Public Announcement; Use Form-A-Tread To Create Long-lasting Non Slip Stair Treads To Prevent Workplace Injuries
By Bob Finkenaur and Bob Dietzel, ARM, CIC
Looking for an easy and inexpensive way to reduce slips, trips and falls at your facility? In this public announcement we explain 6 qualities to look for and we introduce you to Form-A-Tread, one of the best stair tread products that companies use to improve safety on stairs, ramps and other surfaces.
Slips, trips and falls are a concern for any business or property owner. The causes are many and can range from irregular and slippery surfaces, poor visibility, distractions, bad design, inadequate housekeeping, and even texting while walking!
Solutions to improve safety can range from temporary anti slip tapes and coatings to more permanent products such as non slip stair tread epoxy and bolt-on metal treads. Each has their advantages and disadvantages – related to cost, ease of application, effectiveness, appearance, slip resistance and durability – but some are better than others at solving the problem of stair safety over time.
Need someone to evaluate your facility for safety issues related to stairs, ramps, or walkways? Contact a Risk Safety Consultant →
6 Qualities to look for in a commercial-level, non slip stair tread product:
- Durability – The best stair tread products are long-lasting. A solution that has to be reapplied every few months can easily become a safety issue and a huge drain on labor resources. Ideally you should look for a solution that is extremely durable and lasts years – even where exposed to chemical, weather, and temperature extremes.
- Cost Effective – There is a wide range of prices for stair tread solutions – from bolt-in or industrial-level stair tread noses that require some level of renovation to steps, ramps or entry ways to rubber coverings that warp over time and with lots of use – but even some of the best stair tread products are cost effective.
- Convenience – The stair tread product or solution should be easy to install by in-house personnel and should not excessively inconvenience employees or tenants during installation. Many installations take days or weeks and can potentially disrupt stairwells and loading docks, pedestrian traffic, employees at work, and more. Look for a non slip stair tread product that is easy to install or apply and takes only hours (not days) to harden or cure.
- Visible and Unique – To reduce the chance of slips and falls, people need a visible and unique cue at the top and bottom step – or at the start and end of a ramp. This is important for personnel safety, especially for busy or distracted employees, people carrying packages (because they can block sight lines), and especially critical people with poor vision. Ideally, you want something that delivers a detectable warning such as a high-visibility strip or glow-in-the-dark tread making compound.
- Slip Resistance – Many of the best stair tread products are slip resistant. Make sure to purchase a non slip stair tread – one with a consistency that makes it clean and easy to apply, even on sloped and irregular surfaces, including: spiral stairs, concrete loading ramps, and commercial scaffolding and ladders.
- Tactile Advantage – All the best stair tread products have a non slip advantage. Some products are more visible than others in low light situations, providing an additional safety measure for those with vision issues where it can be hard to identify the start of a step, ramp, or drop off. The best stair treads have an additional value – a “feeling cue” – which enhances safety with texture or slight variation in height (making it stand out slightly to the touch). Stair tread products that allow for custom textures or shapes and heights can further reduce the chance of someone missing a sudden change in elevation. Simply painting a yellow line on a step is not a viable safety solution. The solution you choose should have some “grittiness”, deliver some slight variation in height, and also stand out visibly.
One of the best non slip stair treads on the market is Form-A-Tread, an inexpensive and easy-to-use “form-in-place” epoxy that requires no priming and adheres to all common building surfaces like concrete, stone, brick, wood, fiberglass, and metal.
A large California-based insurance firm, Alliant Insurance Services, paid for a test installation of Form-A-Tread in several McDonalds locations (in California) and it quickly became a recommended product by the POG (Performance Operators Group), an organization of California McDonald’s franchises that uses Alliant as their underwriter.
Over the years, Form-A-Tread has delivered work for AMTRAK, Vanderbilt University, Madison Square Garden, the World Trade Center, a few well-known museums, and many schools, churches, and local municipalities. Below is an example of their work at a local church in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA.
Want to see more detail and case studies for the companies mentioned above? Download the Form-A-Tread PDF Overview.
Form-A-Tread has an installation video to show how easy it is to use. All you do to create a stair tread is tape down a form, unscrew a cap dispense an epoxy solution from a tube, spread the epoxy on the form (like putting icing on a cake), sprinkle on some “tread grit”, and remove the form and tape within 30 minutes. It will cure in 3-12 hours, depending on the air temperature on that day.
Note: This commercial-level epoxy tread-making product is inexpensive, easy to apply in minutes, and dries completely in under 12 hours.
About Form-A-Tread
Bob Finkenaur is the President of Form-A-Tread Company and RGF Materials Company. Form-A-Tread ® is a safety product gaining more attention in the “slip, trip, and fall” prevention arena. It is a permanent Form-in-Place tread making epoxy used to increase safety on stairs, ramps, ladders, boats, vehicles, walkways, wet areas, irregular surfaces and any place where additional foot or vehicle traction and visibility are needed. Form-A-Tread Company, the manufacturer, is a division of RGF Materials Company, a 100% Veteran Owned Business located in Phoenixville, PA.
FORM-A-TREAD® KIT
Form-A-Tread is extremely safe (solvent free, no isocyanates, non-flammable, very low odor, NO VOC’s). It is supplied as a kit and is easily applied by facilities personnel. It is 100% epoxy and adheres to any common building surface (indoors or out) like concrete, stone, brick, wood, fiberglass, and metal.
FORM-A-TREAD® GLOW™
Patent Pending Form-A-Tread® GLOW™ is a Photoluminescent (Glow-in-the-Dark) tread making epoxy. GLOW is ICC 2009 and NYC Buildings 2014 Construction Code compliant for use in emergency egress stairways. It meets or exceeds the requirements of ASTM E 2072.
To learn more about how Form-A-Tread products can improve commercial safety at facilities like yours, please call 610-994-2138 or visit them online at https://form-a-tread.com/contact-us/.
Bob Dietzel is the Co-Founder and Principal at KMRD Partners Risk & Insurance Solutions, a leading risk management and human capital solutions firm the Philadelphia region.
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Note: This content is provided as general background information and should not be taken as legal advice or financial advice for your particular situation. Make sure to get individual advice on your case from a KMRD risk professional before taking any action.
