Safety Knights

I would recommend a PE do the visual inspections of the metal bar grating. Been a few years since I did the research, but ANSI MGB 531 provides the minimum criteria for design, manufacture and installation. I have the 6th edition, and it provides no specifics for inspection beyond instructions for the install. A new edition may provide more information.

Cross bars on top, banding when indicated, and metal bar grating anchored in place.

FYI, a sister facility with metal bar grating exposed to the elements tried to flip it to extend service life, which is opposite of the install requirements. They learned when flipping several sections the metal bar grating had began to bow from the rolling loads moving across it over the years. That's what led me to explore MGB 531 with our in-house engineers. Ultimately sections which were suspect were replaced with new at that location.

Gosh when I remember the time I spent walking and standing on expanded metal grating 30’ feet off the ground in the foundry my knees shake. All our conveyors and bucket lines had expanded metal grating below them about 4’ to act as guarding in case a iron casting or sprue fell out. As a supervisor we were supposed to inspect for breaks and it was an excellent place to watch my employees on the line below. The grating was not very thick and sometimes had breaks and holes!

I don’t recommend the test we used in 1980.
I was a new refinery employee assigned to operate a small forklift. I had a few years of experience. I was told by a supervisor to pick up a pallet of valves and move it across a grating. I objected saying the load is to heavy. He said he would be responsible and for me to not worry. I rolled forward and immediately dropped through the grating as expected. He laughed and everyone around told me I was an idiot and should have known better. That boss came to my rescue but as the new guy it was embarrassing. Don’t use this method.