Slip Prevention in the Winter Months

Both snow and ice create huge problems for safety. All slip prevention materials rely on gripping the shoe (I think we should stick to shoe traffic in these situations), any substance that is detrimental to that greatly increases the risk of slippage and thus potential injury. Snow does not initially create slip problems. Fresh, soft snow with good footwear has few issues, it is the compacting and freezing of snow that creates problems. With pressure the snow becomes more and more compact, the snow loses its ‘fluffiness’ and rapidly fills the valleys between the gripping peaks, thus decreasing, potentially removing, the grip potential of the surface. As pressure builds up (more and more footfall pressing onto the already compacted snow) the now dense snow becomes smooth and creates a surface with lethally low levels of Coefficient of Friction (CoF). Ice can rapidly fill valleys with almost instant high-risk slip potential.

When dealing with areas at risk of snow or ice you need to ignore all materials that are not a deep abrasive product, they will not suffice, they will soon become clogged and will not give the desired level of CoF (grip).

Heskins Safety Grip for Winter Application

Heskins Safety Grip is available in two grades for this kind of application

Coarse Safety Grip

For mild snow conditions, coarse Safety Grip is perfect slip prevention for this application. The abrasive surface has valleys that will not be clogged easily by snow, or ice, thus allowing the non-slip surface to be effective in all but the heaviest of snow.

HG X-coarse Safety Grip

For extreme situations, our X-coarse anti-slip tape will provide industrial-grade slip protection throughout the winter months, with valleys on the abrasive surface so deep, that you would be hard-pressed for it to fail. There is no product on the market with an abrasive surface like this one.

Bolt Down Anti Slip Plates

Unfor­tunately most people like to solve a slip problem when a problem arises, i.e. when it is snowing, when it is icy etc, these are difficult application conditions due to temperature and moisture, there is an easy solution, however: bolt-down anti-slip plates! The flat aluminium bolt down plates are available immediately in 3 sizes, and there is also an L shape available for stair nosings. They can be coated with coarse or x-coarse and can be instantly applied, due to their mechanical fixing you can even apply in a blizzard if necessary (wrap up warm!). On request, we supply relevant wood screws free of charge, and once applied, the countersunk holes ensure that the product looks superb, and more importantly helps to prevent slippage. We can also offer custom sizes, dependent on order quantity. We can also manufacture bolt down plates in stainless steel if necessary. So ensure you’re safe and set for winter before it arrives.

Ancillaries

Heskins ancillaries are used to increase the service life of your anti-slip application in certain envi­ron­ments. In particular, when applying to porous surfaces such as wood or concrete, applying Heskins H3506 surface primer will seal the surface, prevent moisture affecting the adhesive and potentially causing it to fail. Applying H3502 edge fix around the edges of your tape application will prevent scuffs from foot traffic, which could result in edge lift, or stop moisture creeping in and affecting the adhesive. Both of these substrates require sufficient drying time of a couple of hours, but as the temperature drops, it is recommended to allow for more time for them to dry.

If you would like to discuss further our range of non-slip tapes recommended for winter, contact us by phone or live chat. Alternatively, complete the contact us form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.