Ensuring your railcar loading and unloading operations are safe is vital for protecting your employees and remaining in compliance with local safety standards. Without the proper access and fall protection equipment, your operations are playing a game of risk where the odds are not in your favour. Fortunately, Northern Platforms is here to help you turn the odds around with our range of excellent safe access solutions and fall protection equipment. As Western Canada’s trusted distributor for SafeRack, our team of experts can assist you in customizing a safe access system to fit your operation’s unique applications. Below we’ll cover why you need a fall protection plan and how Northern Platform’s extensive inventory can help! Keep reading to find out more.
Prevention = Protection
No matter what industry your business is working in, having a comprehensive fall protection strategy is the best way to prevent worksite accidents. Not to mention your operations are required to comply with OSHA and OH&S standards, respectively, to maintain the safety of your workers. In the case of railcars, several unique factors can influence how you should implement your fall protection strategy. Railcars come in various lengths, heights, and crash box sizes that must be considered when searching for adequate fall protection equipment. In addition, the substances being loaded or unloaded into the railcars can also influence what fall protection equipment you should be using; chemicals like Hydrogen in ammonia require specific handling/loading standards to transport it safely. Fortunately, our team at Northern Platforms can assist you in determining the best possible fall prevention and safe access solutions equipment you need to keep your operations compliant and your workers secure.
Make Railcar Fall Protection a Priority
Given the many factors that influence the safety of your railcar operations utilizing high-quality equipment can ensure your worksite is safe and accessible. For example, loading and unloading a railcar is significantly more manageable with a loading platform designed to accommodate the many sizes of railcar your operations deal with. In addition to loading racks and platforms, several other safe access solutions can support your fall protection plan. Some of these access solutions are as follows:
Railcar safety cages and access gangways
Loading and unloading arms
Dry disconnect fittings
Spill containment equipment
Railyard safety equipment like flags and wheel chocks
Tracking gangway systems
Operator buildings with safety showers and more!
Regardless of what products your railcars are moving, establishing a secure fall protection plan can reduce your employees’ safety risks while on the job and ensure your operations are within the regulated safety standards. At Northern Platforms, our team can help you map out a railcar fall protection plan with the highest-quality equipment from SafeRack, ErectaStep, OPW, and other trusted manufacturers.
Your Trusted Fall Protection Experts
Northern Platforms has been a leader in safe access solutions and fall protection equipment for over two decades. As a family-owned and operated company, our team understands the importance of protecting your workers and business from accidents. We’re proud to partner with exceptional manufacturers to ensure you get the fall protection equipment you need and trust. So regardless of what your railcars are being loaded or unloaded with, Northern Platforms is sure to have the safe access solutions you need to get the job done safely and efficiently. If you’re interested in learning more about our railcar fall protection equipment and access solutions, contact our team today! Northern Platforms in Leduc, Alberta, looks forward to partnering with you to ensure the safety of your crew and company.
When safely accessing trucks and trailers, your business needs truck loading platforms you can depend on. Fortunately, Northern Platform’s extensive inventory and partnerships are here to help narrow down the best safe access solutions for your business. Our team has decades of experience assisting operations like yours in determining the best possible fall protection and secure access platforms for your unique operations. Below we’ll discuss further what truck loading platforms are and two great options from SafeRack. Continue reading to learn more about truck access platforms from Northern Platforms!
What Are Truck Loading Platforms?
Truck loading platforms, known as truck access platforms or truck loading racks, are essentially a platform with a staircase or ladder-like structure that allows your employees to safely reach the tops of trucks and their trailers safely. Many companies will utilize scaffolding to manage the loading and unloading of trucks. However, that is a costly and unsafe option we at Northern Platforms would not recommend. Instead, using a truck loading platform with a SafeRack SAS gangway unit is best. Whether your employees are using truck access platforms to take samples, load, or unload a truck, ensuring they can safely access the trucks they’re working on is essential for your operations. At Northern Platforms, our team of experienced sales reps can assist you in determining the best possible truck loading platform for your business.
SafeRack’s Truck Loading Platforms
As Western Canada’s premier distributor of SafeRack products, Northern Platforms is proud to put safety first. Your operations need high-quality safety equipment you can trust, and SafeRack’s access solutions are built to perform! With a reputation for safety, quality and performance, SafeRack’s SAS and MAUI truck loading platforms from Northern Platforms are sure to add value and security to your business. Next, we’ll cover some benefits of using the SAS and the MAUI.
