Ford Engine and Fuel Tank Plant installs SLIPNOT Steel Stair Treads

Non Slip Steel Stairs Painted Yellow
  • The Situation:

    The Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank plant, located in Dearborn, MI, first started production in 1941. Currently over 600 employees work on I4 Engine’s and steel fuel tanks in over 2 million square feet of manufacturing space. An area in the Ford plant where engine blocks are produced has an oil mist that forms in the air and settles over stairways used daily by Ford employees to access machinery, piping equipment and electrical lines. Comprised of smooth steel bar grating treads, these stairways become slick with oil and other lubricants that are tracked through the plant by workers and from the machining process. Employees report these slippery conditions to maintenance who in turn look for a solution before accidents occur. Ford Motor Company turned to SLIPNOT to provide slip resistant stair treads to eliminate the slick stairways in the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank plant.

  • The Solution:

    The Manufacturing Maintenance Planning Specialist knew of SLIPNOT perforated plate installed in another area of a Ford Plant. He took measurements of the existing stair treads in the facility and then passed them on to SLIPNOT sales representatives who created shop drawings based on the specifications. steel stair treads were ordered in various sizes, created from 1/8” steel material formed with 1 ½” nosings with the grade 2 SLIPNOT surface applied. Each tread was then painted black.

    Steel was chosen for this application because the oil mist in the air served as a rust inhibitor and it was the most cost effective choice. By applying a slip resistant coating to the treads, the Ford Motor Company can count on the non slip surface to solve the slick stairway problem before a serious slip and fall accident can occur.

  • The Impact:

    The Ford Motor Company issued two purchase orders for material to be used in the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank plant. The first order of 177 stair treads was issued in March 2011 and the second for 129 treads was issued in August 2011. The durable surface of the SLIPNOT steel stair treads will last for years to come and keep the employees of the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank plant on their feet, reducing potential slip and fall accidents on these stairways and increasing safety.

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