Does your loading facility face challenges when it comes to reaching high up spaces as part of your daily operation? Whether you’re in retail fulfillment, the aerospace, marine, oil & gas, railroad, or related industries (to name just a few), rolling stairs and platforms play a vital role in helping to maintain safe standards on the worksite as well as keeping in compliance with OH&S / OSHA regulations. Rolling stairs make it easy for crew members to reach new heights, while also helping to minimize the risks associated with operating at higher levels by providing stability when it matters the most.
Northern Platforms is proud to be one of Western Canada’s leading suppliers of loading and access solutions, including rolling stairs and platforms from both ErectaStep and RollaStep. Below, we’ll explore some of the perks and tips when it comes to using rolling platforms. Read on to learn more!
When Should You Use Rolling Platforms
While there’s no one reason to consider rolling platforms, it is their sheer versatility that makes them such a valuable resource for any operation. Whether you need a stable way of transporting and transferring bulking inventory or retrieving valuable resources for shipment, or simply need an easier way for crew members to reach higher areas of a job site, rolling platforms are there to help. In comparison to other kinds of ladders and elevation systems that lack significant safety features, rolling platforms often include handrails, locking devices, height adjustability and other customizable options to help avoid accidents. This allows for greater performance while minimizing risk and boosting ROI.
Best Practices: Quick Tips
As we mentioned above, rolling platforms are already significantly safer than competing solutions, however, best practices should always be followed to ensure that everyone is operating at the highest level of excellence possible. Below are a few key factors/practices to keep in mind.
Size Matters
Just like choosing a standard ladder, sizing is key to ensuring that your platform sufficiently fits the space(s) it will be used in. The right fit will help to minimize risks and allow your team to get to work comfortably and efficiently. Bear and mind that, when choosing a size, it’s not just a question of spatial allowances, but also the intended purpose for the unit overall, including in other areas should you choose to relocate it on the completion of one project.
Inspect to Protect
Standard safety protocols dictate that all work equipment should be inspected prior to beginning your operations, and platforms are no different. Ensure crew members always give the unit a look over before ascending checking for any visible signs of damage that could compromise structural soundness, as well as ensuring that locks and all other safety features are engaged.
Positioning/Storage
Similar to the above, the unit should always be properly positioned within your location for the best results. Be aware of any safety hazards in the immediate area (water, electrical currents, overhead wires, etc), and position your platform accordingly to minimize risk. When storing between uses, you’ll want to ensure the unit is kept away from any liquids or chemicals (as commonly found in industrial settings) that could create a slick surface that unobservant crew members could miss. Regular upkeep should be a priority as well to reduce the chance of sudden failures.
Train All Parties
Finally, all parties that will use the platforms should undergo specific safety training related to best practices regarding your rolling equipment. No matter how simplistic your equipment may be, education is, and always will be the best asset when it comes to reducing risk!
RollaStep and ErectaStep Solutions and More at Northern Platforms
For over 20, Northern Platforms has served as one of Western Canada’s most trusted suppliers of loading platforms, stairs, racks, and more. As a family-owned company based out of Alberta, we strive to give back and go the extra mile to give our customers unbeatable support when it matters the most by offering turnkey installation services, maintenance assistance, and a vast inventory you can count on. Among our available products, you’ll find a wide range of products including stairs and platforms from RollaStep, ErectaStep, SafeRack (we are the exclusive dealer of SafeRack for Western Canada), and more.
Learn more about our rolling platform solutions as well as our extensive range of other items by contacting our team today!
In need of rugged rolling stair and mobile work platform solutions you can trust? Northern Platforms is here to help! With one of Western Canada’s most diverse inventories of loading products, including RollaStep products, our team has you covered when it’s time to take your operations to new heights. With exceptional customer service and products you can depend on, Northern Platforms is your first choice for all your loading needs. Learn more about our mobile stairs below!
Why Choose RollaStep
When it comes to loading and unloading operations that have to deal with issues faced by height and awkward to reach areas, having safe, efficient, and viable solutions are key for success. With decades of trust and proven performance behind their brand, RollaStep’s range of products stands as an undisputed standby for customers spanning a wide range of industries. With solutions that lead the way in terms of design and innovation, RollaStep is a natural fit when it comes to meeting workplace safety requirements, as we all as streamlining day to day operations. RollaStep prefabricated safety products are customizable, dependable, and built to stand the test of time, giving you superior performance and an ROI you can count on for years to come. Among their extensive product range you’ll find:
Rolling stairs
Portable ladders
Mobile work platforms
Adjustable stairs
Industrial and commercial use solutions, and more.
If you need easy maneuverability and performance you can count on, it’s time to roll on with RollaStep.
