The events industry is worth around £11bn to the UK economy*. With just over half a million employees, success in the industry relies almost entirely on the shoulders of its people. Effects of the pandemic are still being felt in a sector undergoing dramatic transformation. The events industry now faces a choice of embrace change or face decline.
A large part of the industry’s response is a shift in culture, realising and accepting that the events industry is nothing without people. Never before has it been more important to protect and nurture employees. In this guide to lifting and handling equipment, we focus on how events hire companies can provide a safe working environment for employees.
*Source: AEO
Storing events equipment can be a costly business. Warehousing space presents a considerable fixed cost and as such, the imperative is to maximise available storage capacity. Mezzanine floors are a popular solution to increase storage capacity. Installed as a freestanding intermediate floor or floors, mezzanines are capable of supporting significant volumes of stock and equipment.
Access to a mezzanine floor is achieved by stairs or lift. The ideal solution is to install a mezzanine goods lift. Mezzanine lifts comprise a vertical platform transporting up to 1000kg between two or more floors. A lift which requires no pit, meaning installation is fast and hassle-free, capable of moving equipment alone or in flight cases, on trolleys, or pallets. A goods lift ensures extra storage delivers maximum efficiency benefits.
Hiring out events equipment is labour-intensive. The storage and construction of equipment, such as screens and stages, pose a manual handling challenge. Any work which involves moving loads without the help of equipment is classed as manual handling.
While a mezzanine provides more space, access to a raised platform adds complexity to the manual handling process. A mezzanine goods lift, as a lifting aid, eradicates the need to manually move equipment between floors. Moreover, the ability to handle larger and heavier goods safely and efficiently can open new business opportunities.
Events equipment is often heavy and bulky. Companies making use of a mezzanine floor tend to store the heaviest stock items on the ground floor, with items suited to a goods lift stored on the upper level. Choosing an appropriate mezzanine goods lift depends entirely on the weight and dimensions of stock items.
The most commonly used model to transport equipment between floors is a medium-duty goods lift – such as the MezzPro – with a maximum weight limit of 5000kg. Supplied with a bespoke platform size of 2000mm by 1200mm and a height of up to 4m, the medium-duty model is suitable for transporting most events equipment.
Simple to operate and highly configurable, mezzanine lifts are designed with safety and convenience in mind. Standard features include:
Floor mounted – no pit required
Self-supporting mesh-clad shaft
Constant pressure controls
Up to 1000kg Maximum Working Load
Standard travel up to 4m (8m max.)
Gates fitted with electrical and mechanical interlocks
Usable platform up to 1500mm x 1500mm
Same side or through car loading
2 stops (ground plus one level)
Emergency stop button
Anti-slip platform surface.
Watch the mezzanine floor goods lift guide to see how lifting and handling equipment can reduce the risks associated with manual handling operations.
