; clipping at least one of the plurality of brackets to each of two or more of the plurality 15 of support members; for each of the at least one brackets clipped to each of two or more of the plurality of support members: moving one or more portions of the respective bracket to change the configuration of the bracket from the open configuration to the closed configuration; and 20 fastening the bracket in the closed configuration so as to clamp the bracket to the respective support member; fastening one of the at least one guard panel to at least one bracket clamped to two or more of the plurality of support members. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Illustrative embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures wherein: Figures I A to I E illustrate various views of a walkway with a guarding system according to an embodiment of the invention; 30 Figure 2 is an isometric view of a bracket in an open configuration for clipping onto a support post according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the bracket of Figure 2 in a closed configuration; Figure 4 is a top view of the bracket in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a top view of the bracket in Figure 3; 35 Figure 6 is a flat pattern for constructing the bracket of Figure 2; Figure 7 illustrates a side view of a stairway which has been enclosed using an inclined guard panel according to an embodiment of the invention; 4 Figure 8 is a close up view of the attachment of a bracket to the inclined guard panel illustrated in Figure 7; Figures 9a to 9c illustrates a pair of adjacent grid mesh steps; Figure 10 illustrates the arrangement and spacing of load and cross bars in grid mesh floor; 5 Figure I 1 is an isometric view of a flooring bracket for mounting a floor sheet to a grid mesh floor according to an embodiment of the invention Figure 12 illustrates orthographic views of the flooring bracket of Figure 11; Figure 13 is a flat pattern for constructing the floor bracket of Figure 11; Figure 14 is a side view of the flooring bracket of Figure I I inserted into the grate of Figure 10 10; Figures 15A and 15B are an isometric view of a step guard, and stairway with a fitted step guard according to an embodiment of the invention; Figures 16A and 16B are an isometric view of a step guard, and stairway with a fitted step guard according to an embodiment of the invention; 15 Figures 17A and 17B are an isometric view of a step guard, and stairway with a fitted step guard according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 18 is an isometric view of the bracket of Figure 2 clipped around a post; Figure 19 is an isometric view of the bracket of Figure 2 clamped to a post and with a guard panel mounted; 20 Figure 20 is an isometric view a corner section of a platform with guard panels and corner joiners according to an embodiment of the invention; Figures 21A to 21F illustrate isometric views of the installation of floor brackets and mounting of a sheet to a grid mesh floor according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 22 illustrates a bracket and a method of installing the bracket according to another 25 embodiment of the invention; Figure 23 illustrates a bracket according to a another embodiment of the invention; Figure 24 illustrates a bracket according to a another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 25 illustrates a bracket according to a another embodiment of the invention. 30 In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures. DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS The system described herein includes three components used to enclose various parts of open 35 safety barrier systems such as handrails, walkway, stairs, platforms, grid mesh flooring etc. Such safety barriers are typically substantially open structures include a coarse grid of support (or structural) members with a variety of large and small gaps between the support members. 5 All three components described herein may be used together, or various combinations of the three, or each components may be used separately or independently of each other depending upon the requirements of the site, and whether full or partial enclosure is required. To assist 5 in understanding the invention, illustrative embodiments of the inventi o n will be described in relation to enclosing a walkway incorporating an open handrail. The first component is a guard system including a bracket and guard panel for enclosing the sides of walkways, stairs, or the vertical space below a handrail. The second component is a step guard which provides a stair tread and back plate to fill in the vertical gap (rise) between twol stairs and the third 10 component is a flooring system including a floor bracket and sheeting to be laid over a gridmesh floor. These components allow for safe and efficient enclosing of handrails, stairways, walkways and platforms. A walkway enclosed using the above described embodiment is illustrated in Figure IA to I E. 15 Figure IA shows an isometric view 110 of an unenclosed walkway and Figure lB shows an isometric view 120 of the walkway enclosed according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure IC is an end view 130 of the enclosed walkway illustrating thel brackets, guard panels, floor brackets and sheeting. Figures I D and IE are interior and exterior side views 140, 150 of walkway illustrating the attachment of guard panel to the support posts (marked ID and IE 20 on Figure IC). As shown in Figures I C to I E, an upper and lower bracket is clamped to each post to secure a guard panel. The guard panels 40 are mounted so that they rest on or near the edge of the kick plate 72 and extend continuously to just below the handrail. The guard panels 40 may be made of flat sheet without any apertures, perforated sheet having 25 a regular array of apertures (as in Figures IC and ID), or sheet with periodic or irregular apertures. Providing openings in the sheet will reduce the additional wind load on the structure compared to a flat sheet with no apertures. Adjacent guard p anels