According to the State of Michigan website, MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act) states that “A tread shall have a slip resistant surface and the stairs should have a vertical clearance of not less than 7 feet from any tread nose to an overhead object.”  OSHA states that “All treads shall be reasonably slip resistant and the nosing shall be of a nonslip finish.  Vertical clearance above any stair tread to an overhead obstruction shall be at least 7 feet measured from the leading edge of the tread.”  It appears that both MIOSHA and OSHA agree on dimensions, which is vital in the construction of stairs, but they also agree on another important component: slip resistance.

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Traditionally, industrial plants chose to use steel tread plate as an answer to the slippery, oily environment found in many industrial settings.  It was soon discovered that the steel tread plate was not as “slip resistant” as thought to be, especially when immersed in oil and other liquids.  Safety and Maintenance Managers began looking for other solutions to fit their needs, such as dimple plate.  However, the dimple plate did not perform to the required expectations either, leaving a dangerous situation for workers.  Many industrial plants turned to SlipNOT^®, looking for a permanent and durable flooring option.  SlipNOT^® slip resistant surface applied to smooth plate proved to exceed expectations and help achieve safety goals at many types of plants and work environments.  In contrast to steel tread plate or dimple plate, SlipNOT^® is rugged and does not need to be replaced every couple of years.  SlipNOT^® smooth plate with a random hatch matrix surface is an economical one-time solution.

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Stairways, one of the leading causes of serious injury or even death.  The American National Council on Compensation Insurance estimated in 2001-2002 that the cost of such fall injuries was second only to those caused by motor vehicles. Safe stairways are not something that can be avoided or set aside.  Many times cost scares companies out of providing safe walking surfaces for workers and employees.  The problem with this way of thinking is that the cost of an injury is up to one hundred times the cost of new flooring.  Fines from OSHA can be crippling to a company due to the fact it is mandatory for employers to evaluate and fix unsafe stair treads within a reasonable time range.

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According to the National Floor Safety Institute’s (NFSI) checklist for Walking and Working Surface Requirements, in order to prevent falls facilities should “use slip resistant stair treads and landings with abrasive stair nosing.”  They should also “verify stair risers are uniform in height and treads are of adequate width.”  Consistency in the dimensions of stair treads and covers are vital to create a sturdy walking surface.  However, ensuring a safe walking surface is also an essential step to stair safety.  New stairs should be constructed with slip resistant stair treads and existing stairs should be retrofitted with non-slip stair tread covers.  Non-slip stair tread covers allow for quick installation and instant safety. 

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Choosing the precise type of stair cover for a particular application is important when incorporating safety to a stairway. 

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According to the University of New Mexico’s Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention Program, “Standardization of steps and ramps is needed to prevent accidents.  Pedestrians need to have stairs and steps which are predictable in construction to avoid falling.  Walkways which change in slope and have unmarked single steps should be avoided.  Risers and treads should be uniform and have uniform dimensions to avoid tripping.  All treads and nosings shall be of slip resistant material.”  Stair coverings, like customized or retrofitted treads and nosings, must have a slip resistant material applied to them in order to ensure for a safe walking surface to avoid accidents.

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The Occupational Safety Healthy Administration (OSHA) standard 1926.1053(a)(6)(i)states that

“The rungs and steps of fixed metal ladders manufactured after March 15, 1991, shall be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or otherwise treated to minimize slipping”.

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Metal stairs are an integral component in any application, whether interior or exterior, commercial or industrial.   Often metal stairs are installed and never thought of again until something happens, whether it is deterioration or a slip and fall accident.   Metal stairs can be retrofitted or supplied with properties that will greatly decrease these occurrences from happening.  SlipNOT^® Metal Safety Flooring specializes in providing a custom designed and precisely accurate non-slip coating that can be applied to metal stairs.  The non slip coating for the metal stairs is applied through a plasma stream deposition process that creates a file hard, grit free, random hatch matrix slip resistant surface that will not flake or wear.  The non-slip coating not only provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance but also most importantly provides function and safety in all commercial and industrial applications. SlipNOT^® can be applied to steel, stainless steel and aluminum metal stairs.  All of these substrates are either corrosion resistant already or can easily become corrosion resistant by galvanizing or treating.  Why wait until “something happens;” why not incorporate a permanent slip resistant solution for metal stairs from the start.

According to OSHA’s guide to stairways and ladders, these following rules apply to all ladders:

• Ladders must be free of substances such as grease, oil and other slippery hazards.
• Load ladders only to their maximum capacity, not beyond their intended load nor beyond their manufacturer’s rated capacity.
• Strictly use ladders only for their designed purposes.
• Ensure that the ladders are used on a stable and level surface, unless secured to prevent accidents.
• Ladders should not be used on slippery surfaces unless in a secured position or if provided with a slip resistant surface to prevent accidental movement.

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of all slip and falls from ladders occur at the top of the ladder, resulting in 24,000 injuries and over 100 deaths each year in private industry.  Slip resistant ladders could help lower this number.  Generally non-slip ladder rungs must be installed into new ladder construction.  What do you do if you have existing slippery ladders and you don’t want to completely replace the entire ladder?  Non-slip ladder rung covers are available.  They can be applied to existing slippery ladder rungs creating a safe climbing surface. 

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