Why Mezzanine Safety Barriers Are a Life Saver
What is a Mezzanine Floor?
A mezzanine floor is a semi-permanent floor in a building, typically constructed with steel, fibreglass, and aluminium. It tends to look like a balcony and is used as storage space, or to access larger pieces of equipment.
Mezzanine floors are designed to utilise previously unusable vertical space safely. They are most often found in industrial settings due to the high ceilings needed for large equipment and ventilation.
It is a legal requirement for mezzanine floors to have safety barriers fitted. The style and material of such is to be designed by professionals.
What are the Safety Requirements for Mezzanine Floors regarding Safety Barriers?
The HSE states all companies should have safety barriers and the correct guard rails on every open and exposed areas that could present as a fall risk. Employers or those in charge of work at height should look to the following requirements for safety:
- BS ENO ISO 14122-3:2016 covers safety when working on platforms and walkways and the requirements for safety rails.
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all working at height when there is a risk of fall liable to cause personal injury.
If you are an employer or are in control of work at a height, and do not comply with the above UK health and safety regulations, you are in breach of the law and may be held liable to any injuries that may happen such as employees falling off a mezzanine floor or injuries caused by objects falling from a mezzanine floor.
When is a Safety Barrier Needed?
A safety barrier is always needed on a mezzanine floor. Safety barrier installation is expertly fitted by C&C Fabrications.
According to Workplace Accidents Advice, since 2001, an average of 50 people have died from falling from height, and 8,702 people have been seriously injuries. Falls from a height are one of the largest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries.
How Is It Installed?
C&C Fabrications assigns your business a team of our experts to design a barrier according to your specific requirements, and once you are happy with these changes, we will bring these plans in for fabrication.
The material will be meticulously selected for your safety barriers to best fit your needs. Most of these barriers are made of carbon steel. This is due to its strength, corrosion resistance, flexibility and additional characteristics that allow it to remain safe and useable in heated environments. However, in some instances, it is more acceptable to use stainless steel, mild steel, brass, or aluminium. Then our team will fabricate the safety barriers as separate pieces and assemble them.
Assembly the safety barrier often requires welding before treatment is applied. This treatment, known as powder coating, is done for several reasons, notably it will increase strength and durability and to ensure a bespoke finish.
Finally, the product is ready to be bolted to every exposed or open side of the mezzanine floor. Once bolted, your inventory, equipment and most importantly, workers are now safe from falls.
From consultation to fitting of safety barriers, our expert team can help. If you want to find out more, contact us today by emailing info@candcfabrications.co.uk or alternatively, by calling 01977 670067.