have an overlapping portion 160 which extends over a distance of approximately 50mm to allow the two panels to be fastened together using a plurality of fasteners 162 such as self drilling or 30 Tek screws, or nuts and bolts. The plurality of apertures in the guard panels allows the guard panels to be fastened to the brackets at any convenient point betweedi the apertures in the guard panel (if present). This may be mid span, or if the overlap occurs over a post, a singe set of fasteners may be used to both fasten overlapping panels and to attach the panels to the mounting portion of the upper and lower brackets as illustrated in Figures 1 D and I E. 35 The bracket broadly includes a post engaging portion 10, a clamping portion 20 and a mounting portion 30. The post engaging portion has two configurations. The open or clipping 6 configuration allows the bracket to be conveniently clipped onto the post where it will be retained so that the installer can release the bracket and attend to other tasks without the bracket falling off the post, and a closed or clamping configuration in which the post engaging portion is clamped so that the bracket is tightly fixed or held in place around the post. The 5 clamping portion may include a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion, wherein the first and second clamping portions are arranged so that when the bracket is in the closed configuration the second clamping portion is brought into proximity with the first clamping portion to allow the bracket to be clamped to the post using fasteners or other means. The mounting portion allows mounting of the guard panel to the bracket. This may be 10 provided in the form of a mounting plate to which a guard panel may be mounted, or an aperture or flange may be provided which is received by a mounting pprtion on a guard panel. Referring now to Figures 2 to 6 there are shown various views of a br cket for use in mounting a guard panel to post according to an embodiment of the invention. As would be 15 understood by the person skilled in the art the dimensions and materi ls described are representative only and may be varied according to the requirements 1f the specific application. In this embodiment the post the bracket is designed to be mounted to is a vertical cylindrical post or stanchion constructed from 250 grade steel and hay ing an outer diameter of 48.3mm or similar. Such posts are often used in handrails, footrails, kneerails, guardrails or 20 walkways found in industrial and mining sites. Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view 200 of the bracket in an open configuration for clipping the bracket onto such a post and Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view 300 of the bracket in a closed or clamping configuration. Figures 4 and 5 show respective top views 400 500 with dimensions for use ih fixing to a post with an outer diameter of 48.3mm. Figure 6 illustrates a flat pattern 600 of the bracket indicating 25 required folds, and cut outs and finishing for manufacturing the bracket from a flat strip of 316 stainless steel 1.2mm thick. In Figures 4, 5, and 6 the general tolerances are 0.5mm. However the bracket could be constructed of any suitable material such as steel, aluminium, alloys, plastics etc having the properties described herein. 30 Whilst in Figure I the bracket shown in Figures 2 to 6 is attached to a vertical cylindrical post used to support a handrail, it is to be understood that the bracket could be adapted to be fitted to any of the members forming the structure of the safety barrier including posts, pipes, tubing, handrails, kneerails, footrails etc, having a range of cross sectional profiles and which may be vertical, horizontal, inclined, curved, etc, herein referred to as support members. 35 Further the system provides flexibility in the location at which the bracket is fitted allowing it to be fitted at a range of heights and positions depending upon the requirements of the specific 7 installation. Further multiple brackets may be fitted to different parts of a support structure to increase the strength as required (for example to meet wind load requirements). The bracket broadly includes a post engaging portion 10, a clamping portion 20 and a 5 mounting portion 30. The bracket shown in Figure 2 is shown in the open configuration which allows the bracket to be conveniently clipped onto a post where it will be retained. The closed or clamping configuration of the bracket is illustrated in Figure 3. In this embodiment the post engaging portion includes a clip portion 12, and a movable 10 portion 14 and the post engaging portion is constructed to have sufficient elasticity to allow the bracket to be removably clipped around the post. The clip portion is manufactured to have a profile matching at least a portion of profile of the post. As illustrated in Figure 4, the clip portion spans and angle of 239.9' (900+149.9*). The angle will however depend upon the post the bracket is to be clipped onto. The post engaging portion also includes a movable portion 15 to provide an open configuration to allow the bracket to be clipped onio the post and a closed configuration to allow clamping of the bracket or post engaging portion to the post. In this embodiment the movable portion is a straight section having an extended slot 49mm long which weakens the section to allow it to be deformed by hand from the straight open configuration shown in Figure 2 to the closed configuration shown in Iigure 3. In the closed 20 configuration the moveable portion extends over an angle of 120.10 ard matches the match the profile of the portion of the post will be contacted or engaged by tbe moveable portion. In one embodiment the slot extends over an angle of at least 900 to provide a sufficient opening so that the post engaging portion of the bracket is not requireito significantly deform 25 to receive the post to which the bracket is being clipped. The length of the slot may be selected based on the strength of the material used to form the bracket. In another embodiment the bracket could be formed