8 Uses for Industrial Mezzanines

Industrial mezzanines are elevated floor systems that fit between the floor and the ceiling of a facility. Constructed from heavy steel, these sturdy structures can help you maximize storage potential without sacrificing floor space. But that’s just part of the picture. In reality, you’ll find all kinds of uses for mezzanines.

Ready to learn more about your mezzanine options? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

Industrial Mezzanine Uses

Industrial mezzanine platforms are the perfect solution for all kinds of storage situations. While the primary role of an industrial mezzanine in a warehouse or other facility is to increase the total usable space, how you use that space can vary.

Not all warehouses choose to use their mezzanines in the same way. Moreover, you’ll find several different popular mezzanine types, including the following:

• Free-standing
• Shelving or rack-supported
• Catwalk
• Full mat

Each will have different use cases and applications. If you’re struggling to make sense of which mezzanine style is right for you, it may be helpful to start with how you intend to use your mezzanine. 

Below you’ll find some common uses for mezzanines.

1. Work Platform

As you may have guessed, the most common use for a mezzanine is as a workspace. For facilities with limited floor space, adding a mezzanine can add essential square footage without requiring a full facility expansion. By leveraging vertical space, mezzanine work platforms can help workers tackle tasks without clogging up lower walkways or other workspaces.

You can dedicate your mezzanine work platform to many different uses: 

• Assembly
• Packaging
• Order fulfillment
• Much more

2. Conveyor Support Platform

For warehouses and distribution centers, conveyors are a common piece of equipment. While they can help streamline many facility operations, they also take up a good bit of floor space.

With the push to automate more and more warehouse processes, the demand for efficient configurations that minimize the impact on square footage is essential.

The strong steel construction of a mezzanine can support automation processes overhead. By placing conveyor equipment on the mezzanine platform, workers can operate on the ground level with ease and freedom.

3. Catwalk

Another popular mezzanine use is as a catwalk platform. It’s so popular that catwalk-specific industrial mezzanines exist to meet the demand. At their core, catwalk mezzanines operate with a simple purpose: safely moving workers from point A to point B on an elevated platform.

This has a few benefits:

• Free up floor space
• Create more efficient and organized worker traffic lanes
• Enhance overall safety and efficiency of a facility

It’s worth noting that OSHA requires specific safety standards for mezzanines, such as proper guardrail requirements. This is especially true for platforms with high foot traffic — like a catwalk mezzanine.

4. Racks or Shelving

Creating efficient storage systems is the key to keeping your facility organized. In most cases, this means utilizing things like pallet racking and industrial or commercial shelving. By implementing a mezzanine design for your racking or shelving, you can easily maximize your storage potential and gain a lot of space quickly.

When using a mezzanine with racking or shelving, you have a few options:

• Rack-supported 
• Shelving-supported
• Shelving on platform/catwalk

For the first two options, the racks or shelves support the mezzanine deck. This adds valuable floor space on top of existing storage equipment. For shelving on platform/catwalk-style mezzanines, the shelving extends vertically through the mezzanine deck.

5. Observation Deck

Getting a bird’s eye view of operations in large warehouse environments is difficult. With all the storage equipment like pallet racking and shelving shooting upward, good sightlines are often non-existent.

By adding a mezzanine to your facility, you can create an excellent observation platform. From here, you can watch operations, which alone can have some significant benefits:

• Evaluate facility performance 
• Watch for safety protocol adherence
• Examine inefficiencies in your current operational workflows

6. Storage Space

Storage space is by far the most basic use-case for a mezzanine. Using the platform as extra storage space is easy and painless. If you don’t want to opt for a shelving solution, you can always just use the platform as temporary storage space.

As companies grow and expand, the need for flexible storage space is a must. From important documents and records to equipment, virtually everything can find a home on the platform of a mezzanine. With the installation of gates and other mezzanine accessories, you can even have easy access to stored materials.

7. In-Plant Office Space

Another use for a mezzanine is for an in-plant office space. Instead of building out office space on the ground floor, you can use the height of the mezzanine platform to create office space without sacrificing the square footage underneath.

This is a great way to consolidate otherwise distant parts of your workforce. Management can still enjoy the benefits of enclosed office space for daily operations without ever being too far from the actual action. Moreover, mezzanine office space is configurable, meaning you can add:

• Soundproof paneling
• Insulation for energy efficiency
• Custom window placement for easier work floor viewing

8. Equipment Access

One aspect of warehouse operations that causes a headache for workers is equipment maintenance. It’s often the case that equipment is large and bulky, making ground-level access for repairs or maintenance difficult.

With a mezzanine, machinery and equipment are easily accessible through the platform. Moreover, you can customize your mezzanine design to facilitate easy maintenance for workers. Using a mezzanine is often a safer and more efficient solution relative to, say, fixed or moving ladders.

Where to Find Quality Used Industrial Mezzanines

Now that you know the ins and outs of industrial mezzanine use cases, you may be curious as to how you can add one to your facility. Here at East Coast Storage Equipment, we specialize in providing quality storage equipment at an affordable price. This includes equipment like mezzanines.

We can also help you build out custom solutions that fit perfectly with our current warehouse layout and equipment footprints. Ready to learn more? Reach out today to get started.