Safety Tips for the Warehouse Mezzanine Floor
Installing mezzanine floors Sydney wide and beyond carries many benefits. The main reason mezzanine flooring is a good addition to factories and warehouses is that they increase storage capacity tremendously, allowing more inventory to be stored. With warehouses often catering to multiple clients with thousands of units of stock, supplies and equipment, having that additional space can make all the difference.
Although mezzanine flooring is a popular way of maximising space in a variety of industry sectors, owners and employees need to be aware of the potential hazards and dangers of utilising the mezzanine when retrieving inventory. Safety should be of paramount importance as if the mezzanine isn’t properly maintained, workers run the risk of sustaining injuries, and in serious cases accidents can even result in fatalities. Inventory and stock could also be damaged, so mezzanines should be regularly checked for potential hazards.
Taking proper precautions is the best way to ensure that the warehouse mezzanine is being correctly maintained and is sufficiently safe for use. Below, we’ll run through the top tips for ensuring mezzanine safety, many of which can be very easily implemented.
Mezzanine Safety Tips
Safety Check Installation
Before signing off the completion of your mezzanine floor installation, ensure that you receive the appropriate safety check. Your provider can answer any questions you might have.
Install Extra Fall Protection
There is always a risk of accidents or people falling with any space that is elevated, so you need to check that there are proper guard rails to prevent people from falling. Accidents of this nature end up being costly to resolve and are often unexpected. Guard rails should be enough to keep employees safe, as well as inventory and equipment.
Educate Staff
Another top way to ensure that the workspace is as safe as it can be is to train and educate your staff on safety measures. This will enable you to maintain a safe and productive workplace where everyone in the team works cohesively. Delegate a member of the team to be a safety officer, whose responsibilities include looking out for mislaid tools, spills and obstructions.
Install Kickerboards
By installing something as simple as a kickerboard, with a minimum height of 10cm, ensures that all edges of the mezzanine floor prevent debris and loose objects from falling onto workers below or upsetting assembly lines.
Meet Load Requirements
It’s crucial to ensure load requirements are met and that nothing exceeds these limits. You should post these load requirements in obvious places so that staff can be alerted to them and understand the weight limitations for the mezzanine floor. Understanding and registering your mezzanine floors weight limit capacity means that you won’t run the risk of pushing the floor to its limits.
Minimise Falls, Slips and Trips
On top of safety guard rails, minimising the risk of falls, slips and trips can be achieved by properly maintaining your mezzanine floor. Keep the mezzanine floor tidy and use appropriate lighting to keep dark areas well-lit for enhanced visibility.
Review Local Hazard and Fire Codes
If you’re planning on getting a warehouse mezzanine installed, make sure to familiarise yourself with local government, federal rules and other hazard codes concerning fire safety and worker safety.
In addition to the above tips, if you’re ever unsure of whether your warehouse mezzanine floors are meeting industry standards, you can always reach out to ask for advice.