Tool Cribs Cut Down Lost Time and Tools – A-Mezz

Do you want your workers to act and feel like professionals, or DIYers? Cut down lost time and tools with A-Mezz tool cribs.

A-Mezz can help you increase productivity and decrease waste with our lockable wire parts lockers and tool cribs. Made of high strength welded wire, our secure storage options will save you time and money and make your shop look more professional and clean.Photo of a missing part from a job

Why are lockable tool cribs important?

There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project and realizing someone walked off with the tool or parts you need. While your productivity was at its peak, you had to stop what you were doing and locate the missing items. Lost items that aren’t quickly found need to get replaced, causing you to waste even more time – and money – going to the store or searching the web to source the replacements. If the replacement tools or parts are not readily available you then have to table the in-process project until the replacements come in, greatly increasing the chance for additional components to get misplaced.  

A lockable tool crib is a must to ensure your workers have what they need, when they need it. Expensive tools will stop going missing – either through misplacement or employee theft. You will spend less money replacing items, spend less time looking for items that “walk away”, and spend more time making money.

What options are available?

A-Mezz can help you configure a layout that works for you and your site. We can supply small multi-tiered lockers for parts and tools all the way up to large tool cribs. Pretty much anything is possible. There are available sliding doors, hinged doors, service windows, electronic keypad entry systems, keycard locking systems, padlock hasps and cylinder locks. If you have a special lock you prefer, such as one tied to a facial recognition system, we can supply an electric strike on the door to tie into your system.

Lockable tool crib located under elevated platform with sliding door access

Lockable tool crib located under elevated platform with sliding door access

My install location isn’t standard shaped/sized – can I still use a tool crib?

The great thing about tool cribs is that there are no rules. Size is whatever you need and they can go literally anywhere. We have installed lockable parts storage for maintenance and tool cribs above mezzanines, below mezzanines and out in the middle of shop floors.

Contact A-Mezz and let us help you increase productivity and increase your margins by decreasing waste and project hours.

Using modular building panels to create a CMM enclosure

Finished CMM enclosure

Modular building panels can be used to provide a cleaner environment for your shop equipment.

CMM, or coordinate measuring machines, are a piece of equipment that uses a physical or laser probe to map out the geography of an object.  They are very precise machines and need to be kept in a clean and often temperature controlled environment. I recently had a customer who found this out the hard way when the dust in the air due to production was messing with his machine, so he contacted us looking for an equipment enclosure.

Using modular building panels, we designed a 16′ deep by 20′ wide four wall enclosure.  Due to the maximum height of the mast on the CMM, the customer needed a lot of available head room in the area, so we stacked panels up to 13′ using the A-wall 300 system, leaving us 12’6″ of available head room under the drop ceiling and recessed lights. The customer wanted a way to easily remove the CMM if he needed to in the future, but didn’t want to put in a large door. In order to facilitate this, we put in a 8′ wide by 9′ high removable panel assembly using a tubular steel “goal post” and some additional trim pieces, so if he did need to move the equipment he would just need to remove the extra trim pieces on the outside and pop put the panels. The customer wanted a lot of windows in the enclosure, and since the A-Wall modular building system’s windows are factory installed right into the panel as a single piece, we were able to put one in every 4′ panel (aside from the one with the HVAC system) that wasn’t facing their wall, including the two removable panels. We also outfitted the room with Flex-4 modular wiring inside the wall panels in order to save the customer money on the electrical installation.

CMM enclosure removable panel opening

The removable panels provide the customer with easy access to the equipment should they need it.

Upon contacting us, the customer was looking for a quick solution.  After receiving the order we were able to send him approval drawings the next day.   He was able to quickly turn around the approved drawings so we were able to ship it out to him in two weeks.  The installation took a two man crew two days to complete. Twenty two days after we received the PO, the customer had this great looking equipment enclosure assisting with the smooth operation of the CMM.

Floormatstore.com Comfort Kitchen Mats

With the holidays just past, many of us have spent what seems like days in our kitchens, preparing cookies, baking pies, stuffing turkeys, and glazing hams. It’s not just the food coma that leaves us kicking our feet up at the end — those hours standing on unforgiving flooring takes its toll on our joints, and they don’t magically recover the next day. I remember my grandmother laying down carpet runners in her kitchen to cover every corner she would be standing on. They certainly were not comfortable, but I suppose they were a step above standing on tile all day. In the end, they always seemed to become grease magnets and would be pushed around, layered together, tossed aside and replaced time and time again. Because of this, no one was allowed in that kitchen except her!

