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4 Essential Features to Consider When Choosing Modular Access Platforms

4 Essential Features to Consider When Choosing Modular Access Platforms

When it comes to ensuring the safety of your workers, investing in the right equipment is paramount. Companies that prioritize safety not only avoid severe penalties from regulatory bodies like OSHA and OH&S but also create a secure and efficient work environment.


A modular access platform from Northern Platforms is one essential piece of equipment that can significantly enhance workplace safety. These platforms offer versatility, durability, and ease of use. If you’re considering investing in modular access platforms, here are four key features to look for and why the ErectaStep modular access platform stands out. Keep reading to find out more!


1) Corrosion Resistance: Ensuring Longevity and Cost Efficiency

The unpredictable nature of weather and the potential exposure to hazardous chemicals means you need equipment that can withstand these challenges. Corrosion-resistant materials are a must for any modular access platform. With Northern Platforms’ ErectaStep offering, you can rest assured that your investment will remain intact over time, free from rust or corrosion. By opting for corrosion-resistant modular access platforms like ErectaStep, you ensure your workers’ safety and make a cost-effective long-term investment that enhances your operation’s bottom line. 


2) Slip Resistance: Mitigating Fall Risks

Workplace accidents caused by slips and falls can have serious consequences. Slip-resistant surfaces on staircases and platforms are crucial for preventing such incidents. The inclusion of slip-resistant features in Northern Platforms’ ErectaStep modular access platforms provides firm footing even in challenging conditions. Eliminating the common threat of slippery surfaces can significantly improve overall safety levels and reduce the likelihood of these accidents.


3) Ease of Installation: Saving Time and Resources

While fall protection is of the utmost importance, the installation process shouldn’t be a cumbersome task. Some modular access platforms can be complex and time-consuming to set up, causing unnecessary delays and additional costs. Opting for a modular access platform that offers easy installation, upgrades, and configuration can save valuable time and resources. ErectaStep’s design allows for seamless assembly through bolt-together components, ensuring swift deployment and customizability.


4) Mobility and Repurposability: Flexibility for Dynamic Projects

For some projects, mobility and adaptability are key factors. A modular access platform should not only serve your current project but also be flexible enough for future configurations or projects. Configurable platforms and equipment, like those offered by Nothern Platforms‘ inventory of ErectaStep, enable you to tackle more complex projects efficiently. Whether you need to reposition the platform within a single project or repurpose it for different projects or sites, having the correct mobility elements in place ensures efficiency and adaptability.


ErectaStep and Northern Platforms: Your Solution for Safety and Flexibility

Northern Platforms’ ErectaStep modular access platforms embody all the essential features mentioned above, making it a top choice for enhancing workplace safety and efficiency. With its modular components, ErectaStep offers limitless configurations to address your fall protection needs. Let Northern Platforms’ team of safe access solution experts help you custom design an ErectaStep modular access platform system that suits the needs of your operation. 


Contact Northern Platforms today to learn more about our ErectaStep modular access platforms! 

Signs its Time to Invest in an Industrial Work Platform

Signs its Time to Invest in an Industrial Work Platform

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!

What to Consider Before Purchasing Crossover Stairs

What to Consider Before Purchasing Crossover Stairs

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!

Factors to Consider When Investing in Prefabricated Platforms

Factors to Consider When Investing in Prefabricated 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!

Advantages of Investing in Modular Access Platforms

Advantages of Investing in Modular Access Platforms

Across manufacturing, oil and gas, truck loading, and numerous other industries, modular access platforms have been providing workers with a safe, reliable, and durable means of quickly navigating worksites and facilities. These safe access solutions are critical pieces of fall prevention equipment to ensure your worksite complies with local and national safety standards.

At Northern Platforms, our team is committed to providing outstanding safe access solutions. Our offering of modular access platforms is built to last even through the most challenging environments. So regardless of your industry, Northern Platforms will surely have the access solutions you need to ensure your workers are safe. Below we’ll take a closer look at some of the advantages of Northern Platforms’ modular access platforms. Continue reading to find out more!

Customizable to Fit Your Facility

One of the most significant advantages of ErectaStep’s modular access platforms is their versatility. These platforms offer increased safety and efficiency for your workers and can also be customized to fit your facility’s exact needs. At Northern Platforms, our team can visit your facility and custom design an ErectaStep modular access platform with our digital design tool. This tool also provides an accurate quote and diagram of how your access platform will look, so you can be sure your modular access platform will be a perfect fit. Moreover, ErectaStep modular access platforms are simple to install. Regardless of the obstacles or hazards present in your facility, you can ensure efficient access by utilizing modular access platforms from Northern Platforms.

Industry-Leading Quality

ErectaStep is an industry-leading manufacturer of modular safe access solutions. Their pre-engineered modular access platforms are manufactured with robotic welding machines equipped with the latest laser cutting technology. This combination of technology and quality manufacturing means that ErectaStep’s modular access platforms are built to last. For decades, ErectaStep’s modular access platforms have worked hard to ensure that worksites are safe, accessible, and efficient. At Northern Platforms, we take pride in our partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers like ErectaStep; that’s why Northern Platforms is your premier Western access solutions distributor.

Access to Expert Support

When you require safe access solutions like modular access platforms, you need expert support from Northern Platforms. At Northern Platforms, our team is here to help you determine the best access solutions for your unique applications. Our experts can even visit your worksite to identify potential challenges your facility may be dealing with and then offer possible solutions for you to choose from. From custom modular access platform configurations to installation support, preventative maintenance and more, Northern Platforms proudly provides a comprehensive range of turnkey solutions to ensure your worksite is safe and accessible. So when you’re ready to improve the safety and efficiency of your facility, Northern Platforms is prepared to help!

Modular Access Platforms and More from Northern Platforms!

Located in Leduc, Alberta, Northern Platforms is proud to be Western Canada’s preferred access solutions expert. Our comprehensive access and loading solutions inventory includes industry-leading brands like ErectaStep, RollaStep, SafeRack, OPW and more! If you’ve been searching for safe, efficient, and reliable access solutions for your facility, Northern Platforms is here to help! Contact us today to learn more about our offering of modular access platforms and our numerous other access solutions.

How Prefabricated Platforms Can Improve Your Workflow!

How Prefabricated Platforms Can Improve Your Workflow!

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.