RollaStep Solutions and More at Northern Platforms
For nearly 20 years, Northern Platforms has served as one of Western Canada’s most trusted suppliers of loading platforms, stairs, racks, and more. As a family-owned company based out of Alberta, we strive to go the extra mile to give our customers unbeatable support, including turnkey installation services, maintenance assistance, and more. Among our inventory, you’ll find a wide range of products including stairs and platforms from RollaStep, ErectaStep, SafeRack (we are the exclusive dealer of SafeRack for Western Canada), and more. With the C, G, MP, TR models readily available as needed, you can count on us to always have your back when it matters most.
Learn more about our mobile platform solutions as well as our extensive range of other items by contacting our team today!
With their ability to reduce loading times and decrease tank turbulence, Northern Platforms bottom loading arms can boost safety and productivity in your loading system. We offer a wide selection of the most trusted ergonomic bottom loading arms on the market—and each is engineered to maximize productivity. No matter your application — trucks, drums or railcars — Northern Platforms can provide you with innovative bottom loading arms designed to handle any liquid application.
Below, we’ll highlight some of the main benefits of working with bottom loading arms, as well as touch on some of the most popular manufacturers. Read on to learn more!
About Bottom Loading Arms
Bottom loading arm systems offer numerous benefits over conventional top-loading, with the safety of the operator as the primary advantage. By utilizing a bottom loading arm system, the operator remains on the ground, not on top of the vehicle, a source at which falls commonly occur. Connections are made more quickly, thus reducing overall loading time. Bottom loading systems also create less turbulence in the tank, which reduces the danger of generating static electricity. Bottom loading also reduces vapours, which can be an environmental hazard and can be easily adapted to recover vapours displaced during loading. With speed as a crucial advantage of bottom loading, tanks are filled faster, and multiple compartments can be loaded simultaneously. Bottom loading islands are more straightforward and cheaper to build than top-loading racks. Whether your project is top-loading, bottom loading, or specialized loading applications, you can trust Northern Platforms to get the job done correctly.
Choosing the Right Fit
If you’ve read our previous piece on choosing between the top and bottom loading arms, you’ll know that before you make your selection, it’s important to know what kind of railcars and trucks you’ll be working with, as well as what methods of loading (top vs bottom) will be used. As the name suggests, bottom loads are typically used when loading from the bottom, and thus need to be paired with cars and trucks that are capable of accommodating a bottom loading configuration.
Types of Bottom Loading Arms
There a few different styles of bottom loading arms. We’ll touch on a couple of the most common:
Counterweight Bottom Hose Loader
Adjustable counterweights mounted on a pair of horizontal rails are simply moved until the desired balance point is located. This design provides for efficient handling and coupling to the tank adaptors.
Unsupported Boom Bottom Loader
Designed to provide flexible long-range operation, the heavy-duty configuration of an unsupported boom bottom loader is both reliable and easy to use. A minimum of five swivel planes of rotation offers maximum flexibility in loading/unloading railcars, tank trucks and servicing aviation refuelers when making tight connections. Both the outboard swivel and arm adjust for changes in elevation and/or tilting that may result as the vehicle is loaded or unloaded. The unsupported boom-type loader comes in many variations, making it extremely versatile. Equipped with dry-disconnect couplers, unions, quick couplings, breakaway couplings or other customer-specified end fittings allow easy connections on the side, rear, or underneath the vehicle. The intermediate swivel can be inverted to allow for the low profile and clearances needed to connect to the underside of railcars. Typically installed at or near ground level, arms of varying lengths can be mounted on staggered risers to achieve crossover and neat compact storage of multiple arms in a confined space.
A-Frame Bottom Loading Arm
The A-frame bottom loading arm is one of the more popular loading arm configurations, providing good flexibility, long reach, convenience, and ease of use. It adjusts for changes in the elevation or tilting of the vehicle during the loading/unloading process. The arm stores in an upright, near-vertical position. This allows it to swing around easily and be used for loading on either side of the island. The A-frame’s compact storage also allows the arms to be installed close together, often on risers that are approximately the same height as the vehicle connection. The A-frame loading arms can also be mounted on staggered risers next to one another to achieve arm crossover for concurrent loading of multiple compartment trucks. Commonly used for tank-truck bottom loading, A-frame arms also can be used in top-loading and unloading installations. Usually, they are equipped with a dry-disconnect coupling like an API coupler, a breakaway coupling, union, or other tight-fill fittings.
Start With a Strong Foundation
Bottom loading arms are often viewed as a preferred option where material transfer is concerned. This is because, as the name suggests, bottom loading arms transfer from the ground, allowing for greater stability and eliminating many of the risks associated with top-down loading. The spring counterbalance on the arm improves ergonomics which allows for a much faster loading time.
