Ensuring the safety, compliance, and productivity of your operations are just three aspects industrial work platforms from Northern Platforms can assist with. However, it can be challenging to determine if your facility requires an industrial work platform. Fortunately, our team is here to help! As your trusted Canadian supplier of ErectaStep and more, Northern Platforms understands some of the telltale signs that your operations could benefit from custom industrial work platforms. Below we will cover four situations that indicate its time to invest in industrial work platforms. Keep reading to find out more!
You Lose Productivity to Maneuvering Around Equipment or Obstacles
Many operations find that with standard ladders, step stools, or scaffolding, their staff lose production time by working against the limitations of the equipment. Often these types of equipment do not provide adequate overreach, or their innate structure prevents workers from accessing specific areas safely.
Fortunately, Northern Platforms has a solution! Our offering of industrial work platforms from ErectaStep can be customized to fit your application and operations perfectly, enhancing your operation’s productivity. That way, your staff have access to where they need to go and can safely reach other equipment or locations previously blocked by large machinery or obstacles.
Your Injury Rate is Higher Than the Industry Average
Suppose your operation’s injury rate is higher than average. In that case, an industrial work platform from Northern Platforms may help reduce or potentially eliminate some of those injuries. A high injury rate affects numerous aspects of your business, including increased absenteeism and workers’ compensation rates, decreased employee morale and potential fines. Northern Platforms’ ErectaStep industrial work platforms are OSHA and OH&S-compliant and can help prevent injuries, especially fall injuries from a height.
You Work with Expensive or Fragile Equipment
If your facility manufactures or works with high-value equipment, consider utilizing industrial work platforms. The cost of an industrial work platform from Northern Platforms is significantly less than the cost of fixing damaged equipment caused by improper upper-level access equipment. So protect your bottom line and equipment by investing in industrial work platforms from Northern Platforms.
Your Current Equipment Doesn’t Meet OSHA or OH&S Standards
Speaking of protecting your bottom line, when it comes to work platforms, the OSHA and OH&S regulations are more comprehensive than you may realize, and not being compliant can result in costly fines and injuries. Handrails, toeboards, materials, load ratings and structural design must conform to specific standards. If your facility is using makeshift equipment for access, you may not be in compliance. By using ErectaStep industrial work platforms from Northern Platforms, you can ensure you comply with OH&S and OSHA regulations and enhance your operations’ safety and productivity.
ErectaStep Industrial Work Platforms from Northern Platforms
At Northern Platforms, finding a custom industrial work platform is simple! Our team of safe access solution experts can visit your facility and digitally craft a design drawing of your industrial work platform in minutes. That way, you know precisely how your ErectaStep platforms will fit into your operations, and you can also receive an accurate quote. In addition, Northern Platforms’ team can assist you from installation to maintenance and beyond! So when you need reliable and quality industrial work platforms, trust Northern Platforms and ErectaStep!
Contact us today to get started on building your custom industrial work platform!
Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common accidents in the workplace. To help mitigate these accidents and injuries, it’s critical to invest in the appropriate safe access and fall prevention solutions. At Northern Platforms, we proudly provide a wide selection of safe access solutions to ensure your workers’ safety and improve your workplace’s efficiency. One of our top safe access solutions is our crossover stairs from ErectaStep. Crossover stairs are used across many facilities and industries because they are versatile and offer numerous advantages. Next, we’ll tell you more about crossover stairs and some factors to consider before investing in crossover stairs for your facility. Keep reading to find out more!
Understanding Crossover Stairs
Crossover stairs are known under many names, such as crossover platforms, ladders, bridges, etc. These access solutions are manufactured to provide workers with a safe and direct path from point A to point B. One of the most significant advantages of crossover stairs from Northern Platforms is that they are available in a wide range of configurations which can help workers safely navigate around obstacles or hazards in your facility. This means your employees can accomplish their duties safely and efficiently, dramatically benefiting your bottom line.
While crossover stairs from ErectaStep offer numerous safety and efficiency benefits, they can be costly for some operations. That’s why ensuring you understand your access needs is critical before investing in crossover stairs. Before you decide to invest in crossover stairs for your facility, you should consider a few factors to ensure you purchase the best access solutions for your unique application, worksite, and needs.
What Height Do Your Crossover Stairs Need to Reach?
