Safeguard Technology is All About Safety

Safeguard Technology is in business for one reason – safety. We take very seriously the prevention of slips and falls, and have dedicated all our resources to the development of products that provide the necessary protection.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company reported that employers spent $6.9 billion in 2003 on wage payments and medical care for workers sustaining injuries resulting from slips and falls on the same level. This represented a real growth of 32.3% over the 1999 – 2003 period. Additional information can be found at www.libertymutual.com.

While non skid tape may provide limited and temporary protection, it can also become a safety hazard as it starts to lift. To obtain a truly non slip stair tread, for example, one should install a SAFEGUARD® Step Cover.

Below are some selected abstracts from official publications:

Antislip safety reports

BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data for 1999 show that employee falls resulted in 721 fatalities and 297,499 injuries involving lost workdays, and a fatality rate of 0.08 per 10,000 employees. BLS data for 2000 shows a slight increase in employee fall fatalities (734), also with a fatality rate of 0.08 per 10,000 employees. This represents a slight increase from the 1992 fatality rate of 0.06 derived from BLS data. A 2002 study by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company found that falls to a lower level were the fourth leading cause of all workplace injuries, accounting for 9.2% of all workplace injuries and $3.7 billion in direct costs annually.

ADA Guidelines

The following excerpt guidelines are from the “ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG)” website at http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

4.5 Ground and Floor Surfaces. 4.5.1* General. Ground and floor surfaces along accessible routes and in accessible rooms and spaces including floors, walks, ramps, stairs, and curb ramps, shall be stable, firm, slip-resistant, and shall comply with 4.5.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that walking surfaces have a static coefficient of friction of 0.5. A research project sponsored by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) conducted tests with persons with disabilities and concluded that a higher coefficient of friction was needed by such persons. A static coefficient of friction of 0.6 is recommended for accessible routes and 0.8 for ramps.

It is recognized that the coefficient of friction varies considerably due to the presence of contaminants, water, floor finishes, and other factors not under the control of the designer or builder and not subject to design and construction guidelines and that compliance would be difficult to measure on the building site. Nevertheless, many common building materials suitable for flooring are now labeled with information on the static coefficient of friction. While it may not be possible to compare one product directly with another, or to guarantee a constant measure, builders and designers are encouraged to specify materials with appropriate values. As more products include information on slip resistance, improved uniformity in measurement and specification is likely. The Access Board's advisory guidelines on Slip Resistant Surfaces provides additional information on this subject.

OSHA STANDARDS

LADDERS
1926. Safety and Health Regulations for Construction. Subpart: Ladders Standard Numbers:

1926.1053(a)(6)(i). The rungs and steps of fixed metal ladders manufactured after March 15, 1991, shall be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or otherwise treated to minimize slipping.

1926.1053(a)(6)(ii). The rungs and steps of portable metal ladders shall be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or otherwise treated to minimize slipping.

WALKING/WORKING SURFACES
1910.22 General Requirements. 2. Slip-resistance.

A reasonable measure of slip-resistance is static coefficient of friction (COF). A COF of 0.5, which is based upon studies by the University of Michigan and reported in "Work Surface Friction: Definitions, Laboratory and Field Measurements, and a Comprehensive Bibliography," is recommended as a guide to achieve proper slip-resistance. A COF of 0.5 is not intended to be an absolute standard value. A higher COF may be necessary for certain work tasks, such as carrying objects, pushing or pulling objects, or walking up or down ramps.

Slip-resistance can vary from surface to surface, or even on the same surface, depending upon surface conditions and employee footwear. Slip-resistant flooring material such as textured, serrated, or punched surfaces and steel grating may offer additional slip-resistance. These types of floor surfaces should be installed in work areas that are generally slippery because of wet, oily, or dirty operations. Slip-resistant type footwear may also be useful in reducing slipping hazards.

OSHA believes that revising the standards for subpart D and adding design and performance requirements for personal fall protection equipment in subpart I will substantially reduce the number of fatalities and injuries resulting from slip, trip and fall hazards.

For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/

ANSI STANDARDS

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) coordinates the development and use of voluntary consensus standards in the United States and represents the needs and views of U.S. stakeholders in standardization forums around the globe. ANSI has developed the following related to slip resistance:

ANSI A1264.2-2001 -- American National Standard -- Standard for the Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces.
This sets forth provisions for protecting persons where there is potential for slipping and falling as a result of surface characteristics or conditions. For more information, visit http://www.ansi.org

Coefficient of Friction

As discussed in detail under Coefficient of Friction, (Link) Safeguard Technology’s unique grit surface nearly doubles both the OSHA’s 0.5 and the ADA’s 0.6 guidelines for Coefficient of Friction values as confirmed in independent lab testing. Even in wet or oily conditions, our covers greatly exceed these guidelines.

Associations

Safeguard Technology and/or its employees are members of several national associations focused on safety and industry organizations. These include:

Since 1940, the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) has exclusively represented the worldwide oil and gas drilling industry.

Our mission: promote commitment to safety, preservation of the environment and advances in drilling technology.

The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. The NSC is a membership organization, founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953.

In response to an unprecedented rise in college enrollment after World War II, and the subsequent concerns of housing and feeding this growing student population, the Association of College and University Housing Officers was officially organized in 1951-52.

Safety, Service, Solutions – these three goals define the activities of the American Bureau of Shipping. From its inception in 1862, setting safety standards for the marine industry has been the core commitment of ABS.