Today's Safety News
Addressing the $10.5 Billion Fall Hazard: Shifting From Reactive Fixes to Permanent Safety Surfaces
Same-level slips and falls cost U.S. businesses an estimated $10.5 billion annually in direct workers' compensation expenses, positioning them as the nation's second-most costly workplace injury, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. In recognition of National Safety Month, SLIPNOT® — a leading provider of specialized safety flooring products and surface technologies — is urging companies and municipalities to break the cycle of over-reliance on temporary, reactive fixes and invest in structural capital improvements. This shift transforms potentially hazardous areas into high-performance environments allowing people to move faster and more safely, while eliminating lost-time injuries and shielding companies from costly liability.
“National Safety Month is an important reminder that we don't have to accept these injuries as an inevitable cost of doing business,” said Lindsay Klebenow, CEO of SLIPNOT. “Data indicates that integrating permanent high-friction surfaces into high-risk zones reduces localized slips and falls by over 90%. These surfaces maintain their integrity against heavy machinery and chemical exposure in factories, as well as heavy foot traffic and wet weather in public spaces.”
For decades, companies have used metal diamond plate, dotted metal, safety tape and paint to help prevent slips, trips and falls. But in nearly every working environment or public spaces, these temporary materials rapidly break down.
Raised metal patterns are always slippery surfaces when wet or oily. Continuous traffic tears at the edges of safety tapes while cleaning chemicals destroy the glue underneath. Meanwhile, abrasive epoxy coatings easily chip away. When these materials fail, they don't just bring back the original hazard — the loose tape, peeling paint and smooth metal make it worse. This leaves companies and public venues vulnerable to employee lost time, expensive fines, lawsuits and increasing insurance costs.
SLIPNOT solutions transform standard work areas, entryways, stairs, catwalks, mezzanines and public walkways into safe, non-slip surfaces. This is achieved by manufacturing a patented, high-friction surface directly to steel, stainless steel and aluminum plates, grates and ladders.
Because every company faces unique challenges, SLIPNOT offers safety flooring for nearly every application — including food and beverage, chemical, automotive and other industrial manufacturing, as well as municipal and recreational spaces. Products can be fully customized to specific design and installation needs and are available in a variety of grades, alloys, colors and finishes.
From an operational and asset management standpoint, permanent safety integration yields key performance benefits:
• Industrial-grade durability: The specialized surface won’t peel, flake or wear down, even under the daily use of high-volume foot traffic, heavy machinery or power washing.
• Continuous high traction: The surface maintains a high coefficient of friction (COF), ensuring maximum grip at all times.
• Lowest cost of ownership: Designed for extreme durability and ease of maintenance, SLIPNOT products offer the lowest cost of ownership of any slip-resistant solution on the market today by eliminating the need to constantly reapply tape or epoxy.
National Safety Month highlights the reality that safety cannot be a temporary priority. By investing in permanent safety solutions, companies and municipalities can stop reacting to injuries and confidently protect both their workers and the public with every step they take.
For more information, visit www.SLIPNOT.com.
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