The Power of a Safe Platform

A power generation facility serving New York City had a walkway problem that is more common than most safety audits reveal: a structure assembled from mismatched scaffolding and grating pieces that was unstable, slippery in all weather, and consuming maintenance resources just to keep it functional. The hazard was known, the fix was deferred, and the risk accumulated with every shift. Replacing it with a modular RightWay Pro platform featuring FRP slip-resistant grating resolved the safety issue, allowed the facility’s own maintenance team to handle installation, and delivered the solution from first contact to completed order in seven days.

Key Takeaways

• Homegrown or improvised walkway structures are a documented safety liability that facilities often tolerate far longer than they should because the perceived disruption of replacement feels larger than the ongoing risk. This case shows the replacement timeline can be measured in days, not months.
• FRP grating maintains its slip resistance in rain, ice, and wet industrial conditions, which is the specific failure mode that makes improvised platforms dangerous. Replacing a slippery surface with one engineered for all-weather performance removes the variable that causes most incidents on those structures.
• Modular systems that ship with clear assembly instructions allow a facility’s internal maintenance team to complete the installation without hiring a general contractor, which compresses both cost and schedule in ways that custom-welded or poured alternatives structurally cannot match.

Problem: Slippery, unstable, and high-maintenance “homemade” walkways created a constant safety risk.
Solution: A modular RightWay Pro platform with slip-resistant FRP grating was installed.
Benefit: A durable, low-maintenance, and slip-resistant safety platform, installed with significant cost savings.

The Project Overview

FlexDecks partnered with a major independent power generation company, a facility known for providing clean, state-of-the-art energy for New York City. The company operates a dual-fuel combined cycle generating plant and, like its parent company, is known for its strong focus on operational safety and efficiency. The challenge at their facility was an existing platform that was “homegrown”—constructed from various scaffolding and grating pieces. This structure was proving to be a serious safety hazard, as it was slippery, unstable, and required constant maintenance. With the platform being used frequently throughout the day and in all weather conditions, a safer, more permanent solution was critical.

Your Trusted Partner for Industrial Access Solutions

At FlexDecks, we specialize in turning complex safety challenges into simple, elegant, and effective solutions. Our modular platforms and walkways are designed to be durable, low-maintenance, and easily adaptable to your changing needs. As this case study demonstrates, we provide more than just a product—we provide peace of mind, with expert design and support that empower your team and protect your people.

Ready to replace your unsafe walkways with a secure, custom-engineered solution? Contact FlexDecks today for a consultation and a free quote. 📞

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes a homegrown or improvised walkway structure a compliance and liability problem beyond just the physical hazard it presents?
A: An improvised structure assembled from mismatched scaffolding and grating components has no engineering documentation, no load rating, and no certified compliance with OSHA or ANSI standards. If a worker is injured on that structure, the facility cannot demonstrate that the access point met any recognized safety standard at the time of the incident. That absence of documentation shifts the liability exposure significantly, because the facility’s own maintenance records showing repeated repairs to the structure can be used to establish that management was aware of the hazard and chose not to address it. An engineered replacement with certified specifications closes that exposure entirely.

Q: Why is FRP grating specifically suited for power generation environments where a standard metal grating might seem adequate?
A: Power generation facilities deal with a consistent combination of moisture, temperature variation, and chemical exposure from cooling systems, fuel handling, and cleaning operations. Standard metal grating can develop surface corrosion that degrades slip resistance over time, and in freeze-thaw environments, standing water on a metal surface becomes an ice hazard that routine maintenance cannot reliably prevent. FRP grating does not corrode, maintains its textured slip-resistant surface through repeated wet and dry cycles, and performs consistently across a wide temperature range. For a structure used frequently throughout the day in all weather conditions, that consistency is the functional difference between a surface that is safe and one that only appears to be.

Q: How does the modular design of the RightWay Pro system allow an internal maintenance team to handle installation without specialized trades?
A: Modular systems use prefabricated components that connect through straightforward mechanical assembly rather than welding, drilling, or concrete work. The components are sized and configured so that the assembly sequence is logical and the connections are made with standard hand tools. Clear installation documentation removes the need for an on-site engineer to supervise the work. For a facility that already employs a capable maintenance team, that combination means the installation can proceed on the facility’s own schedule without coordinating an outside contractor, waiting for permits tied to structural work, or paying the labor premium that specialized trades command.

Q: What does a seven-day sales-to-order timeline indicate about the procurement process for a facility facing an active safety hazard?
A: It indicates that the barrier to replacing a known hazard is lower than most facility managers assume. A seven-day cycle from initial contact to secured order means the consultation, remote assessment, design configuration, and commercial agreement all completed within a standard work week. For a facility that has been managing an unsafe structure through ongoing maintenance, the practical implication is that the time spent deferring the replacement often exceeds the time required to actually procure the solution. When the hazard is documented and the need is clear, the modular procurement process is not the bottleneck that justifies continued delay.