Mezzanine Floor Fire Protection Requirements

Key legal triggers to check

Unsure whether your new mezzanine flooring will require additional fire protection? We explain the common methods of fire protection and when they should be used.

If your mezzanine floor is considered to be an additional storey in your business premises, it’s a legal requirement to provide a 60-minute fire protection to the underside.

Your mezzanine floor must be fire rated under the following circumstances:

• When used for any other purpose besides storage, where people are permanently employed (for example, as an office space)

• If it measures more than 20 metres in each direction

• When it exceeds 50% or more of the floor area of the space in which it’s installed

• If the size of the mezzanine floor exceeds 400 sqm

When storage use may qualify

A storage mezzanine floor can be installed without fire protection provided it:

• Doesn’t exceed 20m in length or width

• Doesn’t exceed more than 50% of a business’s total floor area

For more information about fire protection for your mezzanine flooring, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01789 764172.

Practical solutions for compliant fire safety

We offer a range of fire protection solutions to help ensure your mezzanine floor meets legal requirements and supports a safer working environment. Common methods of fire protection include column casings, suspended ceilings, bulkheads and fascias, and cavity barriers — each selected based on the layout, use, and fire rating requirements of your mezzanine.

Suspended ceilings are one of the most common fire protection solutions. We specialise in high-quality suspended ceilings and can supply and install fire-rated ceiling systems from across our range. The required fire rating will influence the tile specification, and we offer a wide variety of options to help you find the right solution for your business.

Cavity barriers are vertical barriers installed within the ceiling void to help prevent smoke and fire from travelling through the cavity between the ceiling and the underside of the mezzanine structure. These are typically required when the floor-to-ceiling cavity exceeds 20 metres in length.

Our extensive fire protection product range is designed to support the health and safety of your workplace. If you’re unsure whether your mezzanine floor requires additional fire protection, contact our knowledgeable team on 01789 764172 for expert advice.

Practical systems for safer mezzanines

To maintain fire resistance throughout a mezzanine floor, any open edges around loading areas or stairs are covered with a fire rated fascia system. This is normally installed with Glasroc MultiBoard, a plasterboard-like product that can be supplied in a galvanised, white or coloured PVC steel fascia to match the specification of the columns.

If your building has an existing fire sprinkler system, you may wish to consider extending this beneath the proposed mezzanine flooring. Safe fire rated partitioning and doors can be installed around one of the staircases, in order to provide a protected escape route back to an existing external fire door. You will also need to consider emergency lighting, smoke and fire alarms, and relevant safety signage.

For more information about fire protection for your business, including how to make your mezzanine flooring safer, please contact us on 01789 764172.

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