There is not much of a choice on that any longer, though. This is the age of open concept kitchens – and for good reason! They allow a free sight line for the grandparent to check in on the grandkids while keeping the soup from foaming. They let the chef still be a part of the party, mingling with guests while staying close to the oven timer. But with these open concept kitchens, we have to take a long look at what exactly our kitchens say about us. I knew even as a kid that my grandmother did not want people to see those old mats, and why should she?

floormatstore.com Comfort Kitchen mats

We like clean lines, open air, and sunlight. More importantly, I want to relax after a holiday because I want to, not because I feel exhausted from standing on uncomfortable floors during the preparations. Our Comfort Kitchen mats bring you the clean line look and feel of polyurethane with an adaptive design. They are full ¾” thick with nearly 30 designer surface options. They have been specially designed to stimulate circulation in feet, legs, and lower backs while being built to last in commercial situations. Why continue to feel that exhaustion at the end of the day from cooking when you can so easily fix the situation and continue on with the party?

~ Reese
www.floormatstore.com

Using Welded Wire Partition Panels Around Site Obstructions

We were called out to a site that needed a lockable wire partition in their facility. The wire partition needed to split a long, below grade area into two secure and separate partitions. Access to a common entry door and light switch needed to be maintained. The location also had low, uneven ceiling dimensions due to obstructing support beams, conduit, gas lines, etc..

common entrance and light switch with proposed entry way marked out on ground

Common entrance and light switch with proposed entry way marked out on ground

Our welded wire partition system was perfect for this project. Other framed woven and welded systems need to have a custom, factory made panel with exact, framed cutouts. Those require additional engineering costs and manufacturing costs – due to custom setups. They also often have higher material costs as the panels need to have a post at each side of the obstruction to support the custom panels.

A-Mezz welded wire partition allows for cut-outs where necessary to work tight around existing obstructions.

A-Mezz welded wire partition allows for cut-outs where necessary to work tight around existing obstructions.

A-Mezz’s welded wire partition systems feature an unframed, 8 gauge galvanized welded wire panel. The panels are able to be trimmed to length, eliminating the need for custom sizes. This saves on the additional costs associated with doing a one-off on the manufacturing line. The panels can also be notched out around obstructions. This allows a tight, clean look while also providing flexibility in the field to deal with known (and unknown) obstructions.

Cutting a woven wire panel will leave a jagged, unraveling edge. Not only is it not a clean look, but it is an easy way to have a workplace injury if clothing snags on the unraveling wire or an employee is cut by it.   

Cutting a woven wire partition panel produces sharp edges

Cutting a woven wire partition panel produces sharp edges

When we arrived with material for the install, the first thing we did was lay it all out and double check our interferences. The critical locations were all marked – clearing the light switch and ensuring doors are installed where the floor was flat enough to swing freely. With the hump in the floor ensured that we had enough sweep (clearance under the door) to clear the hump, as well as enough overhead clearance to miss any of the low overhead obstructions.

A-Mezz Installed welded wire partition including custom cut-outs to remain tight around site obstructions

A-Mezz Installed welded wire partition including custom cut-outs to remain tight around site obstructions

With our layout all marked we worked from the critical locations out to ensure there would be no issues. A crew of two was able to complete the install in less than a day. This included all of the cut-outs required for a tight fit. The end result was a clean, secure wire partition that allowed the customer flexibility with their open space. Whether used for a tool crib, tennant storage, or machine guarding, A-Mezz can supply you with our welded wire partition, giving you the flexibility of a totally customized system at a much lower price.

OSHA 1910.28 Ladder Change is Live

OSHA’s November 19, 2018 fixed ladder changeover has officially come on their standard 1910.28. What do you need to know to ensure you are meeting OSHA fall protection standards for your fixed laddersOSHA 1910.28 Ladder ChangeIf you have an existing fixed ladder more that 24’h that was installed before November 19, 2018, it should already have a cage on it.  The previous OSHA standard 1910.27 required cages on all ladders over 20’h. You have until November 18th, 2036 to retrofit the caged ladder with a personal fall arrest system. Until then, you are grandfathered in under the OSHA standard that was in place at the time of install. If your climb is 24’ or less, you do not need to retrofit the ladder at any time with a personal fall arrest system.

A-Mezz Personal Fall Arrest System Meets OSHA 1910.28

A-Mezz Personal Fall Arrest System Meets OSHA 1910.28

Note that if you modify or replace an existing ladder (over 24 feet high) that was installed before November 18, 2018, you will need to retrofit the ladder with the personal fall arrest system at that time. Replaced ladder sections are not grandfathered in under the prior OSHA standards – 1910.27.

Any new ladders over 24’h will need to be installed with a personal fall arrest system. You can still have a cage installed on the ladder “provided it does not interfere with the operation of the system” (1910.28(b)(9)(iv)).