The elevation of your crossover stairs directly correlates with its intended purpose and how the platform will be used. For instance, if your crossover stairs will be used to laterally move over a piece of equipment or machinery like a conveyor belt, then the crossover stars should have a minimum clearance needed to reach over the equipment. However, if employees need to access certain mechanisms or specific heights, rolling stairs or a work platform may be a better safe access solution than crossover stairs. The heights and obstacles your crossover stairs need to work around will influence their overall configuration and whether or not they will be the best access solution for your application.
What Distance Do the Stairs Need to Span?
The distance your crossover stairs need to span will directly impact their configuration and total cost. Fortunately, Northern Platforms‘ safe access solutions experts can visit your facility or worksite and help you determine the appropriate configuration for your crossover stairs. We use a digital design tool which allows our team to custom configure the optimal crossover stairs for your facility and provide you with an accurate diagram and quote. That way, you have a clear picture of your crossover stairs’ size, configuration, and overall cost.
Do You Need Safety Swing Gates?
Safety features such as self-closing safety swing gates are important fall protection features for crossover stairs. For instance, Northern Platforms’ YellowGate safety swing gates are often used with crossover stairs at a ladder or stair opening to help prevent falls. When investing in crossover stairs, it’s important to consider the other safe access solutions and fall protection features your facility may require.
Your Source for Crossover Stairs and More!
Since 2002, Northern Platforms has been Western Canada’s premier distributor of industry-leading safe access solutions. Our comprehensive inventory includes access and fall protection solutions from trusted manufacturers such as SafeRack, ErectaStep, RollaStep and more! Moreover, Northern Platforms also proudly offers several turnkey solutions, such as preventative maintenance, installation, and more.
Ready to custom configure crossover stairs for your facility? Contact us today to get expert support and service from the team at Northern Platforms!
Prefabricated platforms are excellent safe access solutions for any warehouse or industrial facility. These highly versatile platforms provide economic, safety, and efficiency-related advantages. However, before investing in prefabricated platforms from Northern Platforms, it’s essential to be aware of some of the critical factors that will influence your prefabricated platforms’ design and cost. Below, we’ll discuss some of these factors that will impact the design of your prefabricated platforms. Continue reading to learn more!
Factors that Impact Prefabricated Platform Designs
Typically, prefabricated platforms are used as aisles or walkways to ensure safe warehouse or industrial facility access. These platforms can help workers navigate and transport goods and equipment across warehouses and facilities without interrupting other operations. At Northern Platforms, we proudly distribute prefabricated platforms from ErectaStep to customers across Western Canada and beyond. When investing in prefabricated platforms, a few factors need to be considered to ensure you receive the best safe access solution for your operations. Below are a few of these critical factors.
The Layout
Before purchasing prefabricated platforms from Northern Platforms, the layout is the first factor you need to consider. Do your prefabricated platforms need to go over a pipe or conveyor belt or around another hazard? Or does your facility require a prefabricated platform that doubles as an observation deck or work platform? These are essential questions to ask as they can help determine the overall layout of your prefabricated platforms.
Structural Drawings
Once you’ve determined a rough layout for your prefabricated platforms, you’ll need to consult your facility’s structural drawings to ensure the platforms have a safe and stable installation area. This is a critical step, as understanding how and where your prefabricated platforms can be safely installed ensures the overall safety and efficiency of the structure. Once you’ve determined the structural integrity of the area where your prefabricated platform will be, you may need to adjust the layout.
Elevation Information
The next significant factor impacting your prefabricated platforms is the elevation you’d like them installed. Not only is elevation critical for the design of your prefabricated platforms but also for their overall structure. Depending on the height of your prefabricated platforms will need to reach additional safety features such as self-closing safety swing gates or other fall protection may be required. Moreover, understanding your elevation requirements will help in designing and installing your prefabricated platforms in accordance with your operation’s particular needs.
Load Bearing Capacity
Finally, your required load-bearing capacity is critical for determining your prefabricated platforms’ overall design and structure. This information is vital as overloading prefabricated platforms is a serious health and safety risk as it may result in dangerous accidents or severe damages. So when investing in prefabricated platforms from Northern Platforms, consider your required load-bearing capacity to ensure the safety of your workers and the structural integrity of your safe access solutions.
