Alternating tread stairs provide OSHA-compliant facility access to the leading manufacturer of sustainable metal packaging for food products in North America
Overview
Workers in Ball Metalpack’s production facility used fixed ladders to routinely access the conveyor operator platforms. These ladders posed a potential safety hazard due to the frequency of use and the need for workers to transport tools and other items up to the platforms.
CHALLENGE
The conveyors were arranged as tightly as possible to maximize the use of space and they did not have room to use standard stairs to access the platforms. They needed a solution that would fit in tight spaces, was easy to climb, and would allow workers to safely carry items to the platforms.
Solution
The safety department at Ball Metalpack researched a number of options and determined that alternating tread stairs were the best solution for their need to provide safe access in tight spaces while also allowing workers to safely carry items.
Result
Ball Metalpack replaced the fixed ladders with alternating tread stairs from Lapeyre Stair. The steep angle of the alternating tread stairs fit within the space that was available to provide workers with safe access to the platforms. Since installing the alternating tread stairs, the plant has not recorded any slip, trip, or fall incidences on the alternating tread stairs.
Conveyor crossovers with alternating tread stairs provide OSHA-compliant facility access to the world’s largest independent bottler of beverages
Overview
The bottling lines in the Refresco facility created hard-to-access areas for their conveyor equipment operators; in some cases, the operators were having to walk an extended distance around the conveyors to get to their workstations.
CHALLENGE
Refresco decided to add conveyor crossovers to provide the operators with easier access to their workstations. However, due to the confined spaces in the facility and the height of the bottling conveyors, crossovers with standard stairs would not fit.
Solution
After researching different stair and ladder options, Refresco decided crossovers with alternating tread stairs were the safest option for their application. The Refrescp operators did not have any prior experience using alternating tread stairs, but felt very comfortable with them within a few days of use and agree that climbing up and down feels much safers and easier than climbing a ladder.
Result
The operators can safely walk up and down facing the direction travel instead of having to turn around and back down like they would on a ladder. The crossovers with alternating tread stairs have reduced travel times for the operatore and help Refresco to improve their safety program.
The industry leader in bulk bag handling equipment partners with the stair experts at Lapeyre Stair to provide safe access to their equipment
Overview
The design team at FormPak wanted to prioritize the development of their product line of bulk bag handling systems over designing the integrated stairs and platforms that their customers need to access the equipment.
CHALLENGE
FormPak needed flexible access solutions that would be easy to integrate into their highly customed equipment.