Plant platforms or equipment platforms are essential for heavy equipment, mining, transportation, or construction companies. They are a secure way to store and provide access to heavy equipment units located at a height, such as an air conditioner or generator.

They are made up of a platform where the equipment is kept, and railing pathways close by for staff access. The purpose is to store, offer access and maintain huge machinery pieces or industrial equipment without endangering their employees.

This elevated platform also includes ladders, alternating tread devices, raised walkways, stairs, and other access points.

Where are these platforms installed?

The platforms are for companies in various industrial processes, such as waste management, recycling, and handling bulk materials. They are constructed according to strict safety standards and customized per business requirements.

Equipment platforms are customized and constructed for various business purposes:

  • Elevated walkaways
  • Solutions for plant productions
  • Walkaways in industrial chemical plants
  • Shops for ventilation equipment

Why is a plant platform needed?

Plant platforms must be designed to fit a specific environment with a certain number of equipment units at a specific height within a specific space, making them genuinely customized. There are various benefits associated with a plant platform:

  • Offers better space

It provides better capacity so that more objects can be placed underneath a raised platform on which equipment is placed. This implies that you can store twice as much on a given amount of floor space.

  • Provides safe and compliant access

Since instruments and equipment units will constantly require maintenance, it is important to offer a raised platform option surrounding them so that someone can securely access them and carry out maintenance.

Plant platforms offer safe and legal access to high equipment and machinery to improve the process of inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. Workers can confidently perform repair and maintenance thanks to the platforms’ thoroughly thought-out design, which offers stability and grip.

In rooftop height safety systems, equipment platforms are frequently employed for maintenance-intensive locations like cooling towers or HVAC systems. This enables safe employee access and lowers the weight burdens on the roof, storing large machinery or equipment without endangering the roof’s surface.

How is a plant platform different from a mezzanine?

A mezzanine or plant platform is an elevated area for storing equipment, but technically, they differ greatly.

A mezzanine is a fixed intermediate level inside a building that is part of its physical structure, like a balcony in an auditorium or theatre. The mezzanine is accessible from the rest of the space but does not take up the entire floor space.

On the other hand, plant platforms are standalone structures that are not considered permanent components of the building. They can be added after the building has been built. It can also be taken out without harming the building’s framework. Platforms for equipment are empty areas of a structure that are used only for mechanical systems or equipment.

A mezzanine is a permanent structure with a larger area restriction that needs stricter building permit approval, more installation money, and fewer tax and depreciation benefits. Customized plant platforms or extended catwalks, on the other hand, are regarded as a piece of equipment that can offer a larger storage room, a simpler building permission process, and tax advantages.

Basic differences

  • The mezzanine’s area should not be more than one-third of the total floor area below it and provide only half the space for equipment platforms.
  • A plant platform, like the mezzanine, does not affect the size of the structure or the number of floors.
  • Equipment platforms often require less building permission than mezzanines since there are fewer applicable building code requirements.
  • However, a mezzanine is regarded as a permanent component of the building’s structure and needs to have updated building plans.

Closing thoughts

It is advisable to go for elevated storage areas as plant platforms rather than mezzanines unless you are constructing a permanent mezzanine that is a part of the physical structure of the building. They add value to the property, protect the employees’ health and safety, and are perfect for any building or construction site. These provide additional support and safety for workers working at a higher altitude and hence cannot be ignored.