Prefabricated Platforms from Northern Platforms
At Northern Platforms, our team of safe access solution experts can visit your facility and assist in determining the optimal layout and design of your prefabricated platforms. Our team can even create a digital design of your prefabricated platforms so you can receive an accurate quote and image on the layout before you decide to invest. Overall, prefabricated platforms from Northern Platforms are an integral piece of safe access equipment for industrial and commercial facilities as they provide operational, logistical and economic benefits.
Ready to learn more about Northern Platforms’ prefabricated platforms? Contact us today!
Warehouse, manufacturing, and oil and gas facilities are typically bustling spaces where workers, forklifts, and other heavy machinery constantly move from one place to another. Because of the commotion in these facilities, overcrowding and safety are significant issues that must be addressed. So how do you handle these problems in busy facilities? Northern Platforms’ modular catwalk systems are a great option! Catwalk systems can improve the productivity and flow of traffic in your facility by providing safer and more efficient means of navigation for workers. Next, we’ll tell you how modular catwalk systems from Northern Platforms can improve safety and efficiency in your facility and two of their typical applications. Continue reading to learn more!
How Modular Catwalk Systems Help
Northern Platform’s modular catwalk systems are manufactured to create an efficient way for employees to navigate from point A to point B within a facility. However, getting from point A to point B can be a lot more complicated depending on the facility’s layout, obstacles, and hazards. That’s why modular catwalk systems from Northern Platforms are an excellent access solution, as they can be customized to fit your facility’s exact requirements. But more on that below. Overall modular catwalk systems are a fantastic way to ensure safety and efficiency in your facility as they create a clear and safe path. Some other benefits include the following.
Navigate Over Obstacles
One of the most significant advantages of modular catwalks systems is that they provide workers with a safe means of accessing equipment, storage areas, controls and more. If these features are infrequently used (as is often the case in many facilities), they’re usually placed off to the side or in difficult-to-reach areas to keep floor space clear for other activities. Modular catwalk systems from Northern Platforms offer a simple means of reaching necessary equipment or controls without interrupting other operations. That means that with a catwalk system, your employees can easily navigate your facility, perform repairs, and avoid obstacles or other operational activities without fear of an accident or disruption in production.
Add a Vantage Point to Your Facility
Furthermore, modular catwalk systems from Northern Platforms are excellent for creating vantage points for overseeing equipment and work in your facility. Often, our modular catwalks are incorporated into larger safe access systems such as observation platforms, mezzanines and more. For supervisors and quality control officers, these vantage points give them a clearer view of the production flow below and see where any issues or problems may occur. Overall modular catwalk systems from Northern Platforms offer safety and efficiency-related benefits, depending on how you implement them in your facility.
Modular Catwalk Systems at Northern Platforms
Located in Leduc, Alberta, Northern Platforms is Western Canada’s premier access and loading solutions distributor. We proudly distribute solutions from industry-leading brands like ErectaStep, SafeRack, RollaStep and more. Moreover, Northern Platforms also offers a range of turnkey solutions, such as installation and preventative maintenance, to help ensure your facility is safe and compliant. Are you interested in learning more about our modular catwalk systems? Contact Northern Platforms today!
Prefabricated platforms are great for ensuring accessibility and safety in your worksite or facility. At Northern Platforms, our team is proud to offer a range of easy-access loading and unloading solutions that can improve the efficiency and safety of your workplace. Our offering of prefabricated platforms from ErectaStep is an incredible way to avoid workplace injuries while boosting your site’s overall return on investment. Next, we’ll discuss how ErectaStep prefabricated platforms can improve your facility’s efficiency and how Northern Platforms can help you find the right platform for your application. Keep reading to find out more!
One Solution, Many Applications
ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms are easy to configure and assemble, which makes them perfect for adapting to numerous applications. Since they feature lightweight aluminum components, these platforms are also easy to move from location to location, with no heavy cranes or boom trucks necessary! Finally, these prefabricated platforms bolt together with just a wrench; no welding or additional fabrication is required. That means no matter the application, ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms can step up to the challenge.
Efficiency Where it Matters
When it comes to business, time is money. So spending precious time designing, building, and installing a custom access solution can significantly hit your bottom line. However, ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms are more cost-effective than custom-engineered systems. Also, they are designed to be installed quickly without special tools. In addition, these prefabricated platforms can speed up your production process by allowing your staff to travel safely from point A to point B easily.
