Food and beverage manufacturing facilities are a necessity to our way of life.  While some cultures may rely on hunting and gathering in natural environments, most of the civilized world relies on food that has been grown, processed and packaged to meet our needs.  These facilities have built in safety risks for employees as well as the products they produce.  While many of the safety risks are similar throughout the food and beverage industry, there are specific risks that are unique to each type of food manufactured.   “A Recipe for Safety” is a document written by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive and a working group of the Food and Drink Manufacturer Health and Safety Forum which provides invaluable information on safety issues and preventing injuries in the food and beverage industry.  Among other important information; this document lists some of the specific risks associated with different type of manufacturing facilities.  How can SLIPNOT products help each type of manufacturing location?

• Grain, Flour, Animal Feed:
  1. Lifting and handling heaving objects such as moving stacks
  2. Falling from heights like off ladders, stairs and from vehicles
  3. Slipping and falling due to uneven floors and obstructions
  4. Entering silos and the dangers from engulfment, atmosphere and mechanical issues
  5. Among others

* SlipNOT® stainless steel ladder rungs and rung covers are an ideal solution to risky ladders.  Non-slip stair treads can also be installed or retrofitted over existing vehicle stairways.  Machinery can be surrounded by high traction flooring in order to keep workers safe in grain handling facilities.

• Bread, Cakes, Biscuits:
  1. Slipping due to wet or contaminated floors
  2. Struck by an object
  3. Lifting, pulling and pushing heavy objects
  4. Machinery like wrapping machines, dough brakes and conveyors
  5. Among others

*NSF registered stainless steel floor plate keeps employees from slipping on wet or dusty flooring.   Voortman Cookies incorporated SLIPNOT floor plate into their portable stair cases.  They needed these stair cases to be slip resistant in order to keep the employee on their feet while cleaning the production line.  They also used the high traction product on permanent landings in the cookie manufacturing plant.

• Meat, Poultry, Fish, slaughtering
  1. Getting struck by an object such as hand tools and knives
  2. Slipping on wet and greasy floors
  3. Machinery like skinning machines, band saws and derinders
  4. Handling and lifting heavy objects or ones with sharp edges
  5. Among others

*Grease and animal bi-products are no match for the high traction surface of SLIPNOT plate when used on work platforms, walkways and steps.  SLIPNOT provided stainless steel plate for this high speed beef processing facility.  The non slip elevated work platforms are safe and durable.

• Milk , Cheese
  1. Slips on wet flooring
  2. Repetitive moving and lifting
  3. Falling from ladders, stairs and tanks
  4. Exposure to substances such as cleaning fluids, hot water, steam, etc.
  5. Among others

*SlipNOT® stainless steel plate can be custom fabricated to fit specifically over or into stairs on tanks and storage containers.  Slip resistant ladders can be easily created by retrofitting over existing rungs or by installing new non slip rungs into a new ladder.  Non slip grating, like the grating installed at a major cheese processing facility, can be fabricated for long lasting traction and drainage. Also SLIPNOT can coat existing drain covers or have them specifically fabricated to fit your needs.  Non slip drain covers adds extra protection in the always wet environments.

• Fruit, Vegetable
  1. Lifting and moving boxes repetitively
  2. Slipping on wet floors
  3. Falling from ladders, platforms and vehicles
  4. Being struck by a falling object like hand tools
  5. Among others

*Making slippery flooring safe can be done by installing new plate or, depending on the location, retrofitting expanded metal over existing slippery areas.  A world leading fruit preparation company used SLIPNOT expanded metal by welding it on to existing work areas.  The expanded metal provided a safe solution without having to shut down production for long periods of time.

• Chocolate, Sugars
  1. Slips on wet and contaminated flooring
  2. Harmful substances causing injuries like burns from hot products or manually dispensing caustic cleaning products
  3. Machinery such as packaging machines
  4. Striking against fixed or movable objects
  5. Among others

* SlipNOT® non grit, anti slip flooring holds up well to caustic cleaners and can be installed by welding or bolting in place.

• Beers, spirits, soft drinks
  1. Handling barrels, drink packs and casks
  2. Falling from ladders and platforms
  3. Slipping on wet floors
  4. Machinery such as bottling, packaging and conveyors

*Gripping metal handrails provide extra traction for workers working over large vats and boilers.  Other non slip metals such steel can be used for work areas such as packer platforms as Coca-Cola®  or aluminum for pedestrian tour walkways as Harpoon Brewery did.  Ladders or stairs that have been coated with SLIPNOT will hold up well to repetitive climbing and high traffic.

Unfortunately worker injuries are not specified to a specific type of plant in a specific area.  SLIPNOT products are extremely versatile and can be utilized in countless ways to help increase productivity and send employees home safely.

UK Health and Safety Executive, “A Recipe for Safety,” 2005. PDF