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On Deck is the USA’s largest online small business lender. In 2013, the company expanded from New York to open a western regional office in Denver, CO. Since then the company has continued to grow and expand in Denver, including leasing new office space on the ninth and tenth floors of The Denver Post building in 2015. On Deck renovated and improved the space into 2016. Among the renovations was designing a grand staircase between the floors of the office. A slip resistant solution for the stairs was a necessity to guarantee the safety of employees and visitors to the office. For this reason, SlipNOT® was contacted to provide stair treads.

The project for On Deck was about more than just safety. The stair treads the company was looking to get were not for some back staircase where function is the main priority. On Deck was looking for a grand staircase, a centerpiece for its new office space. Thankfully, SlipNOT® not only has safe stair treads, but it also has different finish options to make them more aesthetically pleasing.

After reviewing specifications, SlipNOT® provided On Deck with (21) various sized pieces of steel plate to be used as stair treads and a landing. The steel was coated in Grade 1 steel and painted black. The Grade 1 coating provides a high coefficient of friction while maintaining a minimum surface roughness, which is preferred over the more course coatings often used in industrial and high traffic settings. Applied properly, the black paint does not compromise the slip resistant properties of the surface. This means it is a perfect solution to make the stair treads more aesthetically pleasing than a standard mill finish.

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine found that there are about 3,000 stair-related injuries per day in the United States. Almost a quarter of those injuries are attributed to slips, trips or missteps. By installing SlipNOT® stair treads, On Deck did it’s part in the design of its grand staircase to limit the chances of slips, trips or missteps. The stair treads also fit into the overall design of the office, making for a cohesive aesthetic.

More information about the study conducted by the American Journal of Emergency Medicine can be found in an article by Carolyn Crist for Reuters.