of two or more members and a hinge provided between the clip portion and the moveable portion. In this embodiment the moveable portion could be shaped to match the profile of the portion of the post will belcontacted or engaged 30 when in the close configuration so that no deformation of the shape of the movable portion is required. Various additional stiffening elements may be added to the post engaging portion increase the strength as required to meet wind load or other load requirements. As shown in Figure 4, in the open configuration, an opening is formed between the start of the 35 clip portion (where it meets the clamping portion) and the moveable portion, and has a minimum width of 38mm. This is slightly less than the outer diameter of the pole the bracket is to be attached too. In this embodiment the bracket is constructed of 1.2mm thick 316 8 Stainless Steel which has sufficient elasticity to allow the bracket to be removably clipped around the post. That is as the bracket is placed around the post the moveable portion is pushed outwards away from the start of the clip portion, until the moveable portion and/or the post engaging portion can resiliently spring back to encompass and retain the bracket around 5 the post. This allows an installer to clip the bracket onto the post and then release the bracket without fear of it falling off. This also frees up the installer to perform other tasks, such as obtain a tool to fasten the bracket in place or to select another bracket to clip onto the same or another post. This is illustrated in Figure 18 which is an isometric view 1800 of the bracket of Figure 2 clipped around a post. 10 The clamping portion 22 includes a first clamping portion 22 connecte to one end of the clip portion 22 of the post engaging portion 20 and a second clamping portion 20 connected to one end of the movable portion 24 of the post engaging portion 20. The second clamping portion is arranged so that when the movable portion is in the closed configuration, the second 15 clamping portion is brought towards or in close proximity with the first clamping portion. This then allows the post engaging portion and thus the bracket to be clamped to the post. A range of fasteners may be used. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 the first and second clamping portion each include matching apertures 23 25. A bqlt may then be placed through both apertures, and fastened in place using a nut. In another embodiment the 20 apertures could be threaded and a screw fastener used to bring the portions together. Alternatively no apertures could be provided and the two clamping sections could screwed together using self drilling or Tek screws, be externally clamped, or even welded together if the bracket was installed at a site where such hot work would not give rise to safety concerns. 25 A mounting portion 30 is attached to the clamping portion 20 to allow mounting of the guard panel to the bracket at a panel offset distance 26. In this embodiment the mounting portion includes a flat plate which is attached to the other end of the first clapping portion. Typically the guard panel is required to be orientated in a plane parallel to a plahe tangential to the cross section of the post, with the clamping portion acting as a standoff arm to space the post from 30 the guard panel. In this embodiment the respective angles between tl e flat plate and the clamping portion and the clamping portion and the post engaging portion are both 90', but other inclined arrangements are possible (the sum of these two angles will however still sum to 180*). Further, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the ends of the mo hunting portion 30 and clamping portion 20 included stiffening flanges. 35 In the embodiment show in Figures 2 to 6 the mounting portion includes a plate which includes a plurality of apertures 32a to 32i which act as pilot holes for the fasteners. These 9 apertures are arranged to allow the guard panel to be mounted to perforated plate in a range of locations and inclinations. An aperture free section 34 is also provided in front of the clamping screw so that the fastener used to clamp the bracket together and the fastener used to mount the panel to the bracket do not interfere with each other. This clearance is further 5 illustrated in Figure 19 which is an isometric view 1900 of the bracket of Figure 2 clamped to a post and with a guard panel mounted. In this figure the two Tek screws are clear of each other. Providing a plurality of apertures provides flexibility in mounting the panel to the bracket. For 10 example if the apertures in the panel are large diameter, then the plurality of apertures in the mounting portion increase the likelihood that at least one of the apertures will be aligned over an aperture free section of the perforated guard panel. Alternatively if the apertures in the guard panel are small and similar to the dimensions of apertures in the mounting portion and the screw fastener to be used, then this plurality of apertures in the mounting plate increase 15 the likelihood that at least one aperture in the guard panel will align with one of the apertures in the mounting portion of the bracket. This aspect allows the perforated guard panel to be mounted to level ground (platform or walkway), inclined ground, or to stairs. This is further illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 illustrates a side view 700 of 0 stairway which has been enclosed using an inclined perforated guard panel. Figure 8 shows a close up view 800 20 of the attachment of a bracket to the inclined guard panel illustrated in Figure 7. The aperture 32e is located over a flat section between apertures 42 in the inclined guard panel, and a fastener such as a self drilling Tek screw has been inserted to fasten the bracket and guard panel together. 25 The Locker group manufacture a range of perforated sheets which may be used as guard panels. This range includes a range of apertures sizes (1.6mm to 9.5mm), patterns (circles, squares, diamonds, clubs, etc), % open area (23 to 62%), and materials (steel alloys, Aluminium, etc). For example stock sheet R07962 comes in a standard size of 2440x1220mm with holes of diameter 7.94mm, a pitch (hole spacing) of 9.55mm and an open area 62%. 