Throughout various industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, pulp and paper, and beyond, having access to shutoff valves, navigating over conveyors, and moving throughout warehousing spaces requires specialized access solutions. Since 2002, Northern Platforms has provided companies of all sizes with the safe access solutions they need to maintain productivity, efficiency, and safety.
Below, we will tell you more about our offering of ErectaStep prefabricated platforms and how they can benefit valve access applications. Keep reading to find out more.
Critical Factors in Valve Access
Whether you’re working in manufacturing, oil and gas, or the pulp and paper industry, you need access solutions that enable your employees to safely reach your facility’s tools, equipment, valves, and other key areas. The oil and gas industry often faces challenges in valve access fall protection as many temporary solutions, such as scaffolding, can be costly in the long run, easily break down, offer limited working space, and cannot be reused in other applications.
Additionally, regardless of your industry, your maintenance personnel must have safe access to critical shutoffs and valves to provide adequate service and ensure your facility continues to operate at a high standard.
If your facility is considering updating your valve access platforms or installing a new system, consider the following:
Can a worker access the shutoff valve safely and rapidly?
If there are access platforms on the valve, are they rigid and safe?
Are there safety gates and industrial-strength handrails on the access platform?
Does your current access system provide adequate fall protection and instant OSHA/OH&S compliance?
Are the current crossovers/access platforms older or in need of repair or replacement?
Depending on your answers, it may be time to replace or update your current valve access solutions. Fortunately, Northern Platforms has a cost-effective, ready-to-ship option that not only outperforms temporary access solutions but is also built to last–ErectaStep prefabricated platforms.
Benefits of ErectaStep Prefabricated Platforms
Northern Platforms’ offering of ErectaStep prefabricated platforms are OHSA/OH&S compliant, precision manufactured and ready to be shipped to your facility in an instant. Designed to bolt together without any specialty tools or welding, our prefabricated platforms are the perfect versatile access solution.
Critical shutoffs and valves are often used infrequently and tend to be located in hard-to-reach areas to maintain clear facility space for other operational demands. Accessing them poses potential fall and accident risks. However, ErectaStep prefabricated platforms offer a solution to mitigate this risk.
ErectaStep prefabricated platforms provide a simple way of reaching necessary valves, controls and equipment without interfering with other operations. That means, with the help of Northern Platforms and ErectaStep, your maintenance personnel can easily traverse your facility, perform repairs, and avoid obstacles without worrying about slips, trips, falls, or disruptions in production.
Custom Access Problems Require Custom Solutions
At Northern Platforms, our highly experienced team can assist you with your prefabricated platform needs. Whether you require a straightforward access platform or a custom solution, we have the tools, stock, and expertise to help you.
When it comes to outfitting your facility with a custom valve access solution, our team will visit your worksite, identify potential issues, and design a custom prefabricated platform solution to suit your facility and needs. We can even ensure the installation process is completely safe and efficient. With our innovative custom configuration tool, our team can even show you detailed schematics and an accurate quote so you can see your new valve access solution in a matter of minutes.
So, whether your facility needs a new prefabricated platform valve access solution, a modular catwalk, or a set of crossover stairs for crossing a containment berm, Northern Platforms has the custom access solutions you need!
Make Valve Access a Breeze Today!
Northern Platforms’ ErectaStep prefabricated platforms are in stock and ready to ship. So, if you’ve been looking for a rugged, modular, and easy-to-install valve access solution, contact us today and let our team help make your facility safer.
Whether you have a manufacturing facility, oil and gas loading operation, or an e-commerce warehouse, your facility needs a secure rooftop access system. At Northern Platforms, we understand the importance of access and fall protection; that’s why we carry industry-leading safe access, loading, and fall protection systems from manufacturers like SafeRack and ErectaStep.
Below, we will explain why your facility needs a rooftop crossover stair system and how our ErectaStep products can help. Continue reading to find out more!
Why Rooftop Crossover Systems are Necessary
Your maintenance personnel need safe access to your facility’s rooftop to service HVAC, ducting, piping, and AC unit systems. However, every rooftop is different, presenting unique challenges for your workers. Pipes, cables, changes in elevation, and parapets can be challenging to navigate around while at a height and even more complicated when carrying tools and equipment.
Additionally, adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, or strong winds can increase fall risks, creating slippery or obstructed surfaces and dangerous working conditions. Without the proper safe access solutions in place, you’re putting your employees at risk and not complying with strict OH&S/OSHA standards. While simple measures such as rooftop guardrails and swing gates can provide some fall protection, these measures aren’t enough on their own for many facilities. Fortunately, Northern Platforms has a better safe access solution–ErectaStep rooftop crossover stairs.
