When a “Temporary Fix” Creates a Long-Term Safety Problem
As a factory manager or safety officer, preventing slip-and-fall accidents is one of the most critical and challenging tasks. According to 2023 statistics from the Workmen’s Compensation Fund, Social Security Office, there were a combined 10,650 cases of slips, falls, and falls from height, accounting for 13% of all workplace injuries. This figure not only reflects the pain of the workers but also signifies the enormous costs that organizations must bear, including medical expenses, compensation, and lost productivity from work stoppages.
To address this urgent issue, “anti-slip tape” has become a popular choice for many factories because it is easy to purchase and appears simple to install.
However, many organizations soon find themselves in an endless cycle: tape that was once firmly attached begins to peel, its lifted edges become a tripping hazard, or the maintenance team’s budget and time are wasted on replacing it every few months.
These recurring problems are a clear sign that anti-slip tape may not be a sustainable solution for heavy-duty industrial environments. Today, we will delve into the three main reasons why conventional anti-slip tapes fail to meet the demands and introduce a superior, engineered alternative designed for truly sustainable safety.
1. Low Durability: Rapid Deterioration Under Industrial Conditions
The most fundamental problem with anti-slip tape is its material structure, which is unsuitable for heavy-duty use. Typically, the tape has a lifespan of only 3-12 months before it severely deteriorates when faced with a variety of challenges:
- Moisture and Chemicals: In wet areas, washing bays, or areas where oils and chemicals are present, the tape’s conventional acrylic adhesive degrades quickly. This causes the tape to swell, bubble, and eventually peel off.
- Heavy Use and Abrasion: In areas with heavy foot traffic from employees wearing safety shoes, the dragging or pushing of heavy items, or even forklift traffic, the tape’s surface wears down rapidly. The anti-slip grit flakes off, causing it to lose its gripping properties. Images of torn tape on checker plate steel stairs are a common sight and a significant danger spot.
2. Increased Safety and Contamination Risks
When anti-slip tape begins to peel, it doesn’t just become useless—it creates new, more dangerous problems.
- Becoming a Tripping Hazard: The lifted edges of the tape turn into a trap that can easily cause employees to trip and fall—something every safety officer wants to avoid.
- Contamination Risk: This issue is critically important for the food, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries. Conventional anti-slip products where the grit can easily chip or flake off are considered a Contamination risk that could enter the production line, which is absolutely unacceptable. In contrast, amco anti-slip plates are designed with the slip-resistant surface permanently bonded to the base. They can also be enhanced with an amco+ ANTIBACTERIAL COATING, which is tested according to the ISO 22196 standard to reduce the growth of bacteria (E. coli & S. aureus) by up to 99.99%—a feature that standard tapes do not offer.
3. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is Higher Than You Think
Although the unit price of anti-slip tape may seem attractive, it is actually a “cost trap” when considering the long-term Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). A 5-year comparison for a single stair step reveals:
- Higher Equipment Costs: Investing in anti-slip tape that requires replacement every 2-3 months results in a total equipment cost over 5 years that is significantly higher than a one-time installation of amco ANTI-SLIP plates, which have a lifespan of 5 years or more.
- Hidden Maintenance Costs: You may expend manpower and time on maintaining anti-slip tape more than 30 times over a 5-year period, compared to a single installation of a high-quality anti-slip plate. This saves up to 96% in installation time and 77% in equipment costs compared to anti-slip tape.
- Opportunity Costs: The invaluable cost of having to shut down operations or close off an area to scrape off old tape and install new tape directly impacts the factory’s Productivity.
The Superior Engineered Solution: amco ANTI-SLIP Industrial-Grade Plates
amco ANTI-SLIP plates are not just steel plates with grit on them; they are engineered products designed to solve all the aforementioned problems:
- Durable Structure with Industrial-Grade Materials: Made from robust base materials like Zinc-Plated Steel or Stainless Steel, which are resistant to corrosion and heavy use, ensuring a service life of over 5 years.
- High-Performance Grip with Silicon Carbide (SiC): We use Silicon Carbide, an extremely hard material, for the anti-slip surface. This provides excellent grip that “stops you the moment you step on it” and is available in various grit levels, from Coarse for safety shoes to Offshore for environments with heavy oil contamination.
- Proven by International Standards: Our products are tested according to internationally recognized standards.
- BS 7976-2 (Pendulum Test): This British standard simulates a heel slip to measure the Pendulum Test Value (PTV). amco anti-slip plates achieve a PTV of 65 in wet conditions, far exceeding the safety standard of 36, confirming their effective performance in real-world scenarios.
- DIN EN 16165 (Ramp Test): This German standard tests slip resistance on a ramp. amco products have achieved slip resistance ratings of Class C (for barefoot areas) and R11 (for footwear), making them suitable for high-risk areas like industrial kitchens and oily, wet environments.
Summary
Choosing an anti-slip solution isn’t just about solving a short-term problem; it’s a long-term investment in your factory’s safety culture and efficiency. Opting for an engineered solution like amco ANTI-SLIP industrial-grade plates is the smartest and most cost-effective decision to truly “transform hazardous areas into safer spaces.”
Are you ready to sustainably elevate the safety standards in your factory?
Tags :
Categories :
Other Posts :
- Sand Filter vs. Alfawater: Which Water Filtration Technology Can Truly Cut Industrial Costs?
- 5 Surprising Ways This New Tech “APEF” Uses Physics to Revolutionize Water Treatment
- More Than amco ANTI SLIP: Why amco+ Antibacterial are the New Standard for Factory Safety
- Glow-in-the-Dark “amco ANTI SLIP” Safety for Emergencies
- “amco ANTI-SLIP” Solutions: Engineered Safety for Industrial Floors, Stairs & Ladders