30 Alternatively P081116 from the Graham group may be used. Other sheets such as those manufactured from plastic, wood, or other materials could be used. As shown in Figures ID and I E, adjacent guard panels may be overlapped by a short distance, such as 50mm, and can be fastened using self drilling or TEK screws. Other fastening arrangements could be used, including means that take advantage of any overlapping holes between the panels. 35 To facilitate stacking of panels and overlapping of panels, the upperland lower edges of the guard panels may be bent to an angle under 90* to form upper flange section 42 and lower 10 flange section 44. As shown in Figure I C, the panel may be mounted so that the bent portions of the panel points towards the posts. The panel may be mounted so that the side wall of a handrail or walkway is substantially enclosed, such that the side wall extends continuously from the floor plate to a point just below the handrail sufficient to provide clearance to 5 provide hand access to the handrail. This is further illustrated in Figure IC, in which the lower flange portion 42 rests upon the top edge of a kick plate 72 which extends towards the floor 70. Further these flanges also act to stiffen the panels. In another embodiment the sheet may be a flat sheet with holes or apertures limited to a 10 specific region of the sheet. For example if the brackets and guard sheets are to be used on a level walkway and it is desired to mount the guard sheet at a specific height, the brackets could all be mounted at the specific height on the poles, and holes could be provided in a strip on the sheet only at the appropriate height to ensure the guard panel is to be mounted at the desired height. In another alternative embodiment the guard panel could be provided as a flat 15 sheet with no holes, and holes drilled as required. Alternatively the mounting portion need not include apertures and these could be drilled as required or self drilling TEK screws used to fasten the guard panel to the mount. A method for installing a guarding system to a handrail will now be outlined with reference to 20 Figures I to 6. Firstly at least one bracket in the open configuration 200 is clipped to at least on support post 50 for a handrail 60. Then for each bracket clipped to a support posts, the bracket is adjusted or moved to the closed configuration, such as by moving movable portion of the bracket, and then the bracket is clamped to the post such as by using a nut and bolt fastening arrangement or self drilling TEK screw. Once one or more brackets are clamped to 25 the post, a guard panel may be fastened to the brackets and adjacent guard panels are then fastened together. Figure IC shows a side view illustrating a guard panel 40 attached to a bracket via mounting plate. In this embodiment the guard panel is mounted so that the lower flange 42 and upper flange 44 are directed towards the support post 50. 30 When installing the guarding system, the installer can add as many or as few brackets as required based upon the length of the section to be enclosed, weight of materials and strength of the brackets. In one embodiment the adjacent guard panels are each joined to each other, effectively forming a continuous panel. In this case a single bracket may only be required every third stanchion (post) to support the panels. For lighter panels this could be extended, 35 and for heavier panels a bracket could be clipped and clamped to each post. Also the installer can choose the height at which to place the bracket. These could be alternated between high and low positions, or two (or more) brackets could be fitted to each post at high and low I I positions. Additionally rather than use a single panel which extends from the floor to the handrail, multiple independent panel strips could be mounted so as to partially enclose the handrail. Figure I shows a handrail in which a horizontal support pole is located at approximately mid height. In this case panel strips could be mounted in the gaps above and 5 below this support pole. Additionally corner joiners may also be provided to allow plates meeting at a corner of a platform to be joined. Figure 20 is an isometric view 2000 a corner section of a platform with guard panels and corner joiners according to an embodiment of the invention. 10 It is to be understood that the above described bracket and guarding system represent some embodiments of the system and may be varied and still provide the same functionality. Figures 22 to 25 further illustrate various alternative embodiments of the bracket. Figure 22 represents another embodiment of a bracket and illustrates a method of installing the bracket 2200. The bracket includes a post engaging portion 10, a clamping portion 20 and a mounting 15 portion 30 for mounting a guard panel 40 and is formed of a suitably resilient material such as plastic or steel. The bracket comprises two half sections 2212 and 2214 are joined along a section 2216 leading to the mounting portion. This join could be formed through welding during construction of the bracket, or performed in the field using appropriate fasteners such as self drilling TEK screws or a nut and bolt arrangement. Each of the half sections has a 20 profile which at least partially matches a post 50 (eg stanchion) to which the bracket is to be clipped around. The two ends 2222 and 2224 of the half sections are flanged outward to leave an opening for receiving the post. The installation method includes a first step 2202 of clipping a bracket onto a post 50 by 25 pushing the opening of the bracket towards the post. At step 2204 the outward flanges are (resiliently) pushed outward by engagement with the post, and once the flanges have passed the halfway point (ie diameter) the elasticity or resiliency of the bracket will force the flange sections towards each other and thus act to clip the bracket around the post into a clipping configuration. As described above, slots could be provided in the flange sections and/or the 30 post engaging portions to weaken a section of the bracket to facilitate clipping of the bracket over or around the post. A clamping step 2206 is performed in which the two flange portions (acting as first and second clamping portions) are moved, deformed or otherwise brought together and then fastened into a clamping configuration through the use of fastener such as a nut 2228 and bolt 2226. The use of slots in the flanged sections may facilitate the movement 35 of the sections into the clamped configuration. Finally in a panel mounting step 2208 a guard panel 40 is mounted onto the mounting portion 30 of the bracket in the clamped configuration. 