The SAS
The Self-Adjusting Stair or SAS from SafeRack is perfect for operations that deal with a range of truck heights. Since the stairs are self-levelling and articulating, you can get a custom-fitted truck loading platform without having to go through the hassle of dismantling and reassembling the platform. The SAS also features a positive lift and lower system that keeps operators and drivers safe while the platform is in use. In addition, the SAS is designed for a long operating life as the one-piece stair has fewer weld points than many competing products. Along with its exceptional design, the SAS can be retrofitted to be a perfect replacement for your worn-out truck loading platforms.
The MAUI
Another great option to consider is SafeRack’s MAUI mobile access unit portable platform. Designed with portability and durability in mind, the MAUI is a dependable truck loading platform that features a 500-pound load capacity. Like the SAS, the MAUI can accommodate a range of truck heights and applications as it has a telescoping ladder. The MAUI is built with excellent materials and high-quality components, so regardless if you’re using this unit in the field or in-house, the MAUI is sure to last.
Loading Platforms and More at Northern Platforms
As a Canadian family-owned and operated business, Northern Platforms understands the importance of safety regarding fall protection and safe access solutions. Our team has decades of experience working with operations just like yours. It’s our highest priority to ensure you have the best quality fall protection and safe access solutions you need to keep your worksite safe. In addition to our partnership with SafeRack, Northern Platforms is proud to be a trusted distributor for ErectaStep, RollaStep, and more! Aside from our extensive inventory, we also offer turnkey installation services, preventative maintenance support, and outstanding customer service. From our family to yours, let Northern Platforms assist you in determining to best possible safe access solutions for your business and workers.
Are you interested in learning more about our truck loading platforms? Contact Northern Platforms today!
Several challenges arise when working in heavy industries, but the most prominent challenge is finding mobile, safe and OSHA-compliant equipment. Accessing high-up places to load/unload equipment or navigate areas above ground can be extremely dangerous if the stairs used aren’t the correct measurements – you would be putting your crew and your process at risk.
Northern Platforms offers easy access-loading and unloading solutions to eliminate the risk of work injuries or mishaps. Our prefabricated platforms are a fantastic way to avoid such dangers while boosting your ROI and improving your overall efficiency. ErectaStep is the perfect solution for all sizes and can be used in multiple applications without the need for custom fabrication. Learn more about our safe site solutions below!
One Solution, Unlimited Applications
ErectaStep is easy to configure and assemble to adapt to any application, featuring modular, lightweight aluminum components. The prefabricated metal stairs bolt together with a simple wrench, without the need for welding, special tools or cranes. No matter the application, the ErectaStep will step up to the challenge.
Cost and Time Efficient Solution
Why spend precious time and money on ordering, designing and customizing engineered systems when you can install the ErectaStep in a fraction of the time? The metal stairs and platforms not only cost less than a custom-engineered system but they are also designed and installed in no time. Our prefabricated metal stairs will speed up your production process and increase your ROI compared to custom fabrication.
Start To Finish Support
Our team of experienced professionals will visit your site, identify the challenges, design a product to suit your goals and ensure the job is completed seamlessly. With our latest custom configuration tool, our team is able to show you detailed drawings of the solution in just a few minutes. Our cutting edge modelling tool enables you to see the exact measurements of the final product before it’s installed, as well as offers you an accurate quote based off the drawing.
Long Term Peace Of Mind
With the ErectaStep solution, you no longer have to worry about comparing the prices, efficiency and durability of permanent and temporary solutions. Prefabricated platforms offer you the best of both worlds. ErectaStep is a long-lasting, durable solution that can easily be moved across the site with minimal complications. Sacrificing performance for portable solutions is a thing of the past; with ErectaStep, you can move your portable access equipment with ease.
Safe Site Access Solutions
Northern Platforms has been proudly supplying leading access solutions for the last 20 years. With an extensive inventory featuring prefabricated platforms, loading racks, loading arms and more, Northern Platforms is dedicated to offering our customers exceptional service and assisting with turnkey installation and preventative maintenance.
Finding a loading solution that boosts productivity and ensures safety is a necessary priority for those working in the trucking and hauling industry. Loading arms are becoming the most common standard for reliable loading and unloading operations in all sectors, as they particularly excel where durability and performance are concerned. Typical applications for loading arms include asphalt truck loading arms, sulfur truck loading arms, diesel truck loading arms, gasoline truck loading arms, chemical truck loading arms and propane truck loading arms.
Northern Platforms offers you a leading inventory that features the highest quality products, including SafeRack, OPW and Yellowgate. We are proud to supply you with options you can trust throughout Western Canada. Read on to learn more about the benefits of our truck loading arms.