These changes pertain to “fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (7.3 m) above a lower level.” The big change for lower ladders is that a fall arrest system is now not required until you are over 24 feet, whereas the code used to require cages or personal fall arrest systems for climbs over 20’ (1910.27(d)(1)(ii)).

You can also now run your ladders a maximum 150’ in a single climb if using a personal fall arrest system or ladder safety system (1910.28(b)(9)(ii)(B)).

The previous OSHA fixed ladder standard had stipulated a 30’ maximum climb before landing platforms were used to break your climb up into shorter climbs. I.e. before November 18th, 2018, a 150 foot climb would require five separate caged ladders and four separate landing platforms. OSHA 1910.28 will let you now have just one ladder with a personal fall arrest system, cutting fabrication costs, delivery costs, and installation costs.

Please contact us at A-Mezz Industrial Structures to get more information on our fixed ladders, our ladder cages, and our ladder personal fall arrest systems.

 

Fiberglass Step Covers

By Reese @ Floormatstore.com

Fiberglass Tread Covers

Fiberglass Tread Covers

We have some very exciting news from the Floor-Mat Store to share with you! We’ve just added a new member to our stair tread selection:  fiberglass. Some jobs just require a little bit more, don’t they? Maybe more color options, more grit, or more versatility. These are designed to help with all of those extra needs.

Fiberglass tread cover color chart

Fiberglass tread cover color chart

Floor-Mat Store fiberglass step covers can come in both a standard 90 lip, or bullnose, with lengths up to 10’ so that you no longer have to deal with butting two treads up to each other. Our fiberglass treads have thirty-four color options, which gives you over sixty different possible combinations to choose from. Looking for a school system and want to breathe a little school spirit into your design? We can do that. Just decided on a new company color? Perhaps even a bright or neon one that you can’t seem to find anywhere? We can do that.

Super Coarse Grade

Super Coarse Grade

Super Fine Coarse

Super Fine Coarse

Our fiberglass stair treads are manufactured in six different grit coarsenesses, from Super Coarse, which is great in areas prone to slippery conditions, to Super Fine, used for locations needing both slip protection and a gentle touch for bare feet.

Attachment details

Attachment details

Installation is quick and easy for use on every base material. We have fastener kits for applications onto wood, concrete, diamond plating, and open grating, along with our moisture cured urethane adhesive for the simplest tight hold install. Whatever your need, our fiberglass treads are designed to take away the stress and supply you with the solutions for your obstacles.  

 

A-Mezz Rigid Track Personal Fall Arrest System

Personal fall arrest systems are causing cages to go out of vogue with OSHA. As of November 2018 they will not count as fall protection on new fixed ladders and they will only count as fall protection on existing ladders until November of 2036. Note that if an existing ladder is modified at anytime, that modified section of ladder must be retrofitted with a personal fall arrest system at that time. 

Personal fall arrest system with body harness and trolley

Personal fall arrest system in use with body harness and trolley

We now carry a rigid fall arrest track that, when used in conjunction with a trolley and body harness, will meet OSHA’s new requirements for fall protection. The rigid track and trolley allow the climber to move freely up and down the track without needing to push, pull, or even touch any part of the fall arrest system.

Should an accident happen, your foot slips or you fall, the trolley on the fall arrest system will automatically lock onto the rigid rail, stopping your fall.

Tracks are available in 316 Stainless Steel or Aluminum with an anodized finish. The trolleys are designed for a single user and have a capacity of 310 lbs. Note: Two users are permitted to use a single track when used for rescue purposes, but never the same trolley. With that in mind, we suggest the single track and two harnesses and trolleys.

One track/trolley may get you by for most things, but if you ever need to have more than one person on the roof at the same time you will need to have a harness and trolley for each climber. If you do not, the first climber has to get to the roof, remove the trolley and harness, lower it by rope to the lower person who then has to put on the harness and climb up. Likewise, when work is done, one person has to climb down with the harness and trolley and then remove it, tie it to a rope for the upper climber to pull up, put on the harness and climb down… It doesn’t make much sense to us either.

Close up view of A-Mezz personal fall arrest systems utilizing rigid track.

Close up view of A-Mezz personal fall arrest systems utilizing rigid track.

The rigid tracks are installed in the middle of the climbing side of the ladder rungs. The fall arrest system clamps around the ladder rung every 4’ to 6’ to secure and can have multiple pieces of rigid track spliced together to accommodate long climbs without requiring a single long rail to be shipped, which saves on shipping costs. Often the increased cost of the system is offset almost entirely by the fact that the ladder does not need to have a cage anymore. Cages are costly to manufacture and especially to ship. Taking up 4’x4’x34’ of space on a truck isn’t cheap. We have seen some freight costs come back almost 1/7th what they were compared to caged ladders.