Bottom Loading Arms At Northern Platforms
Northern Platforms boasts a wide variety of loading options, including bottom loading arms from OPW Engineered Systems and EMCO Wheaton. Designed for optimal performance, these loading arm systems are perfect for loading and unloading petroleum products, chemicals and liquefied gases and offer benefits such as quicker connections and seamless integration with existing loading operations. Partnering with experienced loading solution providers like Northern Platforms makes it easy to find the right fit for your loading needs today.
As Western Canada’s leading source for platform and loading solutions, Northern Platforms is proud to supply numerous loading arm products to our clients from top industry producers. View our loading arm inventory here, or learn more by contacting us today!
Every year, thousands of tankers and railcars across Canada are responsible for handling the safe and efficient transport of some of our most vital resources. From coal and petroleum to grain and more, rail freight plays an important role in sustaining our economy and helping businesses across the nation thrive. Northern Platform is pleased to be one of Canada’s leading providers of safe access and loading solutions, with diverse inventory that features an extensive range of products, including rail car loading racks and more. Below, we’ll highlight some of the key factors to keep in mind when choosing rail car loading arms, as well as the benefits of partnering with Northern Platforms. Read on to learn more!
Are You Loading or Unloading?
The nature of your freight as well as whether you’ll be loading or unloading railcars (including whether you’ll be loading from the top or bottom of the unit) are integral to determining what kind of loading arm or platform is best for your operation. Are you splash loading to atmosphere or are you loading the railcar via tight connection? Top and bottom arms, as their name suggests, are better suited to specific loading orientations, and thus knowing your exact needs will go a long way towards finding the right fit. A more detailed breakdown of bottom and top arms is as follows:
Bottom Arms
Bottom arms are designed to have the operator loading or unloading their product from the ground, which provides for increased stability, safety, and speed. Connections are usually made quicker when bottom loading because the operator is not required to get on top of the truck or railcar. Bottom loading arms are spring counterbalanced to ensure efficiency, and the unique design of these units makes them capable of reaching a wider range of openings in comparison to hoses and other types of loading arms.
Top Loading Arms
In contrast, top arms are designed to load from the top and come in many different kinds of models including fixed reach for loading something simple like gasoline to a more complex arm like a molten sulphur supported boom with vapor recovery. Because of their diverse nature, top arms can save you money and enhance ROI, especially when one considers that loading arms are much more efficient and much safer than a hose.
What to Use
As with most important process decisions, it’s important to remember that loading solutions are rarely “one size fits all”. Choosing the best fit for your operation requires you to partner with experienced loading solution providers who will be able to quickly pair you with the right option for the job at hand. Seamless integration and ongoing support will give you peace of mind and ensure that your solutions today match up perfectly with your existing gangways, platforms and other related systems.
Railcar Loading Arms At Northern Platforms
For over 20 years, Northern Platforms has been Western Canada’s leading choice for platform and loading solutions, We’re proud to offer clients in the oil & gas, petroleum, construction, agriculture and surrounding industries access to the products they need from manufacturers they can trust, including top names like OPW. As a global leader in the development of loading and coupling systems, OPW’s designs are perfectly suited for a wide range of needs all the way from standard drum filling operations to the unique requirements of the petrochemical industry and more.
Need loading access solutions that allow you to move on the fly and perform high reaching tasks with ease? For those in the aerospace, agricultural and retail sectors, mobile loading platforms are a vital part of maintaining daily operations. From filling tankers and trailers to stocking inventory shelving and everything in between, having safe, reliable loading options gives your team peace of mind while ensuring you stay on track. This makes mobile platforms a valuable asset for a wide range of applications. Northern Platforms is proud to be one of Canada’s premier sources for mobile loading platforms, including products by industry leaders like SafeRack. Northern Platforms is Western Canada’s exclusive distributor of SafeRack solutions, including the world-renowned MAUI system.
Learn more about the benefits of mobile loading platforms, including MAUI below!
Mobile Vs Permanent: What to Consider
When deciding between mobile and permanent loading platforms, there are a few key factors you’ll want to keep in mind to help narrow down your selection. For example, while permanent solutions are fantastic for facilities and operations that have set deliveries and operations that are near uniform in loading requirements, mobile platforms afford greater flexibility and can be moved throughout your facility should the need arise. Additionally, due to their versatility, many purchasers enjoy the extra ROI offered by mobile units, as they can be used to accommodate a wide range of needs.
Should you choose a mobile unit such as the MAUI system (more on that below!), you’ll also want to consider what kind of surfaces you’ll be moving it across, whether or not you require a hitch or forklift pockets, and how you plan to implement transport when needed (do you need a forklift? Would you prefer a specialized product like the Maui Mover?). Knowing where and how you intend to use your mobile loading platform or rolling stairs will make it easier for Northern Platforms Ltd to help recommend the right piece of equipment for your specific operation. Our goal at Northern Platforms Ltd is to help you to make sure you make the most informed choice possible!
