In commercial buildings, a mezzanine floor is categorized as workplace equipment, therefore, ensuring safety should be prioritised in accordance with The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Whilst ensuring PUWER guidelines are met is a legal requirement, there’s also a moral obligation as an employer to safeguard employees as they carry out their duties. Routine mezzanine floor inspections ensure continual sustainability and safety - which is why it’s advisable to carry out an inspection annually like that of a racking inspection.
Complying with PUWER Guidelines
Mezzanine safety inspections are required to comply with the PUWER (The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) guidelines. This is in order to maintain health and safety standards and to prevent and minimise the effect of accidents in the workplace. This states clearly that your mezzanine floor, racking or shelving should be regularly inspected by a person proven competent to do so.
There is currently no qualification for mezzanine floor safety inspections. We inspect our customers’ floors using one of our experienced mezzanine floor consultants or qualified mezzanine structural engineers. The frequency of inspection should really be risk assessed by you. Typically we advise our customers to have their mezzanine safety inspection carried out once every year, with a system of regular internal visual inspections we advise they can carry out themselves.
Mezzanine Floors Maintenance
We will inspect and comment on the following:
- state of the decking boards/damage to flooring/trip hazzards
- the deflection of main steels and secondaries,
- look for signs of any obvious movement in floor boards/ gaps in flooring or office structures
- check mezzanine load bearings points i.e. pallet racking load points
- check the mezzanine structure complies with safety regulations - i.e. it has not been overloaded
- access mezzanine staircases/access for any defects
- Inspect any loading/pallet gates - make sure all in working order
- Inspect all safety rails/guards and that all fixing points are secure and undamaged
- check welds, fixings and cleats,
- Inspect fire rating integrity (where applicable)
- interaction of the main buildings floor structure/ where the mezzanine beams come in contact with the floor base/concrete.
By ensuring periodic mezzanine floor inspections, safety is maintained and risks are greatly reduced.
Mezzanine Floor Inspections
We also carry out Mezzanine Floor Inspections on existing mezzanine floors. Many companies who own mezzanine floors have done so over many years, and in that time have changed the usage, and storage requirements of it.
Ask yourself these questions...
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Do you know the load capacity of your mezzanine floor?
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Are you overloading your mezzanine floor without knowing?
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Have you checked your handrails stairs and safety gates for loose parts or wear / metal fatigue?
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Have you checked the state of the flooring
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Are all the columns secure and free from noticeable impact damage?
- Could you benefit from updating your existing mezzanine floor?
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Is it up to Fire and Safety codes?
Call Clark Mezzanines for a Mezzanine Survey today we can upgrade or replace your existing mezzanine floor !
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Contact Clark Mezzanines Today:
Unit 3 Tamar Units, Boyton, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 9RF
