Mezzanines and work platforms

• □Planned external dimensions of the mezzanine (width x length in meters)
• □Exact clear height of the hall (from finished floor level to the lowest element of the roof structure or installations)
• □Required clear height under the mezzanine structure (free space for pedestrian or forklift movement)
• □Mezzanine location in the hall (free-standing, in a corner, adjacent to one or more walls)
• □Any construction or installation obstacles in the assembly zone (hall columns, air handling units, fire pipes, gates)

• □Desired uniform load capacity of the mezzanine floor (e.g. 300, 500, 800, or over 1000 kg/m²)
• □Type of planned storage on the platform (shelving, palletized goods, manual pallet truck traffic)
• □Allowable load capacity of the hall floor slab (thickness of the concrete slab, allowable point load of the column footplate in kN)
• □Method of anchoring the structure to the ground (does the floor have underfloor heating, underground installations)
• □Occurrence of specific point loads (e.g. heavy machinery, control cabinets, forklifts)

• □Preferred spacing of support columns (is a wide span required for movement below or is a denser grid acceptable)
• □Number of staircases and their preferred location for evacuation purposes
• □Floor decking type (standard non-slip P5 chipboard, welded steel grating, checker plate)
• □Number of pallet drop-off zones (delivery points of loads from a forklift)
• □Type of safety gate at the pallet drop-off zone (tilting/cradle gate protecting the operator, sliding gate, safety chain)

• □Required safety barriers and guardrails (standard height 1100 mm, toe board, knee rail)
• □Fire protection requirements (fire resistance class of the structure R30, R60, or no requirement)
• □Integration with safety installations (need for a sprinkler system under the platform, emergency lighting)
• □Verification of evacuation routes and distances to emergency exits from mezzanine levels
• □Does the design require approval by an occupational safety and fire protection expert before installation

• □Planned work shift pattern on the mezzanine (single-shift, multi-shift with high intensity)
• □Possibility of conducting installation works during normal warehouse operations (phased assembly)
• □Availability of space for unloading and storing structural elements before and during installation
• □Requirement of using specialized equipment for installation (e.g. forklifts, scissor lifts with specific drive types)
• □Expected start date of installation works and planned operational launch date of the mezzanine

Self-supporting warehouse platforms anchored only to the floor slab are treated as interior fixtures/structures. They typically do not require a building permit under building regulations (they do not alter the building envelope) as long as they do not interfere with the hall load-bearing structure. However, notification and project approval from occupational safety and fire protection experts are required.

The most popular and economical solution is high-density P5 chipboard (often with a white underside to reflect light). For strict fire safety requirements, steel mesh gratings (allowing water penetration from roof sprinklers) or trapezoidal sheet metal covered with fire-resistant board are used.

Yes, provided the mezzanine is designed for appropriate dynamic and point loads (typically min. 500 kg/m² and appropriate decking resistant to wheel pressure, e.g. P5 board covered with sheet metal or plywood).

It is recommended to use tilting/cradle safety gates. They work on a counterweight principle: when the gate is open for the forklift on the edge, the operator's side is closed by a steel barrier. Once rotated, the operator gains safe access to the pallet while the outer edge becomes completely blocked.