Meet ErectaStep Crossover Stairs
When you need a safe access solution for your facility’s rooftop, trust Northern Platforms’ offering of ErectaStep crossover stairs. These incredibly versatile and customizable safe access solutions enable you to quickly clear obstacles without compromising safety. With numerous configurations available and ErectaStep’s ease of installation (no welding or specialty tools required), ensuring the safety of your maintenance personnel is a breeze. Here are a few other benefits of ErectaStep rooftop crossover stairs from Northern Platforms:
OSHA and OH&S Compliant: No matter the configuration, ErectaStep crossover stairs are built to comply with both OHSA and OH&S safety standards.
Durable: Manufactured with heavy-duty aluminum (also available in galvanized, 304 stainless, or steel), these crossover stairs are built to last even the most challenging Canadian winters. At the same time, the reduced number of weld points adds additional strength to the entire unit.
Modular Design: Each modular component can easily be reconfigured, enabling you to reuse these crossover stairs throughout your facility. This modular design also eliminates the need for custom fabrication, reducing overall costs.
Slip Resistant: The walking surface of these modular crossover stairs is stamped and features an aggressive serrated edge for better grip. Your staff can feel sure-footed even when working at a height.
At Northern Platforms, our expert team can even help you design your custom rooftop crossover stairs. Using our digital real-time configuration tool, we can map out your crossover stairs, provide you with an accurate shop drawing and pad layout, and quote all within minutes. That way, we can be sure your rooftop crossover stairs will provide your personnel with the safe access they need to service your HVAC units, piping, and more!
Your Experts in Safe Access Equipment
Since 2002, Northern Platforms has been helping companies, both big and small, ensure their facilities and loading operations are as safe and efficient as possible. With our ErectaStep rooftop crossover stairs, we can ensure the safety of your workers even during routine maintenance services in the dead of winter.
For our team to start designing a rooftop crossover stair that perfectly fits your facility, we need to visit your site. Contact us today to schedule your site assessment with one of Northern Platforms’ highly experienced team members or to learn more about our ErectaStep offering!
Recently, Northern Platforms assisted a tank farm in designing custom industrial work platforms and a secondary containment system to keep their employees safe and secure when accessing the tanks. This is just one example of how ErectaStep modular work platforms’ versatility can ensure the safety and accessibility of an operations’ daily tasks. However, ErectaStep platforms can be used beyond tank farms and spill containment access.
Next, we will tell you more about these industrial work platforms and their versatility. Keep reading to find out more!
Industrial Work Platforms: Making Access and Safety #1
When it comes to design and innovation in industrial work platforms, ErectaStep is truly the leader. Their pre-engineered, pre-manufactured industrial work platforms offer superior quality, durability, and safety, making them an excellent option for petrochemical, manufacturing, and commercial industries where access and safety cannot be compromised. Manufactured using advanced laser-cutting technology, patent-pending designs, and lightweight aluminum, ErectaStep industrial work platforms outperform alternative options in all categories.
At Northern Platforms, we are a trusted distributor of ErectaStep products. Whether you need OHSA/OH&S-compliant industrial work platforms or IBC-compliant stairs, we have you covered!
The Easiest Installation Process
One of the many reasons ErectaStep’s industrial work platforms are so popular is that they feature modular, lightweight aluminum components that are easy to install, reconfigure and disassemble.
Installation for these industrial work platforms only takes a few hours and requires little more than a wrench. That means you don’t need to shut down your production line, obtain hot permits, or utilize special tools or welding. Instead, these industrial work platforms easily bolt together.
However, if you require assistance installing your ErectaStep industrial work platforms because you cannot sacrifice the manpower or want to ensure a perfect installation process, Northern Platforms is here to help! With our turnkey installation services, our team can guarantee that your work platform is installed safely and in a timely manner.
Reach out to Northern Platforms today to learn more about our turnkey services!
Customizable for Various Industries!
Because ErectaStep industrial work platforms are versatile and easily reconfigurable, they have dominated the market. Using five key components (aluminum steps, work platforms, industrial handrails, tower support, and aluminum ladders), ErectaStep modular work platforms can be custom-configured for nearly any worksite, warehouse, tank farm, manufacturing facility, and beyond.
Plus, Northern Platforms’ highly experienced team can help with your customization needs from start to finish. If you need an industrial work platform, our team will visit your site to identify your access needs, challenges, and goals. From there, we use a state-of-the-art custom configurator tool to create your industrial work platform digitally right before your eyes. That way, not only can you see exactly what your work platform will look like once it’s installed, but you’ll also be able to view an accurate quote and detailed drawings.
This entire process takes mere minutes, so instead of waiting for a custom fabrication company to build your industrial work platform from scratch, choose Northern Platforms and ErectaStep!
Ready to Get Started?
