Elevated surfaces
Injuries from slip, trip, and fall events are only multiplied at elevation. Platforms, catwalks, mezzanines, crossovers, stairs, ladders, and other elevated structures should be a top priority for any risk mitigation.
Once high-risk zones and activities are identified, it is time to select the right walking and working surface technology for a project.
Evaluating flooring and surface materials for safety
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), the incorrect choice of flooring materials contributes to two million preventable slips and falls annually. Choosing the wrong material technology in high-risk areas is very dangerous. Research and evaluate available surface technologies to pre-engineer a safety solution into designs, preventing a potential slip-and-fall event from ever occurring, even in challenging operating environments.
While COF is an important measurement, it is not the only factor to consider. Some flooring, such as brushed concrete, can have a very high COF when first installed, but may rapidly lose its surface traction from wear or surface contaminants. Brushed concrete can go from a COF of 0.8, down to a value of 0.3 or less, creating an unsafe situation. High-risk areas should have durable surface materials with long-lasting high-friction traction.
Many options are available when choosing a surface technology appropriate for walking or working environments. Each option provides an opportunity to balance the safety and functional needs of the different parts of a facility against the financial constraints and limitations of a project.
High-traction metal technologies
All metal high-friction surface technologies provide a high COF surface and maintain anti-slip, high-traction properties far longer than other options. The technology provides effective slip-and-fall prevention combined with long-term durability. Premium all-metal surfaces generally incur higher initial costs than other options but produce significant life-cycle cost savings. These savings, coupled with the associated cost savings from avoiding slip-and-fall events, often result in a payback of the added initial costs in just a few years or even months. This surface technology is also easily installed and maintained by building trades.
Diamond plate
Traditionally seen as a safety surface, diamond plate has been the default safety plate choice for decades. The material is easily fabricated and provides a durable metal surface that is simple to install. Unfortunately, diamond plate loses significant surface traction when wet and becomes an extremely hazardous walking surface. Wet diamond plate often results in lower COF surface values than generally available on wet, smooth metal plates without embossed diamond patterns.
