Business is booming and your industrial facility is busier than ever. Mezzanines allow you to take advantage of vertical space in your existing building, which is a cost-effective, quick way to increase your space without investing in a new building. But elevated surfaces are potentially dangerous places for employees. It’s your job to make sure every worker is safe while in your building, especially when they’re working at height. This is no small responsibility, and you need to be fully aware of any safety issues or concerns in regard to your mezzanines. But, more importantly, you need to take appropriate action (including appropriate use of mezzanine safety gates) to mitigate the risk as soon as possible.
Common Mezzanine Safety Issues
The biggest concern with mezzanines is the height at which employees must work. In most cases, the mezzanine height exceeds the minimum height requirement for needing fall protection equipment, which is 4 feet. Because of the height, there are a few inherent dangers that employees face while on the mezzanine as well as when working below.
- Insufficient Mezzanine Safety Rails — Unprotected edges of a mezzanine and its stairs are prime fall hazards. They also present the danger of falling objects.
- Improper or Missing Mezzanine Safety Gates — Safety gates allow access to a restricted or dangerous area while still keeping workers safe. If your indoor safety gate or mezzanine safety gate isn’t compliant, it’s a dangerous hazard rather than a help.
- Lack of Toe boards — Just as guardrails protect from falls, toe boards minimize the possibility of objects falling off the mezzanine and onto workers or equipment below.
- Clutter and Disorganization — Poor housekeeping puts workers at unnecessary risk. A cluttered mezzanine makes it difficult to safely move around and increases the risk of trip and fall accidents.
- Unsecured Items and Equipment — Your mezzanines are great for storage, but things need to be properly secured in order to reduce the risk to workers.
- Inadequate Lighting — Another component of a safe mezzanine is proper lighting. Employees need bright areas to work in as well as well-lit entrances protected by mezzanine gates.
- Employee Safety Training — Your building is only as safe as each individual employee. If your people aren’t fully invested in mezzanine safety, they’ll be more prone to falls and everyone suffers.
Identifying and Mitigating Mezzanine Fall Hazards
Fall safety isn’t something you can casually dabble in. The safety and well-being of your workers is in your hands, and they’re counting on you to keep them safe when they’re at work. It’s also your obligation to follow OSHA rules, or you can face stiff fines and penalties for lack of compliance. Creating a safe work environment begins with identifying the fall hazards present in your facility, then you can determine the best course of action and fall protection equipment to minimize or eliminate the risk.
Perform a Mezzanine Safety Inspection
The most important aspect of mezzanine safety is a sturdy mezzanine structure. Regular inspections by a qualified individual are imperative to ensuring your mezzanine is safe. This inspection should include:
- Thorough review of the mezzanine floor looking for any areas that are damaged, holes in the floor, or other hazards that can cause workers to trip and fall.
- Check guardrails to ensure they’re not broken or damaged, are 42″ (+ or – 3″) tall, can withstand 200 lbs of downward pressure, and are smooth and free of snags that can harm workers.
- Inspect mezzanine safety gates looking for defects and damage. Ensuring that all your indoor safety gate areas and mezzanine gates are in good working order and highly visible to workers.
- Review the mezzanine lighting, paying close attention to any areas that may be underlit, which represents a trip and fall hazard to workers.
- Observe workers to evaluate their compliance with company safety standards as well as their use of fall protection equipment as required by OSHA.
- Talk to your people and find out what they perceive as their biggest challenges, safety issues, or concerns.
Develop a Written Safety Protocol
Once you understand the safety risks your employees face when they’re working on a mezzanine, you’re in a much better position to provide the right protections. That needs to begin with a written protocol that details the specific fall hazards your workers face, your expectations for a safe work environment, the fall protection equipment you intend to use, and the OSHA regulations and rules that are guiding your decisions. From the newest employee to the oldest, most loyal worker, everyone must be on the same safety-first page, and it’s up to you to get them there.
Make Necessary Mezzanine Repairs
If you find any problems with the floor of your mezzanine, an adjacent indoor safety gate, or any other structural components during your inspection, get them fixed right away. Even the smallest hole in the floor can be a trip and fall hazard for a worker. Immediately address any problems that pose a risk to workers. If you can’t fix the issue right away, limit access so that workers aren’t exposed to an additional fall hazard and get the work done as soon as you can.
Install OSHA-Compliant Fall Protection Equipment
Mezzanine safety is a serious concern, and you should make sure that every piece of safety equipment you install meets the rigorous expectations of OSHA. The components of a typical mezzanine fall safety system include a guardrail, safety gate, and toeboards. In some cases, personal fall protection may also be necessary, like when people have to work over dangerous equipment. Remember that your mezzanine safety gates, guardrails, and other devices must meet OSHA standards.
Ongoing Safety Leadership and Training
Your employees want to be safe when they’re at work, and they’ll follow your lead when it comes to promoting a safety-first culture. But you can’t rest when it comes to making sure your message is heard. New employees need to be fully trained on your safety protocols during the onboarding process, but it doesn’t stop there. Throughout someone’s employment they need ongoing training and corrective training if safety issues arise.
Get Expert Help to Protect Your Mezzanines
Your employees are your number one asset, and you care about them all. That shows with the way you take care of and equip your facility. To ensure the safety of your mezzanines, work with a capable, experienced expert in mezzanine gates and other fall safety solutions. Fabenco offers comprehensive guidance and equipment for fall safety, from mezzanines to ladders to stairways and beyond. Contact us today to discuss your needs.