Safe Environment
Avoiding workplace injuries is the ultimate challenge within the worksite. You need to consider factors that can put your crew’s safety at risk, such as struggling with floor space or constantly tripping over hoses. Loading arms are the perfect solution to eliminate said factors as they are mounted off the ground during operation. If the loading arms are not being used, they can easily be folded and stored away, providing more floor space for the crew. The versatility of the loading arms allows for a safer work environment and seamless adaptability in general.
Longevity and Compatibility
Loading arms are commonly used in worksites and applications that require repetitive motion, which usually results in premature wear and tear of your hoses. Our unique construction of truck loading arms allows them to seamlessly handle repetitive movements over and over without causing excessive strain. Investing in our truck loading arms is a life-long investment as they are built to last decades – you can simply remove old parts and replace them with new ones to increase the longevity of the loading arm.
Not only are the loading arms long-lasting, but they are also compatible with the systems you have in place. The experienced loading solutions providers will seamlessly integrate the loading arms with any system, including gangways, fall prevention cages and platforms. Investing in our truck loading arms will give you peace of mind and protect your ROI.
Adaptable Applications
Our bottom loading arms provide an enhanced level of security by having the operator stationed on the ground. As the bottom loading arms are designed with a spring counterbalance, they allow for a quicker loading time and the ability to reach more openings than other models. They also improve efficiency, ergonomics and general housekeeping at your loading rack.
Our top-loading arms are used in various applications and provide a wide range of options from splash loading to flexible reach supported boom arms with vapor recovery. Other options include scissor or boom arms that are adaptable for rail and tank trucks. The adaptability of several options like dry disconnect fittings, overfill protection and hatch plates/vapor recovery will also help you save money and enhance the efficiency of the production.
Trust Northern Platforms
As a family-owned and operated business, Northern Platforms is dedicated to ensuring that your truck or rail loading system will work as safely and efficiently as possible. Visit our loading arm inventory or contact us today to learn more about our truck and rail loading solutions.
On an industrial work site, employees must regularly face plenty of safety risks. Taking shortcuts over or under a pipe or production line is a common occurrence in the industrial field and an issue safety managers ought to resolve as soon as possible. Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) keeps a watchful eye out for these safety issues. Slips, accidental falls, and injuries can easily occur around obstacles that should have a designated crossover point. Crossover stairs are the perfect solution for this safe access issue, and luckily, Northern Platforms is here to help you get a custom fit for your facility. As one of Western Canada’s largest distributors of loading platforms, crossover stairs, safety gates and more, our team is proud to work with businesses in various industries to provide them with the safe access solutions they need. Below, we’ll discuss crossover stairs and some of their common uses. Keep reading to learn more.
What are Crossover Stairs?
Crossover stairs, also known as crossover ladders, bridges, and platforms, are a safe route over obstacles or hazards. They’re designed to provide workers with a direct path across a particular area that otherwise could be dangerous or disruptive of workflow. It’s human nature to take the shortest, more convenient course available, even if it isn’t the safest option.
At Northern Platforms, we provide businesses like yours with the safe access solutions they need to keep their employees safe. Our line of ErectaStep and SafeRack stairs and industrial maintenance work platforms feature an innovative, lightweight design that you can customize to your specific needs. Installation is easy as it only requires a few hours and a wrench. Northern Platform’s team of experienced professionals can assist you in determining the best safe access solution for your facility.
Get From Point A to Point B
Moving from one area to another is one of the primary uses for crossover stairs. They’re beneficial for transporting items and workers over tricky areas of your facility. Crossovers of all types can be positioned over workstations, machinery, ducting, or other problem zones that you need access around. They’re also handy for on-the-ground conveyance equipment, like forklifts and pallet trucks, as they give workers a safer and more straightforward option for navigating the workplace while clearing up floor space for your equipment.
Stay Safe
Crossover ladders and stairs are also commonly used for isolation purposes around hazardous areas that still need to be accessible but in a highly secure manner. For example, suppose your facility deals with dangerous chemicals that need to be stored in a particular way, say inside of a protective berm or containment dike. In that case, crossover stairs can provide access to the storage area without having your workers come into direct contact with the chemical. In addition to hazard zones, businesses can utilize a crossover ladder in regions that must be isolated from workers. They provide your staff safe access across your facility without jeopardizing a seclusion zone.
Partner with Northern Platforms for Safe Access Solutions
Workplaces like your own can experience exponential benefits using access equipment like crossover ladders and stairs. At Northern Platforms, our highest priority is the safety of your team. We are sure our wide range of safe access solutions will provide you with versatile, high-quality options to keep your site secure, from safety swing gates and rolling steps to crossover ladders and more. Contact us today to learn more about how crossover stairs can improve your workplace!