Choose the SafeRack MAUI Today
As one of the most trusted names in the loading platform industry, SafeRack products are known for their exceptional performance, durability, and innovative designs. SafeRack’s MAUI is built to provide safe loading solutions for a wide variety of applications, including truck loading, inventory stocking and much more. MAUI units are crated from quality materials you can trust and feature no-flat tires, alongside a rugged base that requires minimal maintenance. Combined with a sturdy rolling platform, telescoping ladder, and a frame that’s capable of handling up to 500lb and designed to fulfill OH&S / OSHA requirements, you can count on MAUI to be the perfect loading platform solution for all your needs.
Mobile Platforms and More at Northern Platforms
For over two decades, Northern Platforms has offered our customers access to leading safe access equipment, loading racks, and loading arms manufactured by the top names in the business such as SafeRack, ErectaStep, RollaStep and more. Our commitment to you is that we will always carry the best products for the job including RollaSteps MP Mobile Work Platform, as well as both the G and C series mobile platforms. In addition, Northern Platforms also offers turnkey installation services and preventative maintenance support to ensure you’re always covered, every step of the way.
Learn more about our mobile platform solutions as well as our extensive range of other items by contacting our team today!
Is your team in need of modular platform systems you can trust? Northern Platforms is Canada’s first choice when it comes to safe loading platforms including access products by top brands like ErectaStep. Known for their exceptional quality and performance, ErectaStep access platforms and stairs make it easy for crews to reach elevated areas with minimal risk and enhance daily operations. Northern Platforms is pleased to be an official distributor of ErectaStep and to carry a wide range of their products, including rolling stairs and access platforms. As an industry leader for over 20 years, ErectaStep has built a trusted reputation. Find out why, as well as the benefits ErectaStep access platforms and stairs below!
Unbeatable Quality
ErectaStep is a well-known name within the industrial loading solutions industry, and for good reason. Since arriving on the scene over 2 decades ago, the brand has consistently set a higher bar for quality and innovation on a wide range of stair kits suitable for use with multiple industries. Each of ErectaStep’s pre-engineered and pre-manufactured stair kits are built using advanced laser-cutting technology and patent-pending designs in order to ensure superior performance as well as OSHA compliance. In addition, ErectaStep’s new International Building Code (IBC) compliant stair series are manufactured and engineered with heavy gauge steel and designed to stand the test of time.
Applications
One of the biggest benefits of choosing products from ErectaStep is the versatility in terms of applications. Access platforms and stairs can be used for many different purposes, but are predominantly depended on to facilitate the safe movement of workers and equipment in areas that would otherwise be unsafe to reach. In manufacturing plants, platforms and stairs are useful for crossing over pipers and conveyors, as well as HVAC systems and packaging lines. When all 5 parts of ErectaStep’s modular framework are combined (Prefabricated Metal Stairs, Metalwork Platforms, Industrial Handrails, Aluminum Stairs/Ladders and a Tower Support) the result is a comprehensive safe access solution that is sturdy, requires no fabrication and quickly bolts together for optimal convenience.
Northern Platforms is also proud to be a Canadian stocking distributor for YellowGate Self Closing Safety Gates for pairing with modular access systems. The YellowGate Safety Gate offers adjustability to safely close off openings between 16″ to 36″ to provide a safe working environment in any gated, barrier, or railing needed area. Variable lengths, adjustable swing directions, mobility, and universal mounting systems are a few key features that make the YellowGate Safety gate superior to other comparable products. YellowGate is the industry leader when it comes to supplying Safety Gates & Swing Gates in a range of industries, which include petrochemical, manufacturing, commercial and Oil & Gas.
Key benefits of choosing ErectaStep solutions include:
Easy to Start: When you need to get set up fast, ErectaStep has you covered. The modular design requires just 5 components to assemble and requires no fabrication. Each unit comes with simple instructions and a wrench to help you get started.
Reusable: ErectaStep solutions are both cost effective and dependable thanks to the fact that they can be easily moved and reconfigured as needed, saving you time, money, and plenty of headaches.
Shorter Lead Times: ErectaStep products are designed to be in stock and hassle free, and with the five standardized components and high-tech manufacturing process behind each stair set, ErectaStep delivers safety systems to you quicker than ever before.
Safety First: OHSA/OH&S compliance is built into every one of ErectaStep’s products, meaning you can rest easy knowing that your solutions are built to code and designed to keep everyone safe.
Long Life of Service: When dependability and longevity count, you can trust ErectaStep to have you covered. Each product is manufactured out of high quality aluminum which is built to last, saving you time and reducing your spend over time.
Ready When You Are: Northern Platforms has ErectaStep in stock and we can ship out your system as soon as tomorrow! With custom configurations and more available, the perfect fit is just a phone call away!
