Mezzanine Floor Installation — Safe Work Method Statement
Safe Work Method Statement for installing free-standing steel mezzanine floors in warehouses, factories and retail premises, covering slab assessment and anchoring, erection of columns and beams, decking, stairs and handrails, and work in operating workplaces.
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Installing a steel mezzanine floor is High Risk Construction Work because the installers work at deck height with a fall of more than 2 metres until the handrails are fitted, and the work is usually done in an area with powered mobile plant, either the installer's EWPs and forklifts or the client's forklifts still operating in the warehouse. A SWMS is required before work starts. Most mezzanines need building approval and engineering certification, so confirm the approvals are in place and the engineer's drawings are on site before you set out.
The first job-specific hazard is the existing floor. The columns put concentrated loads on the slab, and anchors depend on the slab's thickness and strength. The engineer must confirm the slab can take the base plate loads, and anchors must be installed as the anchor manufacturer and engineer specify, including hole depth, cleaning, edge distances and curing time for chemical anchors. Drilling into slabs creates silica dust and can hit in-slab services or post-tensioned tendons. Scan before drilling, and stop and get advice if you hit steel or a duct.
The structure is unstable until it is fully connected. Columns and primary beams can topple during erection, so follow the erection sequence, install bracing as you go and don't leave part-erected bays unbraced. Beams and deck panels are lifted with forklifts, cranes or EWP material hoists; each lift needs rated lifting gear and nobody standing under the load. Install the edge protection, handrails, stairs and gates to the design and AS 1657 as early as possible in the sequence, and do not use the deck for storage until handrails and load signage are complete.
In an operating workplace, separate the work area from the client's forklift traffic and workers with physical barriers, agree on work hours, and coordinate with the site's own safety rules, sprinkler and lighting contractors. Overhead services such as sprinklers, lights, cable trays and ducts are often in the way and need to be checked before beams go up.
Customise this template with: the site and client contact; building approval and engineering references; slab assessment and anchor specification; the erection sequence; the plant used and operator licences (forklift and EWP operators need the relevant licences where required); the edge protection and handrail sequence; the exclusion zone and traffic management in the client's operation; overhead services; and the design floor load and signage.
Personal Protective Equipment
High Risk Construction Work Types
- •Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
- •Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant
Risk Assessment
1.Site set-up and separation from the client's operation
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers struck by the client's forklifts or traffic | Catastrophic | Agree the work area, access route and work hours with the client before starting. Fence off the work area with physical barriers, not tape, and keep forklift traffic out of it. Use a spotter when moving plant through operating areas. Brief the client's workers on the exclusion zone. | Low | Installation Supervisor / Client Site Manager |
| Contact with overhead sprinklers, lighting and cable trays | High | Survey overhead services before set-out and mark clashes. Isolate lighting circuits being worked near through the client's electrician. Coordinate sprinkler changes with the fire services contractor. Watch overhead clearance when raising EWPs. | Low | Installation Supervisor |
2.Set-out, slab drilling and anchoring
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor failure from an unsuitable slab or poor installation | Catastrophic | Confirm the engineer has assessed the slab thickness and strength for the base plate loads. Install anchors exactly as the manufacturer and engineer specify, including hole diameter and depth, hole cleaning, edge distances and resin curing time before loading. Proof-test anchors where the engineer requires it. | Low | Installation Supervisor / Structural Engineer |
| Silica dust and noise from drilling the slab | High | Drill with on-tool extraction connected to an H-class vacuum or with wet drilling. Clean holes with the vacuum, not compressed air, where the anchor system allows. Wear a fit-tested P2 respirator and hearing protection. | Low | Installer |
| Drilling into in-slab services or post-tensioned tendons | Catastrophic | Check drawings and ask the client about in-slab services and post-tensioning. Scan anchor locations before drilling. If the slab is post-tensioned, do not drill without the engineer's approval of each location. Stop immediately if the drill hits steel, a duct or a conduit. | Low | Installation Supervisor |
3.Erecting columns and primary beams
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columns or beams toppling during erection | Catastrophic | Follow the engineer's erection sequence. Anchor columns before releasing them from the lifting device. Connect beams with the specified bolts, at least two per connection, before release. Install bracing as each bay is formed. Never leave part-erected bays unbraced. | Low | Installation Supervisor |
| Load dropped during forklift, crane or hoist lifts | Catastrophic | Use rated lifting gear and attachments designed for the plant. Forklift jibs and attachments must be rated and fitted correctly. Lifts with a crane are slung by a licensed dogger. Nobody under or in the path of the load. Use tag lines for long beams. | Low | Plant Operator / Dogger |
| Falling from EWPs while making beam connections | High | Make connections from an EWP rated for the load, with the operator licensed where required. Wear a harness attached to the basket anchor in boom-type EWPs. Do not climb out onto beams. Check ground and slab capacity for the EWP and keep it inside the barricaded area. | Moderate | Installer / EWP Operator |
4.Installing secondary beams and decking
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from the deck edge before handrails are installed | Catastrophic | Install edge protection or handrails as each section of deck is laid, before anyone works on it. Where deck work must happen before edge protection, work from an EWP or use travel restraint from an engineered anchor. Keep the area below the deck barricaded while decking is installed. | Moderate | Installation Supervisor |
| Strain from handling deck panels | Moderate | Lift deck panel packs to deck level with plant, not by hand. Two-person handling for full-size panels. Keep the deck clear of offcuts and fixings. | Low | Installer |
5.Stairs, handrails, gates and handover
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from incomplete stairs, handrails or loading gates | High | Install stairs, landings, handrails and loading gates to the design and AS 1657. Block access to the deck until all handrails and gates are complete and checked. Close off incomplete stairs. | Low | Installation Supervisor |
| Mezzanine overloaded after handover | High | Fit load rating signage showing the design floor load at each access point. Hand over the engineer's certification and the load rating to the client. Brief the client on what the deck can hold and that racking or plant on the deck needs engineering approval. | Low | Installation Supervisor |
Relevant Codes of Practice
Worker Acknowledgement
By signing below, I confirm that I have read, understood and agree to comply with this Safe Work Method Statement.