The Situation:

A few years ago, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) needed to address the standard they had for parkway hatch covers. SDG&E was struggling with the existing slip resistant galvanized steel diamond plate material that was being implemented into pedestrian parkway hatch covers.

The Solution:

Diamond plate was the slip resistant standard for San Diego Gas and Electric for many years, but after much frustration and concern for public safety, diamond plate had to be discontinued from being installed on the pedestrian parkway hatch cover applications.  San Diego Gas and Electric found that the diamond plate could not maintain its slip resistant qualities in any wet or greasy conditions.

SDG&E set out to find a new slip resistant product to replace the failing diamond plate that could meet a specific coefficient of friction (COF) and maintain the COF after many years of use.  SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring products met and exceeded the criteria for COF required by San Diego Gas & Electric.  SDG&E wanted to exceed the minimum standards set by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 0.6 for flat surfaces.  San Diego Gas & Electric set the standard for the new hatch cover at 0.65 minimum for flat surfaces.  SlipNOT® products have a COF of at least 0.98, well above the SDG&E standard.

SDG&E has now been installing SlipNOT® Grade 2 galvanized steel parkway hatch covers for several years since the transition away from diamond plate.  The SlipNOT® parkway hatch covers are purchased through one of San Diego Gas & Electric’s main suppliers, where the hatch cover is then finalized and shipped to SDG&E for installation.  The parkway hatch cover is custom fabricated to the specifications of SDG&E with lifting handles, hand holes and the company’s logo integrated into the parkway cover before being shipped.

The Impact:

Since the transition from diamond plate to SlipNOT® safety plate, San Diego Gas & Electric has found that SlipNOT® maintains the coefficient of friction required for the pedestrian parkway hatch cover standard, even in wet or greasy areas.  San Diego Gas & Electric has always set high standards for public safety and SlipNOT® slip resistant hatch covers have always provided a safe and secure walking surface which allows the public to walk with confidence.