Things to Keep in Mind when Installing Access Stairs

Galvanized access stairs have become very popular these days. If you own a residential or commercial property in UK, you must read a lot about these stairs. Chances are that you may even have installed them in your property. The main reason behind their popularity is that they provide easy access at really low maintenance. However, there are some factors to keep in mind when you decide to go with these special access stairs. Although they have remarkable anti slip property because of their checker plate finish, they become very slippery when they are exposed to rains. You cannot prevent their exposure to the elements as they are mostly installed in the outside. These stairs then become risky because of chances of slip fall mishaps..

The problem with galvanized access stairs lies in the area of contact between the surface of the stairs and the shoe of the person treading upon them. As mentioned above, these stairs have checker plate pattern that leaves a contact area that is as little as 30% of the surface area that is provided by a flat surface. As this contact area goes down, chances of a slip fall accident go up. It is not just hat these stairs provide a high risk for slip and fall accidents, these accidents are also of a serious nature because the individual falls upon the surface that is very unforgiving.

Of course these stairs undergo slippery floor test and also special treatments like non slip coatings and treatment to make them anti slip. There are many substances that are known to reduce the friction of coefficient and many of these are used on these stairs as coating to provide traction while walking on them.

One may wonder why these stairs are used in the first place when they present risk of slip and fall. The main reasons behind their use are their durability and their modular nature. Slippery floor test is the guarantee of their safety to most people who have a desire to install them in their premises. There are also many centers that conduct slip coefficient testing in London and across UK.  If you are not totally sure about the safety of your employees even after getting the coefficient of friction tested, here are some steps that you can take.

  • Look closely the treads made on the stairs and how much area they offer when walking upon them
  • Pour water over the stairs and walk upon them to see if they indeed become more slippery.
  • Ask experts if any treatment can be carried out to make stairs non slippery

If you keep the points mentioned above and also follow the advice, you can make your galvanized access stairs safer for your employees.