 

Barber Chair Mats

Shopping for a new mat can be a stressful event that can be made even more difficult if you have a chair that is not the standard salon base diameter.  Custom chairs are popping up all over the place, and while they can carry with them additional comfort for the customer, stylists are left scratching their heads looking for a mat to fit them. This is an issue many barbers are currently facing. Barber shop chairs take up quite a bit of additional floor place in order to recline customers properly. While these barbers spend just as much time on their feet as other stylists, finding mats to fit their larger sized chairs can become quite the task.

Barber Shop Mats at Floor Mat Store

Barber Chair Mats at Floor Mat Store

While all of our quick order salon matting comes with a standard 24” chair indent, we can do just about any of our mats with larger sizes. That means no matter the size of your chair, we can work around the limitations and get you some relief from those long hours of standing. If you don’t like the feel of having an indent, we can customize your mat without one.

Anti-Fatigue Mat

Anti-Fatigue Mat

So whether you are finding yourself getting shin splints or experiencing discomfort from standing all day, we can work around your constraints so that you can get back to enjoying what you do with our barber chair mats.

To learn more visit https://www.floormat-store.com/salon-mats/index.html

 

The #900 Stair Tread with Riser

We’ve got an announcement! New things are coming to the Floor-Mat Store! We are currently in the process of replacing our Uno-Tread 901 stair tread and riser combo, and bringing production of them back into the states! You will still be able to get the same beautiful, seamless design you have come to expect, but now with our new replacement tread #900 the colors will match with all of our other treads and landing tiles. That means you will be able to coordinate the color pallet across all of your staircases with the new colors, whether they are closed or open risers. Ultimately leaving you with a far more professional and cohesive look.

Our replacement #900 Tread will come in color series 1 and 3. These are made to order with a usual lead time of around four weeks.

For those of you who already have the Uno-Tread 901 series tread, you may want to consider ordering a few extras while we still have some on the shelves. Whatever we still have in stock is all that is left, and a preemptive order of a couple could save you having to redo your entire stair system should one of your steps start to show wear. For quoting on the #900 tread call in or email at (330)650-5561 X: 401 – sales@floormatstore.com

A-Mezz Ladder Install in Muddy Conditions

Springtime Muddy Ladder Installation

Ahh… Spring time in Ohio. The flowers, birds, oh and MUD.

A-Mezz Ladder Install in Muddy Conditions

A-Mezz Ladder Install in Muddy Conditions

We got a call from a builder with with a newly constructed structure – so new that there was no paved access yet – and they needed a ladder to gain access to their HVAC rooftop units. The building height was over 30’ and we had some options on how to access the roof based on OSHA’s new regulations.

The first option was a straight, uncaged ladder 35’ high with a personal fall protection cable. That is the new OSHA requirement on all climbs over 24’. The pros of the cable/track systems are that the climber wears a harness and clips onto the fall arrest system so that if he falls, the system stops his fall. The downside is those systems require the climber to have a harness and proper equipment to utilize the cable/track.

For this site the customer chose to go with the second option. We used a lower, uncaged ladder to get them up to a mid landing under 20’h. Then we used a second ladder with cage to climb from the intermediate landing to the upper roof. This setup was slightly more expensive up front but did not require the purchase of additional harnesses, trolleys and maintenance that the personal fall arrest systems required. Additionally, the cage is always there. This provides a safety benefit always, whereas the personal fall arrest systems only provide a safety benefit if the climber is wearing a harness and has the proper equipment. By utilizing the intermediate platform, no climb between platforms is over 24’ so the customer will not have to retrofit their ladders with personal fall arrest systems in 18 years when OSHA’s grandfather rules expire for existing ladder systems.

We had to hold off on install for a couple weeks as the ground thawed early in Ohio and there was way too much mud for our equipment to get to the install location. Luckily we caught a break and a few dry sunny days slightly helped dry out the site – being Ohio, if we didn’t get out to the site when we did, the spring rains could have pushed things off for months until things dried up.

Trying not to bury our axels in the mud, we got the upper ladder into place and worked down from there.

Upper Caged Ladder Being Lifted into Position

Upper Caged Ladder Being Lifted into Position

We fabricated the upper ladder with our self support walk-through handrail because the wall included a short parapet and we didn’t want to have the ladder setting on the metal capping.

Self supported walk-through handrail detail

Self supported walk-through handrail detail

On the lower ladder we included our lockable rung door so that unauthorized people could not climb the ladder.

Completed Installation of Ladder System

Completed Installation of Ladder System

With a crew of two men and one morning, the ladder system was installed (despite the mud) and the customer has safe, OSHA and ANSI compliant access to their roof. A-Mezz took care of everything from design, detail, fabrication and installation and we were able to educate the customer on all of their options and costs. The project was done on time for the amount budgeted.