Longevity and Quality
Another way ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms can improve your worksite’s workflow is that they’re built to last! With ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms, you don’t have to worry about lost time due to replacements or replacement costs. Each access solution is expertly manufactured with longevity in mind. Since these prefabricated platforms are modular and customizable, you can also quickly transfer them across your facility with minimal complications, thus decreasing any potential downtime associated with moving them.
Expert Support
At Northern Platforms, our team of experienced safe access solution experts can help you with all of your prefabricated platform needs. Our team will visit your site, identify potential challenges, design a custom prefabricated platform solution to suit your needs, and ensure the installation is completed efficiently. With our innovative custom configuration tool, the Northern Platforms team can show you detailed drawings of your prefabricated platform solution in just a few minutes. Our modelling tool lets you see the precise measurements of the final product before installation and offers you an accurate quote based on our design concept.
Northern Platforms is Your Choice for Prefabricated Platforms
Many industrial facilities, construction sites, railyards, and more can benefit from utilizing prefabricated platforms and other safe access equipment. With numerous possible configurations and modular platforms available at Northern Platforms, our team is here to ensure your site has the safe access solutions you need to work efficiently and safely. In addition, we also offer safety swing gates, gangways, crossover ladders and more, so when you need safe access solutions, our team is here to help! Contact Northern Platforms today to learn more about ErectaStep’s prefabricated platforms.
Are you considering installing a new industrial work platform in your facility? Are you looking for one that is versatile and offers numerous benefits? Northern Platforms has the access solution equipment that you need! At Northern Platforms, we are proud to be the premier distributor of ErectaStep industrial work platforms. For over 20 years, ErectaStep has been manufacturing high-quality, innovative, versatile metal stairs and access platforms. As your Canadian supplier of ErectaStep platforms, Northern Platforms is here to help you find the industrial work platforms you need to keep your facility safe. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of ErectaStep industrial work platforms.
Effortless Assembly and Installation
ErectaStep’s industrial work platforms are incredibly versatile. These work platforms are simple to assemble and install as they feature modular, lightweight aluminum components. Installing one of these platforms only takes a few hours and requires little more than a wrench. If you ever need to move or reconfigure your industrial work platform, you won’t need to use a boom truck or heavy crane. In addition, ErectaStep’s industrial work platforms can also be outfitted with handrails, stairs, and safety swing gates, as they have standard bolt holes on every side. So if you need a work platform that is lightweight, versatile, and easy to assemble/ disassemble, then you need ErectaStep’s prefabricated industrial access work platforms from Northern Platforms.
Features and Benefits
Aside from the versatility and easy installation ErectaStep’s industrial work platforms offer, there are several other benefits your facility can reap from this safe access solution. The modular design of these work platforms doesn’t require any on site fabrication. It can quickly be bolted together in a wide range of configurations. From providing your facility with metal stairs, crossovers, work platforms, and more ErectaStep’s prefabricated industrial work platforms can be used almost anywhere. ErectaStep’s work platforms are OHSA/ OH&S compliant, precision manufactured, in stock and ready to ship from Northern Platforms. Some other benefits you can attain from these versatile industrial work platforms are as follows:
Aggressive Self-Draining Tread
Compliant with ADA and IBC
36” Square Platform can be Connected with Additional Platforms for Custom Configurations
Universal Design on all Four Sides
And More!
At Northern Platforms, our team of safe access solutions experts can visit your site to digitally craft a design drawing in minutes for your industrial work platform. That way, you can see precisely how the ErectaStep platforms will come together in your facility, and you view accurate quotes. Plus, our team of experts can assist you from start to finish. When you need reliable and high-quality industrial work platforms, Northern Platforms is here to help!
Find Your Next Industrial Work Platform Today!
Since 2002, Northern Platforms has been a leader in the safe access equipment, loading racks, and loading arm industry. We’ve been assisting facilities and businesses in determining the best industrial work platforms for their needs. Northern Platforms is proud to offer a range of safe access solutions and turnkey services as a family-owned and operated business. Contact us today to learn more about our offering of ErectaStep industrial work platforms!
