Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Mezzanine floors must have suitable fire detection and alarm systems, including smoke detectors, heat detectors, or a combination. The systems should be connected to the building's central fire alarm system for effective notification.
Fire Seperation
To prevent the spread of fire, mezzanine floors must be appropriately separated from the rest of the building. This may involve fire-rated walls, floors, and doors that withstand the specified fire resistance rating.
Access and Facilities For Firefighters
Mezzanine floors must provide suitable access and facilities for firefighters, including access stairs, fire-resisting doors, and firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers.
Complying with the specific requirements of Approved Document B and any local building regulations or codes applicable to your location is crucial. Seeking advice from a fire safety professional or building control authority is highly recommended to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations for mezzanine floors.
Storage Mezzanines
As a general rule, a mezzanine floor that is used for storage only will not require fire protection, providing:
- The floor does not exceed 20 linear metres in any direction.
- The area of the floor does not exceed 400m2
- The mezzanine floor occupies less than 50% of the area it will be installed into.
- At a time, no more than three people will occupy the mezzanine flooring area.
Office or Production Mezzanines
An occupied mezzanine floor will always require fire protection, regardless of size. This can be achieved using fire-rated Column Casings, Facias and Suspended Ceilings. If this area is used for office accommodation, fire-rated separation must also be provided between the office and warehouse/ factory area. This will be in fire-rated partitions to provide the required fire integrity and insulation, usually for 30 or 60 minutes.
Passive Fire Protection Solutions
Fire Rated Column Casing
Mezzanine columns (or posts) can receive up to 4 hours of protection using our' Pro-Case' fire protection system. The casings are a two-part click system designed to fit snugly around support posts for mezzanine floors, allowing them to withstand extreme fire conditions.
Most column casings offer approximately one hour of fire protection for your mezzanine, providing occupants enough time to evacuate the building. The casings are manufactured to order and can be provided in multiple finishes and colours.
Fire Rated Fascia
Any exposed mezzanine edge will require a 60-minute facia to prevent fire from entering the void between the mezzanine structure and the ceiling below. Our ‘Pro-Case’ fire-rated fascia is a flat panel that will hang off the mezzanine floors' outer edges to prevent fire from penetrating the beams above your columns. The face is produced from the same materials as our casings, providing a uniform look to the final installation.
Fire Rated Suspended Ceilings
We can provide fire-rated suspended ceiling systems for up to 120 minutes to the underside of your mezzanine floor structure. This can be a grid and tile system to provide easy future access to services located above or a plasterboard system to provide a smooth painted finish. To maintain the integrity of the ceiling, consideration must also be given to anything penetrating it, such as light, ventilation, and air-conditioning units. We achieve this by using ‘fire-hoods’ to the top of lights or services.
Westwood Projects will work with you at the design stage to ensure all requirements are complied with. We will liaise with our Local Authority Building Control (LABC) partners to gain preliminary approval before you enter into any financial commitment. We are fully committed to ensuring your new mezzanine floor will be safe, functional and compliant.