The Situation:

United States Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) is the world’s leading producer of moist smokeless tobacco products.  Skoal and Copenhagen are the two major brands produced from their facility in Hopkinsville, KY as well as USSTC's other brands that include Red Seal and Husky.  Due to the moisture and humidity in the air at the facility workplace safety issues such as slips, trips and falls are a major concern for employees.

The Solution:

USSTC contracted a structural metal fabricator to address and resolve the extremely slick and dangerous areas in the vacuum chambers.  Extreme wetness and humidity are caused in these areas from the moisture adding process.  The moisture adding process allows for the tobacco to expand and increase in volume by adding and removing vapor into the air.

The fabricators who specialize in tobacco machinery, contacted a sales representative from SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring for a solution to the dangerous working areas at USSTC.

After thoroughly discussing the options available, the best workplace safety solution was the stainless steel floor plate.  Stainless steel was the preeminent answer for the slippery areas, due to its ability to withstand heat, chemicals, and moisture and still remain sanitary and clean.  Stainless steel products are corrosion resistant and this is a necessity so contamination is not an issue.

Fifteen (15) pieces of 3/8” stainless steel plates pre-cut to specific sizes needed for the vacuum chambers were supplied by the fabricator.  SlipNOT® then applied Grade 2 (Medium) slip resistant stainless steel coating to the customized stainless steel pieces per the requirements of USSTC.  USSTC wanted to have a 1” margin around the perimeter of the plates where there was not any SlipNOT® stainless steel coating applied.  A 1” margin around the perimeter without the slip resistant SlipNOT® coating was requested for welding purposes.  A sealed flooring was necessary and the 1” margin will allow for a complete closed seal to be welded ensuring that there would be no contamination.

The Impact:

The stainless steel plate provided by the structural metal fabricators not only provided a snug sure fit, but also created an aesthetically pleasing, clean and sanitary environment for the smokeless tobacco to be produced and manufactured.

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