As a family-owned and operated distributor, Northern Platforms takes pride in offering our customers personalized safe access solutions, loading racks, fall protection and more. Explore our comprehensive inventory today or contact our team! Together, we can help you create a custom industrial work platform system that fits your facility’s unique needs.
When it comes to safety in industrial settings, there is no compromise. At Northern Platforms, we understand the challenges Safety Managers and Plant Managers face when it comes to ensuring the safety and compliance of their worksites. Fortunately, as your safe access solution experts, the Northern Platforms team is here to help!
Next, we will explain ways to spot potential trouble areas in your facility and how a set of crossover stairs can fix this potential hazard. Keep reading to find out more.
Understanding the Need for Safe Crossover Points
If you are a Safety Manager or Facility Plant Manager, you likely already know the importance of crossover stairs. Workers taking shortcuts over or under production lines is an age-old problem and one that can result in serious bodily harm, accidental death, and fines from governing bodies like OSHA and OH&S. Additionally, slips, accidental falls, and injuries commonly happen around ground-level obstacles and equipment that should have a designated crossover point. Fortunately, crossover stairs from Northern Platforms are the perfect solution.
Identifying Trouble Spots
When considering crossover stairs for your worksite or facility, it is essential to think like an inspector. Keep a keen eye out on how your employees move around your facility, then act immediately. Not only will this mentality keep your staff safe, but it will also give you peace of mind when your next safety inspection happens.
When observing your employees, ask yourself the following questions:
Is there an obstacle (such as a horizontal pipe, production line, or electrical conduit) that crosses an area of your facility’s deck?
Are workers always stepping over said obstacle instead of going around or to a designated crossover point?
Are your workers ducking underneath the obstacle to reach their stations or take a break?
Are your workers taking potentially dangerous shortcuts to cross your facility efficiently?
If you answer “Yes” to any of the above questions, then it’s likely that a crossover stair from Northern Platforms could solve these navigational issues and make your facility safer.
Remember, an injury to one of your workers due to them unsafely crossing over or under an obstacle in your facility can stop your operations. By providing your workers with secure access around obstacles and barriers with Northern Platforms crossover stairs, you’re ensuring their safety on the job, your facility’s compliance with safety regulations, and continuous production.
The ErectaStep Solution
If your worksite, facility or plant is facing safety and navigational issues, Northern Platforms is here to help! Our OSHA-compliant ErectaStep crossover stairs offer an easy-to-assemble solution. This five-piece modular system allows you to customize your crossover stairs to address any length or height your trouble areas require.
Each ErectaStep crossover stair system component is constructed from industrial-grade aluminum (also available in 304 stainless steel) and requires minimal tools and no welding for installation. When you bolt this modular access solution together, the result is a stable crossover stair that will not only last for years but can also be disassembled and reconfigured as your plant or facility grows.
When you need a cost-effective, easy-to-install, and OHSA / OH&S complaint crossover solution, Northern Platforms has you covered with our ErectaStep systems. Let our team help you design the custom access solutions you need with an on-site visit today!
Ready to Make Your Facility Safer?
With help from Northern Platforms’ highly trained and experienced team, we can ensure your facility or plant is safe and compliant. Contact us for a quote on your crossover stairs or to schedule an on-site visit and evaluation today! Remember, Northern Platforms is here to protect you and your workers from workplace injuries and to make loading, accessing, and unloading at your worksite a breeze.
When it comes to safety in industrial settings, there is no compromise. At Northern Platforms, we understand the challenges Safety Managers and Plant Managers face when it comes to ensuring the safety and compliance of their worksites. Fortunately, as your safe access solution experts, the Northern Platforms team is here to help!
Next, we will explain ways to spot potential trouble areas in your facility and how a set of crossover stairs can fix this potential hazard. Keep reading to find out more.
Understanding the Need for Safe Crossover Points
If you are a Safety Manager or Facility Plant Manager, you likely already know the importance of crossover stairs. Workers taking shortcuts over or under production lines is an age-old problem and one that can result in serious bodily harm, accidental death, and fines from governing bodies like OSHA and OH&S. Additionally, slips, accidental falls, and injuries commonly happen around ground-level obstacles and equipment that should have a designated crossover point. Fortunately, crossover stairs from Northern Platforms are the perfect solution.
Identifying Trouble Spots
When considering crossover stairs for your worksite or facility, it is essential to think like an inspector. Keep a keen eye out on how your employees move around your facility, then act immediately. Not only will this mentality keep your staff safe, but it will also give you peace of mind when your next safety inspection happens.
When observing your employees, ask yourself the following questions:
Is there an obstacle (such as a horizontal pipe, production line, or electrical conduit) that crosses an area of your facility’s deck?
Are workers always stepping over said obstacle instead of going around or to a designated crossover point?
