If you are planning a machinery workshop shed project, here is what you need to know.
The Benefits Of A Workshop Shed
- A workshop allows maintenance to be conducted undercover which is easier, quicker and safer and means you won’t be held up by the weather.
- They also ensure effective maintenance and protection, meaning your machinery will last longer, lowering your costs in the long run and helping to retain the value of the machinery.
The best way to incorporate a workshop in a machinery shed
- A workshop could be a designated area with work benches and a concrete floor at the back of your machinery shed.
- Another option is to enclose one or more bays at one end of the shed.
- If your operation is a larger one, a separate, fully-enclosed, lock-up workshop specifically for maintenance and repair may be the best option.
Workshop shed design
- At the design stage, decide the best position for the skylights; either in the roof or the walls. For night work, hi-bay lights can easily be suspended from our roof structure.
- Insulation also needs to be considered. At Action, we offer three main choices of insulation; sisalation paper, insulation blanket and air cell.
- If wider openings are needed, two options are a girder truss (column removal) or accessing the workshop from a gable end.
- A cantilevered canopy can provide further protection and bear in mind the possibility of making provision for a skillion off the side in the future.
Restrictions or requirements
Workshops can often be classed as an industrial shed. If this is the case it will have to meet different requirements than that of a farm shed. Our building consultants are more than happy to find out the requirements that will apply to your workshop project.
Staying safe in your workshop
A farm is a workplace with a high risk of injury and illness, and the hazards in a workshop are significant contributors to this. According to farmsafe.org.au, “up to 20% of farm injuries presenting to hospital Emergency Departments are caused by farm maintenance work.”
Keep these hazards in mind when working in your workshop and take measures to minimise the risk of any accidents or injuries occurring –
- Electricity
- Welding
- Grinding
- Using power and hand tools
- Battery charging
- Working on large/heavy pieces of machinery
Poor workshop design and layout can also pose a hazard. Read our article on how to organise your workshop and contact us to discuss workshop design and configuration options.