12 Figure 23 illustrates another bracket 2300 in the open configuration 2302 and the closed configuration 2304 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the bracket is formed from a single piece of suitably elastic of resilient materials such as plastic or 5 steel. In the open configuration 2302, the overall shape of the post engaging portion matches the profile or shape of the post 50 to which the bracket is to be clipped. The two ends of the bracket (the clamping portions) are outwardly flanged to provide an opening in the bracket to receive the post. The bracket is clipped in place by pushing the bracket around the post, so that the post temporarily deflects the two flange sections (and adjacent sections of the post 10 engaging portions) outwards. Once the bracket is pushed over the halfway point the resiliency of the material will pull the bracket around the post and engage the post to clip the bracket in place. Additionally in this embodiment an (optional) compressive liner 2360 is placed between the post and the bracket. This liner is made of a suitable compressive material such as of rubber to allow for expansion and contraction of the post and/or bracket, or differences 15 between the relative expansion/contraction rates if not formed of the same material, or to account for any irregularities (eg bumps, projections, etc) in the profile of the post and/or bracket. In this embodiment matching apertures are provided in the outwardly flanged clamping 20 portions so that the clamping portions also act as a mounting portion. The guard panel 2340 includes mounting projection 2344 including one or more apertures. Clamping and mounting of the panel is performed as a single operation. The mounting projection of the panel is placed between the two outwardly flanged portions, which are then moved towards each other so that they are either side of the mounting projection. The apertures in the clamping portions and the 25 mounting portion are aligned and a bolt 2326 is passed through the apertures and then fastened in place using a nut 2328. In an alternative embodiment apertures need not be provided a self drilling TEK screw could be used as a fastener. Figure 24 illustrates another bracket 2400 in the open configuration 2402 and the closed 30 configuration 2404 according to an embodiment of the invention. This bracket is another variant of the bracket shown in Figures 23. In this case the bracket is formed, or manufactured with a right angled mounting portion 2430 which is located at an angle of 90* with respect to the clamping portions when in the clamped configuration. This configuration allows the installer to perform the clamping operation to one side of the post and then the 35 panel mounting operation in front of the post. This allows easier installation as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 22 which may require the fastening to be performed behind the post. This embodiment also illustrated another embodiment of a compressive liner 2460, 13 in which the compressive liner includes a plurality of projections or feet 2462 which engage with the post, and can thus compensate for variations in expansion or irregularities in the shape of the post. 5 Figure 25 illustrates another bracket 2500 in the open configuration 2502 and the closed configuration 2504 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the post engaging portion is provided in two parts 2512 2514 joined by a hinge 2513. The two post engaging portions have a shape or profile designed to match the shape of the post 50 to which the brackets is clipped around. The first post engaging portion 2512 spans at least 180* so that 10 it may be clipped onto the post. The second post engaging portion is then moved towards the first post engaging portion to place the bracket in the clamping configuration. In this embodiment the clamping portion includes a first clamping portion 2522 joined to the first post engaging portion 2512, and a second clamping portion 2524 joined to the second post engaging portion 2514. The mounting portion 2530 is located at the end of the second 15 clamping portion 2524 and orientated at 900. In this embodiment the first clamping portion 2522 includes an aperture 2526 and the second post engaging portion 2544 includes a projection 2528 which is designed to pass through the aperture 2526 when the second post engaging portion is moved into the clamping position. To clamp the bracket in place, an aperture is provided in the projection 2528 through which a pin 2529 is passed to retain the 20 bracket in the clamping position. Walkways, stairways, and platforms in many sites use grid mesh flooring. Grid mesh is characterised by closely spaced parallel load bars and more sparsely spaced intersecting cross bars. Typically the gaps between adjacent load bars and cross bars can be quite large allowing 25 tools, equipment and other material (solid or liquids) to fall between the gaps. Additionally grid mesh stairs often have large vertical gaps between adjacent or successive stairs (or a stair and platform). Such gaps can thus be a hazard for persons or equipment below. Figures 9a to 9c illustrate two successive grid mesh steps in side view 900 and isometric view 30 950, and a top view of a single stair 940. The first or lower stair 910 includes an stair