Walkways encompass all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. Within a manufacturing facility, walkways account for passages within a building (for example a path between large machinery or a catwalk connecting one platform to another).
Manufacturing facilities are plants that consist of one or more buildings used to mass produce goods. Manufacturing facilities are often dusty and oily from the process of producing goods, many times raw materials are combined or machined into finished products. Examples include lumber mills, assembly plants and stamping mills.
Large machinery and raw products from manufacturing (such as oils, dust and fluids) can cause slippery areas. In order to keep employees safe while operating large machinery or working near machinery, slip resistant products are necessary.
Walkways are available in various materials, from epoxy to metal. There are also many metal slip resistant products, such as riveted grating, diamond plate, dimple plate and a patented metal non-slip surface. When considering what type of material to use for a walkway in an industrial setting, it is important to choose a material that is strong, will be little maintenance and will not wear easily. Often, there is heavy traffic in these settings, including forklifts.
Steel is an alloy that consists of iron and has carbon content of between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight. Steel is one of the most common materials used in the world, with more than 1.3 billion tons produced daily. The Bessemer process made steel an inexpensive mass-produced product.
Steel is a major component to buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, machines, appliances and weapons. Steel is also ideal for walkways within a manufacturing facility due to its cost effectiveness, strength, durability and long service life. A non-slip steel walkway will not only hold up well within these facilities but will give workers added confidence and may increase productivity.