Mezzanines help to maximise space and create extra capacity within a warehouse or factory facility. All companies with employees working on a mezzanine should be aware of all the relevant safety implications involved with working at height.
It’s critical that employee safety is always protected and mezzanines are regularly checked for potential hazards.
According to research carried out by the HSE, falls from a height were the most common cause of fatal accidents in the UK in 2019/2020. See Canal Engineering’s five tips for improving the safety standards on your mezzanine:
1. Mezzanines are by nature dark environments so careful consideration needs to be given to lighting the environment. You need to ensure the mezzanine is well lit to improve visibility as this will reduce the risk of trip hazards when working at height.
2. Ensure the warehouse is well organised to lower the chance of trips and falls. This is particularly important as stock starts to grow, the use of a mezzanine floor will provide extra capacity to store stock and keep the area free from hazards.
3. Employees should adhere to training procedures and should notify their employer if they feel there is any danger not being addressed when working at height. All employees should receive training to ensure they have solid knowledge of current regulations, risks and a thorough understanding of safety equipment.
4. As outlined in the Ajax whitepaper - working at height, risk assessments must be carried out by an employer. The Working At Height Regulations 2005 states that employers and self employed contractors must assess risks as well as organise and plan work so it is carried out safely.
5. Most importantly, install robust pallet gates. The HSE states that all companies should ensure their mezzanine floors have adequate protection to prevent workers from falling when loading and unloading pallet gates. If there is an opening on the mezzanine floor for pallets to be moved then the space should be effectively secured with appropriate gates.
Pallet gates work in conjunction with a mezzanine floor by enabling an employee to safely load items from a height with no need to stand by an open edge. There have also been some instances with inferior or non-compliant ‘gates’ where these installations are dangerous to operate or are routinely left open and accidents waiting to happen! Safety pallet gates are required to allow for forklift access whilst separating personnel on the mezzanine from the platform edge and moving pallets. The Ajax pallet gates fully achieve this requirement.
The technical team at Ajax Safe Access have developed an extensive range of safe access solutions to improve productivity and support a safer working environment. For more information and to discuss safety access systems please email: ajax@canalengineering.co.uk.