tread or nosing 912 which if the rounded or angled edge of the tread projecting over the riser and which is fastened onto the edge of the stair using vertical fasteners. The second or upper stair 930 similarly includes a nosing 932. The two steps are separated by a rise 920 which is the vertical height from the top of one tread to the top of the next. An overhang 922 is provided 35 between the front edge of the upper stair and the rear edge of the lower stair (typically about 15mm). Each stair is comprised of a grid mesh comprising load bars 914 running parallel with the front edge of the step, and transverse cross bars 916 running front to back. The load bars 14 are typically closely spaced, such as with a 30mm separation (pitch) and the cross bars are more widely spaced, typically with about a 100mm separation (pitch). The offset 918 between the edge of the stair and the first cross bar may be fixed distance, or may vary from step to step, or from stairway to stairway, or from site to site. 5 Figure 10 shows a top view 1000 of a grid mesh floor used in walkways. The grid mesh is a steel grating which includes load bars 1010 and cross bars 1020. A close up view 1030 further illustrates the spacing arrangement in more detail. A first load bar 1012 has a spacing 1016 of 30mm from second load bar 1014, and both load bars run between a first crossbar 1022 and a 10 second crossbar 1024 which have a spacing 1026 of 100mm. Side view 1040 illustrates the two load bars 1012 and 1014. Each load bar has a depth 1042 of 32mm between upper surface 1044 and lower surface 1046. Each load bar has a width of 5mm wide, thus defining an internal spacing 1018 between outer edges of the load bars of 25mm based on a pitch of 30mm. 15 As discussed in some environments it may be desirable to enclose or reduce the gaps in grid mesh flooring and/or the vertical rise between successive steps in stairways. Referring now to figures 11 to 14 there are shown various views of a flooring bracket for use in mounting a sheet above a grid mesh floor or grating, and figures 15 to 17 illustrate various guard panels 20 that may be used to cover the vertical gap between the stairs, and both the vertical gap and top surface of a stair according to embodiments of the invention. These components of the system prevent or limit tools and materials from falling through gaps in such floors or stairs, and can safely be fitted whilst on the floor or stairway. 25 Figure 1 I shows an isometric view 1 100 of a flooring bracket for use in mounting a floor sheet to cover a grid mesh floor. Figure 12 shows an orthographic projection of the flooring bracket including top view 1210, side view 1220 and end view 1230. Figure 13 shows flat pattern view 1300 of the steel strip from which the flooring bracket is manufactured. In this embodiment the flooring bracket is constructed from 316 stainless steel 1.2mm thick, 30 and all tolerances shown are 0.5mm. The flooring bracket (or clip) includes an upper surface 1 110 which includes two flange portions 1112, 1114 which are for engaging the upper surface of two adjacent load bars (support members). These may be resilient to take up variations in the height of the cross bars. 35 The upper surface also has a mounting portion 1 16 to receive a fastener to allow mounting of a sheet to the top surface of the flooring bracket. Two resilient arms 1122 1132 for engaging adjacent support members extend down from the upper surface I 10. The two arms 15 are spaced apart 1140 by a distance approximately matching the gap 1018 between the interior side faces of the adjacent support members. Each arm has a lower projection 1124 1134 for resiliently engaging the lower surface 1046 of the respective support member so that in use the flooring bracket is retained by engaging the upper 1044 and lower 1046 surfaces of 5 adjacent support members. The resiliency of the arms allows the bracket to take up variation in distances between load bars. To provide resiliency, the mounting portion includes a first aperture 1 13 in the form of a slot, and a second aperture 1115 in the form of a slot. As can be seen in Figure 12, these slots 10 are located in each flange portion and are located above the space between adjacent support members. The length of the slot may be varied to control the amount of flex or resiliency in the flange portions 1112 1114. As shown in Figure 14, the apertures are angled down so as to provide a take up space 1152 between the top of the bracket and the flooring plate. 15 The mounting portion 1116 in the upper surface is a Vee shaped groove centred on the centreline of the flooring bracket. This facilitates insertion of the bracket into the space between load bars by acting as a hinge or pivot to allow the arms to move towards each other as they are inserted, before resiliently springing back when the lower projections extend past the lower surface of the load bars. The groove also separates and spaces apart the two flange 20 portions 1112 1114, and also acts as a stiffening rib. The lower projection on each arm is an inclined plate section which outwardly projects from the arm towards the lower face of the respective support member. As can be seen in Figure 12, wherein the two lower projection of each arm subtend an angle of 30'. That is they are 25 inclined at an angle of 15* with respect to the arm. The outermost edge of the projections 1126 1136 is aligned with the outer edge of the respective flange portion. The flooring bracket can thus be used as part of a guarding system for mounting a floor sheet to cover a grid mesh floor. Figures 21A to 21F illustrate isometric views 2110, 2120, 2130, 30 2140, 2150 and 2160 of the installation of floor brackets and mounting of a sheet to a grid mesh floor according to an embodiment of the invention. This system can be installed by first obtaining a plurality of flooring brackets and sheets. The sheets may be made of any suitable material such as steel mesh, flat or patterned sheet, wood, plastic etc. It may further include tread or an anti-slip pattern or treatment on one side. A floor bracket is inserted into the gap 35 between two adjacent support members until the flooring bracket is retained by the two adjacent support members as shown in views 2110 and 2120 of Figures 21A and 21B. The resiliency of the bracket and the flange portions and lower projections allow the bracket to be 16 inserted, and to self-lock in place. Multiple flooring brackets are inserted and a sheet is placed over the top of them as illustrated in views 2130 and 2140 of Figures 21C and 21D. Then for each of the flooring brackets inserted into the gap between two adjacent support members a sheet is fastening to the top surface of the inserted flooring bracket via the mounting portion. 