Are your workers ducking underneath the obstacle to reach their stations or take a break?
Are your workers taking potentially dangerous shortcuts to cross your facility efficiently?
If you answer “Yes” to any of the above questions, then it’s likely that a crossover stair from Northern Platforms could solve these navigational issues and make your facility safer.
Remember, an injury to one of your workers due to them unsafely crossing over or under an obstacle in your facility can stop your operations. By providing your workers with secure access around obstacles and barriers with Northern Platforms crossover stairs, you’re ensuring their safety on the job, your facility’s compliance with safety regulations, and continuous production.
The ErectaStep Solution
If your worksite, facility or plant is facing safety and navigational issues, Northern Platforms is here to help! Our OSHA-compliant ErectaStep crossover stairs offer an easy-to-assemble solution. This five-piece modular system allows you to customize your crossover stairs to address any length or height your trouble areas require.
Each ErectaStep crossover stair system component is constructed from industrial-grade aluminum (also available in 304 stainless steel) and requires minimal tools and no welding for installation. When you bolt this modular access solution together, the result is a stable crossover stair that will not only last for years but can also be disassembled and reconfigured as your plant or facility grows.
When you need a cost-effective, easy-to-install, and OHSA / OH&S complaint crossover solution, Northern Platforms has you covered with our ErectaStep systems. Let our team help you design the custom access solutions you need with an on-site visit today!
Ready to Make Your Facility Safer?
With help from Northern Platforms’ highly trained and experienced team, we can ensure your facility or plant is safe and compliant. Contact us for a quote on your crossover stairs or to schedule an on-site visit and evaluation today! Remember, Northern Platforms is here to protect you and your workers from workplace injuries and to make loading, accessing, and unloading at your worksite a breeze.
Ensuring your employees can navigate obstacles or hazards securely is essential to maintaining a productive and safe work environment. This is where catwalk platforms from Northern Platforms come into play, providing a practical and efficient solution to enhance accessibility while minimizing safety risks. Below, we will explore typical applications for catwalk and crossover stairs, emphasizing the significance of these platforms in various industrial settings. Keep reading to find out more!
The Importance of Safety and Accessibility
Industrial catwalks and crossover stairs are essentially the same and are sometimes referred to as crossover ladders or platforms. These solutions play a critical role in improving safety and accessibility across numerous industrial settings. Workers naturally tend to take the shortest and simplest routes, often disregarding potential safety risks. By incorporating catwalk platforms in your facility, you create designated pathways that not only enhance safety but also make it easier for employees to access hard-to-reach areas.
Common Applications for Catwalk and Crossover Stairs
Industrial catwalks and crossover stairs are versatile access equipment that enables your crew to navigate your facility securely. While these safe access solutions can be used in a wide variety of applications, some of the most common applications include the following:
Over Pipes: In many industrial facilities, pipelines and conduits are often elevated and can create obstacles. Catwalk platforms serve as a safe and efficient solution for workers to access these areas while ensuring their safety.
Rooftops: Getting over HVAC and heating/cooling ducting systems on rooftops can be a challenge. Catwalk platforms provide an elevated path for employees to navigate these rooftop installations securely.
Cable Trays and Instrumentation Lines: Industrial facilities often have an intricate network of cable trays and instrumentation lines. Catwalk platforms allow workers to access and maintain these systems with ease.
Containment Berms: In settings where containment berms are in place for spill control, catwalk platforms offer a means to access and inspect these berms, ensuring they are in proper working order.
Customizable Catwalk Platforms
At Northern Platforms, we proudly offer ErectaStep industrial catwalk platforms that are both lightweight and customizable to fit your facility’s unique needs. These platforms are designed with simplicity in mind, making installation straightforward. But if you prefer a hassle-free installation, our team at Northern Platforms can handle the installation work for you!
Digital Customization Configuration
To ensure the optimal configuration for your catwalk platform, Northern Platforms offers the expertise of our team of safe access solution experts. They will visit your facility to identify potential challenges and design a catwalk platform tailored to your specific safety requirements. Using a digital customization configuration tool, we provide detailed blueprints of the access solutions we recommend so you can visualize the finished catwalk platform before installation and understand the final quote.
Catwalks, Gangways, Fall Protection and More
Catwalk platforms are crucial in enhancing safety and accessibility across various industrial applications. These platforms are essential for navigating numerous obstacles, such as pipes, rooftops, cable trays, and containment berms, ensuring your workers can perform their tasks securely.
Northern Platforms, with our customizable and easy-to-install catwalk solutions, is your trusted partner in elevating safety and accessibility in your industrial setting. Trust us to provide the right catwalk platform to meet your needs and enhance your facility’s safety.
Contact us today to learn more about installing an ErectaStep catwalk in your facility!
