Mezzanine Floors

Does your business have a mezzanine floor? If the answer is yes, please read on. If the answer is no - are you sure? Your definition of a mezzanine floor may not be the same as the HSE’s.

What is the definition of a mezzanine floor? 

A mezzanine floor is an intermediate floor between the main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often a mezzanine is low-ceilinged, does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, and projects in the form of a balcony. We can split this down further, into purpose-built mezzanines and accidental mezzanines:

• Purpose-built mezzanine: usually easy to identify, these are normally of metal construction with steel uprights and beams/joists and a chipboard-type flooring.
• Accidental mezzanine: these tend to be harder to spot. They are often a roof area over a single floor office or toilet structure within a dual height building where people have started to store items, or where a piece of plant such as a compressor has been installed.

Why do the HSE look at mezzanine floors? 

As far as the HSE is concerned, both areas mentioned above are mezzanines and anybody that needs to access the area will be working at height, so must be afforded a suitable degree of protection.

What kind of things do the HSE look for? 

Mezzanine infringements are an easy spot for the HSE and we have had clients that have been served improvement notices both for poor purpose-built mezzanine and accidental mezzanine infringements:

• Example: A client in Louth had old equipment stored on a mezzanine but there was no access other than a ladder, which was unsuitable as employees would be unable to keep three points of contact with the ladder whilst retrieving items from the mezzanine. 
• Solution: The client installed a set of steel stairs to access the area.

• Example: A client in Birmingham had their archive accounts and Christmas decorations stored above a stairwell entrance structure on the first floor. The only way for a person to retrieve the items was to climb onto the roof area. 
• Solution: The client decided there was no cost-effective alternative to removing the items. 

• Example: A client in Holbeach had heavy items stored on the roof of their toilet block within the warehouse, with no way of knowing what weight the roof could support or any suitable means of retrieving the items without a person climbing on to the roof area.
• Solution: This client did not want to lose the storage space so had larger trusses added using an engineer’s calculations, with the maximum load displayed just as they had with their racking. They then banded their materials onto pallets and treated the area as racking with a row of banded pallets that they retrieved using their forklift.

What is included in an improvement notice?

Inspections of all types of racking and shelving, including bespoke systems and mezzanine floors, are necessary under the Provision and Use of Workplace Equipment Regulations 1998. These inspections are carried out by our team of SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors.
Call the risk solutions team today on 01427 420 404 to discuss your requirements or email risksolutions@skaltd.co.uk

So how do I ensure my mezzanine floors are safe?

Mezzanine floors must be able to withstand the loads that are to be placed on them. When they are being designed or planned the following points must be considered:

• The mezzanine may require Local Authority Building Control Officer approval
• The mezzanine floor must be capable of withstanding the loads to be placed upon it, so will require structural calculations
• The ground area that the mezzanine is being constructed upon must be able to withstand the mezzanine structure and any loads on the mezzanine
• The floor load-bearing capacity and any restrictions should be clearly marked
• Loads should be spread evenly and “point loading” should be avoided.
• The mezzanine must have edge protection, such as: 
  * a main guard rail of at least 1100mm installed above the surface
  * a toe board at least 150mm high
  * an intermediate guard rail or other fixture, so that there is no gap greater than 470mm
• The edge protection must be strong and rigid enough to prevent people from falling from the area, and to withstand the falling of items stored on the mezzanine
• The edge protection should be continuous along every exposed edge of the mezzanine floor
• There needs to be suitable levels of lighting on the mezzanine and the areas below it for the tasks being carried out
• Additional fire precautions will be needed due to increased travel distances from the mezzanine and to detect any possible fires, such as through the installation of smoke/heat detectors, plus call points both on and below the mezzanine area.

In summary, whether it is a purpose-built mezzanine or a mezzanine that you have accidentally created, if you want to continue to use the area and remain free from the possibility of prosecution you should determine the strength of the loading surface, provide suitable access and edge protection and, as a minimum, fencing which consists of two guard rails (a top rail and an intermediate rail) at suitable heights. 

Email healthandsafety@skaltd.co.uk or call 01427 420 402 if you have any questions and #oneoftheteam will be happy to help.