Safer Mezzanine Floors

The safe commercial & industrial use of mezzanine floors

Harry Mortensson - 25 March 2020


MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 1

 Introduction
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations (PUWER) 1998 place a duty on employers
to ensure the work equipment they own, operate, and
have control over is safe to use at all times.

The 1998 update carries forward the 1992 Regulations

with a few changes and additions, for example the inspection of work equipment.
Generally, this is any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work.

It may not be immediately apparent, but this legislation will apply to mezzanine
floors provided for a wide range of purposes.

Inspection at intervals appropriate to the application by a competent person is the

first step to ensure that mezzanine floors are in serviceable condition and are fitted with
appropriate safety equipment.

Regulations Applicable to Mezzanine Floors

All mezzanine floors are structural elements whose design requires Building
Regulations approval when initially installed.

The first of the three primary concerns is

that the floor isn’t at risk of collapse in normal
use or of damaging the building it is in. This is
addressed in Approved Document A.

The second primary concern is that the floor

is does not present fire safety hazards in terms of
means of escape or structural integrity in a fire.
This is addressed in Approved Document B.

The third primary concern is that the floor is safe for users to access, in that stairs are
designed safely and that exposed perimeters are adequately protected from the risk of
falls. This is addressed in Approved Document K. Approved Document M presents
additional requirements for accessibility, usually considered in conjunction with Part K.

MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 2

 After a series of structural failures due to quality issues, structural steelwork
including mezzanine floors supplied after July 2014 must be fabricated by a supplier
accredited to produce steelwork in accordance with BS:EN1090- Part 1, Execution Class 2
or higher. This standard ensures that raw materials are of appropriate grade and that
welding procedures and consumables are strictly managed to maintain quality.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

requires employers to ensure employee's health,
safety and welfare at work and to protect non
employees from the health and safety risks arising
from work activities.

Mezzanine Floor Working Environments

Some mezzanine floors are fully enclosed by building finishes in office or similar
low risk environments, however they are often used in hostile warehouse and industrial
environments and can be subject to a significant degree of wear and tear, causing damage
to structure and fire protection that requires monitoring and repair.

Damage is especially prevalent where forklifts, powered handling

equipment or trolleys are present near or under the mezzanine floor.

Other issues are non compliant structures and those that have been
modified without structural verification.

What to Check

The most important issue is structural integrity. Firstly any documentation should
be obtained to establish the age, original design parameters of the floor and the
manufacturer. Drawings and structural calculations should be retained for the lifetime of
the mezzanine floor.

MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 3

 In the absence of documentation held by the owners or managing agents, records
may be available through local authority building control.

If this is not successful, then a specialist can survey the

structure, verifying steel section dimensions and sizes and
thicknesses, prepare drawings and provide check
calculations for the mezzanine floor to verify that it is
adequate for the application.

If the structural design is found to be satisfactory in principle then any damaged,

missing or modified components that have been noted should be replaced.

Whilst inspecting, the surveyor should check for water damage and wear to the
decking surface that might compromise it’s load bearing capacity.

Records/O&M manuals should be expected for all post July 2014 mezzanine floors,
and any without documentation cannot be certified as compliant as there is no practical
way to retrospectively demonstrate that all fabrication and welding has been undertaken
to meet the requirements of BS:EN1090- Part 1.

Common damage that is found includes

broken floor fixings, bent mezzanine column, bent
deck beams, missing bracing, substandard repairs
such as poor welding, replacement columns with
too thin wall thickness, loose or bent handrail,
worn decking.

These shortcomings present a heightened risk of life threatening collapse,

particularly if the structure is struck by mechanical handling equipment, and a similar risk
from falls from height.

Where fire protection is fitted, it commonly comprises steel faced insulated column
casings and bulkheads combined with a suspended ceiling. Fork truck, handling
equipment and trolley damage to these finishes should be noted and repaired to maintain
the integrity of the fire protection.

MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 4

 The following further measures are recommended
to reduce the risk of accidents. Column protection
around columns exposed to traffic, pallet safety
gates in place of sliding handrail access points.
There is
nothing
to compel
the use of
pallet
safety gates in place of sliding handrail as long
as a risk assessment and safe method have been
documented and staff have been trained in the
safe operation of the gate (This is likely to need
to include fall restraint measures). Pallet safety
gates are however available in a wide range of designs to meet most needs, and do not
rely on operator compliance.

Stairs mostly use steel chequer plate treads which

require contrasting nosings to enhance visibility,
particularly if lighting levels are low. These are
commonly painted on, however conformable tape
can be fitted in a range of colours. This tape follows
the profile of the chequer plate, adheres well and
and offers enhanced grip from the embedded
carborundum.

Legacy and non Compliant Mezzanine Floors

Mezzanine floors are sometimes a historic fitting or obtained with a building under
a new lease. Their compliance and suitability for use should be verified before they are
put in to service.

Other issues are non compliant structures and those that have been modified
without structural verification, for example bracings have been removed.

MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 5

 Frequency of Inspection
Inspection may take the form of a cursory annual inspection of finishes to ensure
that a recently installed fully documented office mezzanine has not suffered any damage,
through to a regime of daily visual inspection and reporting by operatives in an
environment with fast moving forklifts under the structure, supported by weekly
managers recorded inspections and annual inspection by a competent person.

A risk assessment should be undertaken to determine an appropriate inspection

regime for each application.

Finally

These notes are intended to give owners and users of mezzanine floors an overview
of the practical and statutory issues relating to ensuring that existing mezzanine floors are
compliant and safe for use within their operation.

This guidance is not exhaustive, and regulations, standards and practices change
over time and will continue to do so.

Always contact your trusted supplier for the most up to date advice.

For Further Assistance

Contact Llonsson Ltd
01883 622068
sales@llonsson.co.uk

MEZZANINE FLOORS SAFE USE OF © LLONSSON LTD 2020 6