5 This may be performed using various fasteners such as self drilling Tek screws as shown in views 2150 and 2160 of Figures 21 E and 21 F. Finally adjacent sheets may be fastened together using fasteners such as self drilling Tek screws. Side view 1410 of a flooring bracket inserted into grate is shown in Figure 14. The inserted 10 bracket 1 100 is retained by adjacent load bars 1012 1014. The spacing 1140 of arms 1122 and 1132 matches the internal spacing 1018 between inner edges of the load bars, whilst the spacing 1142 of the ends of the projections 1126 1136, and flanges 1112, 1114 matches the pitch spacing 1016 of the load bars. A flooring sheet 1420 is fastened to the mounting portion using screw fastener 1432 through the V. A top view 1440 shows the sheet 1420 the top of 15 fasteners 1432 which fasten the sheet to the bracket. Figures 15A and 15B are an isometric view 1500 of a step guard for enclosing the vertical rise between adjacent steps in a stairway, and an isometric view 1550 of a stairway with a fitted step guard. The riser plate comprises a central plate 1520 with a first set of tongue and 20 grooves 1510 along on the upper edge, and tongue and grooves on the lower edge 1530. The central plate section is angled with respect to the tongue and groove sections to span the overhang 922. Typically the horizontal overhang distance will be defined in a standard and the central plate will be angled so that it spans a distance slightly in excess of this distance (ie is overbent). For example the overhang may be 15mm in which case the riser plate will be 25 angled to span as 16 or 17mm. This ensures that the plate will be sprung to positively engage against both the upper and lower stair. The riser plate is fitted by first removing the nosing (stair tread) 932 of the upper stair 930 and then inserting the lower tongues of the riser plate into the gaps between cross bars at the rear edge of the lower stair. The upper tongue and grooves are then placed against the front edge of the upper stair and the stair tread is 30 refastened to the upper stair to lock the riser plate in place. This is further illustrated in the isometric view 1550 of stairs fitted with the riser plate in Figure 15. Additionally the tongues (or projections) in the upper first set of tongue and grooves may be offset with respect to the tongues in the lower second set of tongue and grooves in order to 35 accommodate a range of distances between the edge of a step and the first cross bar in the step. This increases the usability of the rise plate as the offset distance 918 to the first cross bar, and then the subsequent cross bars, may not be located in a position to allow all the lower 17 tongues of the riser plate to be inserted into gaps in the lower stair, ie one of the tongues may foul on a crossbar and prevent insertion into the lower step. In such a case the riser plate may be inverted, and as the tongues are offset between the top and bottom, the offset may be sufficient to allow the previously upper tongues to be inserted into the lower gap. In this case 5 the fouling tongue is thus replaced with a clearing groove. As steps typically have standard widths, and cross bars in grid mesh typically have standard offset distances (eg 100mm), then the required offset between the upper and lower tongues can be predetermined during manufacture based on these known distances so that the riser can be used on most stairs in either the standard or inverted configuration. 10 A further advantage of this riser is that it reuses the existing nosing on stairs, which thus saves overall cost (as new treads are not required). The plate may be manufactured from 0.8mm steel plate sufficient to resist denting by steel cap boots or dropped objects. Additionally apertures such as slots or vents may be cut into the riser plate to reduce wind load on the 15 structure. Alternatively other materials such as flattened diamond mesh or perforated steel may be used. Figures 16A and 16B are an isometric view 1600 of another step guard for enclosing the vertical rise between adjacent steps in a stairway, and an isometric view 1650 of a stairway 20 with a fitted step guard. In this embodiment the upper edge includes a stair tread, and the unit is not invertible. This step guard may thus be used on new stairs or on existing stairs if the existing nosing is removed. The lower edge still includes a set of tongue and grooves 1630, although fewer tongues (projections) are used in this embodiment. The spacing is again based on the known or predetermined spacing of crossbars. In the event that a tongue fouls a cross 25 bar, it can be bent backwards (away from the stair) or cut off as required. The rise section 1620 is again inclined and overbent to ensure it engages both stairs. The tread 1610 includes an anti-slip surface, such as burst extruded holes or abrasive coating. The tread or riser plate may be secured to the upper stair using fasteners such as Tek screws into the stair, or by using the flooring bracket described above inserted into the gaps in the front of the stair. The plate 30 may be manufactured from 1.2mm steel plate to provide a strong edge on the stair tread. Additionally apertures such as slots or vents may be cut into the riser plate to reduce wind load on the structure. Alternatively other materials such as flattened diamond mesh or perforated steel may be used. 35 Figures 17A and 17B are