Want your facility to be safe, compliant and running at maximum efficiency?
Facility upgrades can be stressful. There are many details to consider and production is constantly pushing you to keep those upgrades “for another year.” But did you know that upgrading your industrial walkways and crossovers is one of the best investments your facility can make?
When done correctly, the right infrastructure will:
- Keep workers safe at height
- Help you avoid expensive OSHA fines
- Enhance workflow efficiency
That’s why this ultimate guide to industrial walkways and crossovers covers everything you need to know.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Facility Upgrades Are More Important Than Ever
- How Industrial Walkways and Crossovers Fit Into the Bigger Picture
- What To Look For When Upgrading Walkways and Crossovers
- How To Properly Plan Your Facility Upgrade
Why Facility Upgrades Are More Important Than Ever
Facility upgrades don’t just mean cosmetic improvements. This is about everything that keeps your facility safe, compliant, and protecting your bottom line.
Consider that fall protection was OSHA’s most cited violation for 14 consecutive years. That means thousands of facilities every year are being fined for failing to properly protect workers at height. In fact, nearly $50 million was paid in fall protection fines in 2024 alone.
That should get your attention.
OSHA fines are just the beginning though. When you have old or damaged walkways and crossovers that don’t properly cover work areas, it creates unnecessary risk. People need to safely access elevated work areas like mezzanines, rooftops, machinery and equipment. Without sturdy, compliant industrial equipment platforms, walkways, and crossovers in place, there is a much greater chance for falls and injuries.
Here’s another scary statistic…
According to the National Safety Council, there were 725 fatal falls to a lower level in 2023. Safety shouldn’t be a game of chance. Worker injuries and fatalities are completely preventable with the right access infrastructure.
If your facility could use some upgraded walkways and crossovers, don’t wait for an incident or costly violation to take action.
Industrial Walkways and Crossovers: What They Are & How They Can Help
As covered above, industrial walkways and crossovers play a critical role in keeping facilities safe and running smoothly. But what do these upgrades actually do?
Industrial walkways and crossovers provide workers with safe access to elevated areas, equipment and machinery. They allow people to pass:
- Over open beams
- Around hazardous zones
- Above equipment
- Without stepping onto production floors
- Without squeezing through tight areas
Industrial walkways and crossovers will:
- Allow safe passage over hazards like pipes, conveyors and equipment
- Provide compliant access to elevated work areas like mezzanines
- Keep foot traffic off of production floors
- Reduce bottlenecks and improve workflow
But did you know poor access infrastructure can actually hurt productivity?
Imagine this. Your employees are forced to take long detours just to reach elevated work areas. Or maybe they use small, unstable step ladders to gain access. All of these extra seconds add up, leading to lost productivity.
Unplanned downtime is costly. In fact, research shows the world’s 500 largest companies lose an estimated $1.4 trillion annually to unplanned downtime. Upgrades that improve workflow keep production moving.
What To Look For In A Facility Upgrade
Any facility upgrade should be made with care and intention. You don’t want to waste money on things that don’t help workers or improve safety. When it comes to walkways and crossovers, here are four things you should always look for:
OSHA Compliance
This should go without saying, but every walkway, crossover and industrial platform should be fully compliant with OSHA’s standards. That means proper guardrails, load ratings, slip-resistant decking materials and more. Not only could non-compliant installations lead to costly fines, they put your workers at risk of injury.
Material Quality
Nobody likes cheaply built equipment that falls apart after one use. When choosing walkways and crossovers for your facility, look for upgrades made from heavy-duty steel with durable coatings to prevent corrosion.
Custom Design
Every facility has its own unique layout. One size does not fit all when it comes to safely navigating a workspace. That’s why custom engineered walkways and crossovers work best.
Limited Downtime
Although some downtime may be necessary, your facility shouldn’t need to shut down for weeks on end for upgrades. Look for accessories that can be installed quickly without costly interruptions to production.
How To Successfully Upgrade Your Facility’s Industrial Walkways & Crossovers
Planning your industrial walkway and crossover upgrades doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow these 5 steps and you’ll be set up for success:
Conduct a Safety Audit
Walk your entire facility and take note of where people are entering and exiting elevated work areas. Or maybe workers traverse equipment via rickety plywood boards. Whatever it is, make note of what’s not working.
Give special consideration to areas with high foot traffic, older access infrastructure or a history of near misses.
Set Priorities
Let’s be honest, your facility will never be perfect. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it safer. Based on your safety audit, rank every area by risk level and impact on operations. Focus on fixing the high risk areas that cause the most issues for workers.
Talk to the Experts
Okay this one is non-negotiable. You know your facility best, but that’s not the same as knowing industrial walkways, crossovers and platform designs. Work with a company who specialises in designing and fabricating access equipment. They should come out to assess your facility and provide custom recommendations.
Budget For the Long-Term
Thinking about upgrades makes most people cringe because of the initial investment required. But cutting corners will cost you more money down the road. Cheap access infrastructure will degrade much quicker, requiring frequent repairs or replacements.
Schedule Smart
Lastly, you should try to schedule installation when it will cause the least amount of disruption. A good provider will want to maximise efficiency and minimise impact on your production schedule.
Wrapping It Up
Facility upgrades aren’t something you want to put off until later. Especially not when it comes to industrial walkways and crossovers.
Not only do upgraded walkways and access platforms keep workers safe at height, but they allow for maximum efficiency across the entire operation. Data from OSHA tells the story. Fall protection violations continue to make up the majority of OSHA’s most cited list. Workers continue to suffer preventable injuries every year. And fines, downtime and missed production continue to climb.
Make your facility a safer place to work. Upgrade your walkways and crossovers today and keep them compliant for years to come by:
- Performing a safety audit
- Setting upgrade priorities
- Consulting with access infrastructure experts
- Budgeting for the long-term
- Scheduling smart
