Location: New Jersey pharmaceutical plant.
Pain Point:
A pharmaceutical plant’s rooftop was crowded with steam, chilled water, and condenser lines, plus numerous insulated ducts that created hazardous obstacles for maintenance crews.
Plant’s Challenge:
Workers were forced to climb over the pipes to reach critical rooftop equipment. Despite “Caution Not A Step” labels, insulation was crushed, damaging energy efficiency and risking costly harm to heat tracing wires.
The Challenge’s Impact On Day-to-Day Operation:
These unsafe conditions increased the likelihood of slips and falls, jeopardized worker safety, and compromised building performance. Damaged insulation raised energy costs, while potential pipe failures threatened production reliability—placing both compliance and critical manufacturing operations at risk.
A New Jersey pharmaceutical plant faced a serious rooftop safety challenge. After a recent reconfiguration, the roof was crisscrossed with insulated piping and ducts serving manufacturing, labs, and temperature-controlled storage below. These obstacles created dangerous slip-and-fall risks for maintenance crews needing access to rooftop equipment. Climbing over the pipes was not only unsafe but also damaging. Despite warning labels, workers occasionally stepped on metal-jacketed insulation, crushing it, reducing energy efficiency, and risking damage to critical heat-tracing wires.
The plant’s design-and-build partner turned to Banks Industrial Group (BIG) for a fast, OSHA-compliant solution. BIG performed a detailed site analysis and created a configuration tailored to the roof layout. To keep walking surfaces level, support legs were adjusted to accommodate roof slope. The result: an ErectaStep crossover stair and platform system engineered to provide safe, efficient access routes across the rooftop.
Unlike custom-fabricated steel structures with long lead times and heavy engineering requirements, ErectaStep’s prefabricated aluminum components bolt together like building blocks. BIG delivered and installed the system in just two and a half days—without disrupting plant operations. Non-slip decking and weather-resistant aluminum ensure lasting safety, durability, and full OSHA compliance.
Two stakeholders benefited. The architecture and engineering partner gained confidence that its facility design met stringent safety standards, reducing liability and enhancing its reputation for delivering high-specification projects on schedule. The pharmaceutical manufacturer, focused on producing complex biologics, gained assurance that rooftop hazards no longer threatened worker safety, equipment reliability, or energy efficiency—protecting both productivity and compliance.
The client summed it up: “Thanks again for your work, it all went as well as you said it would! Steve and the guys did a fantastic job. Kudos!”
For both partners, BIG’s problem-solving leadership and turnkey execution reinforced why leading industries trust Banks Industrial Group: safe solutions delivered with integrity, precision, and care.
CAD rendering showing layout of the rooftop crossover system.
Rooftop crossover assembly work.
OSHA handrail attachment.
Crossover stairs at roof level.
Steps down to interior door.
Banks Industrial Group is a trusted provider of ErectaStep crossover stairs, ladders and platforms for industrial environments. Please contact us today via email or call 856-687-2227 to learn how our safe access solutions can improve safety and efficiency at your facility.
