Mezzanine Floor Safety Solutions

With the rising popularity of mezzanine floor installation to maximise space, it becomes increasingly important for businesses including their employees to understand how to keep safe when working on them. Due to their tall, off-the-ground designs, mezzanines can pose a hazard for those who aren’t careful and are unaware of the risks. So we’re here to provide you with all the safety tips you need to keep yourself and your employees safe when working on a mezzanine. 

What are mezzanine floors? 

A mezzanine floor is a free-standing structure that is installed inside a building, warehouse, or facility, adding an additional floor. They are a great way to utilise empty overhead space and add more room where it is limited.

How to keep safe on mezzanine flooring structures

1. Mezzanine design 

First and foremost, investing in a mezzanine from a trusted designer and builder is paramount for anyone’s safety. Getting your mezzanine also installed by a professional (preferably the designer or builder) is the best way to guarantee that it’s safe and functional. 

When choosing the design of your mezzanine floor, you should consider including various safety features to safeguard your team. These features include:

Handrails: since mezzanines are above the ground, they should have proper rails to protect users, equipment, and other objects from easily falling off the edge.

Kickboards: similar to handrails, kickboards installed on all outer mezzanines will protect people working on and below the floor. It can also prevent equipment from potentially falling over the side.

Pallet gates: the opening in which you’re transporting pallets should have a gate to protect workers when they’re moving goods and prevent falls.

Follow the recommended weight capacity of the floor: once your mezzanine has been installed, it’s best to educate your staff on the weight capacity of the floor and what’s allowed on it, or how many staff members can be on it. This will ensure they abide by guidelines and keep everyone safe. Weight capacity is also an important consideration when you’re installing heavy equipment and machinery. 

When building a mezzanine, you will need to follow the Australian standards for mezzanine flooring to ensure adequate safety. 

2. Access

Keeping entryways clear, clean, and well-lit is important. A mezzanine that is cluttered with equipment can increase the risk of tripping and falls. This is something that employees should also be trained on. 

3. Maintenance 

Everything needs maintenance with time and mezzanines are no exception. In many different industries, mezzanines can get exposed to dust, oil, and chemicals that can increase the risk of falls. It’s important to be vigilant and watch out for such situations so you can minimise the risk of injury. This can be as simple as cleaning the work area often if your workplace is prone to buildup and dust. Spills should be cleaned up immediately and signage should also be readily available to make others aware of hazardous situations. 

4. Training and safety procedures 

One of the most beneficial things you can do in ensuring workplace safety is to educate your employees by outlining possible risks and set standardised workplace policies. Here are things you and your workers can train staff on to actively do in order to minimise risk when on a mezzanine: 

• Wear safety footwear 
• Use non-slip flooring 
• Ensure employees operate the pallet gates properly

As with all training, it’s best to do it routinely to make sure that workers understand and remember their safety obligations in the workplace.