an isometric view 1700 of a another step guard for enclosing the vertical rise between adjacent steps in a stairway and for covering the top surface of the step, and an isometric view 1750 of a stairway with a fitted step guard. In this embodiment the 18 riser plate 1730 is inclined with a flat top edge 1740 for engaging the front face of the upper step. Additionally apertures such as slots or vents may be cut into the riser plate to reduce wind load on the structure. Alternatively other materials such as flattened diamond mesh or perforated steel may be used. The step guard also includes a stair plate 1720, for at least 5 partially covering and reducing the size of the gaps between grid mesh elements in the lower step, as shown in view 1750. The stair plate may be manufactured from steel plate, with no apertures, perforated steel plate, or steel plate with burst extruded holes. To provide a strong burst extruded edge the plate may be manufactured from 1.2mm steel plate. The step guard also includes a stair tread 1710 for engaging with the front and upper edge of the lower step. 10 The overhang of the stair tread 1710 will be sufficient to sit over the top edge 1740 of the lower step guard. A single set of horizontal fasteners may be used to fasten a step guard to a step. Alternatively the flooring bracket described above maybe inserted into the gaps in the front of the stair and vertical fasteners such as Tek screws used to fasten the step guard to the top of the stair. In another embodiment, the top edge 1740 could be omitted so that adjacent 15 step guards approach each other (eg leaving a small 5mm gap) or meet, rather than overlapping. In an alternative embodiment, the riser plate could be attached to the bottom of the stair guard (ie front edge), and only a small vertical section (equivalent to 1740) provide on the rear edge 20 of the stair plate (for overlapping with the bottom of the riser plate of the next step guard. In this case a step guard such as that illustrated in Figure 16A to 17A would be required for the final vertical gap between the last stair and a platform. The system and components described herein can be retrofitted to open safety barrier systems, 25 such as handrails, guardrails, walkways, platforms, etc, or can be installed as part of installation of the system. The modularity of the components in the system also allows selective use of the components, or the complete system only in those regions requiring additional protection. For example the complete system may only be required in locations which are elevated and may become slippery (whether due to environmental effects or 30 spillage of materials being carried). Alternatively just the guard panels could just be fitted around elevated platforms where the greatest risk is losing equipment or even persons through the gaps in the handrail. Similarly for handrails or walkways which provide a safe passage between equipment, the guard panels and/or flooring could only be placed where it is important to prevent accidental contact by a person and surrounding equipment (such as due 35 to a person falling through the gaps in the handrail) or even to stop material being carried on the walkway from accidentally contaminating the surrounding area. 19 Further the system and components do not require the installer to place themselves or tools outside of barrier and into potentially unsafe locations. For example, in the case of an elevated walkway the installer can remain safely within the confines of the walkway at all times whilst installing the system, and there is no need for the installer to put an arm holding a tool outside 5 the handrail or under a stair or platform. Further the use of a clipping configuration on the brackets allows them to be placed and retained around support members. Thus there is no risk of the bracket falling and the installer is then free to safely pick up other components or tools without losing or dropping the bracket. Similarly the installation of the floor brackets and sheets can be done from above (i.e. on the walkway) and again does not require the installer 10 to place themselves or tools outside of the confines of the walkway. Another advantage of the system is that it doesn't compromise the structural integrity of an existing safety barrier system. The use of brackets which clip onto the existing handrail or walkway structure eliminates the need for drilling into or welding to the handrail structure. 15 Another advantage of the system is that it avoids the need to perform any hot work (e.g. welding) when installing the system. In some industrial sites (e.g. chemical sites and mines) hot work can be potentially dangerous, or incur significant overhead such as shutting down certain processes and obtaining hot work permits, and thus avoiding any need to perform hot 20 work simplifies the overall installation process, and minimally impacts other activities occurring at the site. Further the system and components include a number of features which can assist in speeding up the installation process. The use of an extended slot in the bracket allows it deformed from 25 hand from the open to the closed position. Additionally the use of a plurality of holes in the mounting bracket and in the guarding panels means these can be installed in both flat and inclined configurations, without the need to precisely line up holes. The various combination of features described herein provides an efficient and useful system 30 and components for safely enclosing safety barrier systems such as handrails, walkways, stairs, platforms, and other open barriers used in a variety of locations. Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise" and "include" and variations such as "comprising" and "including" will 35 be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 20 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 5 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein, including dimensions and materials. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous 10 rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims. 21