A civil contractor faced a serious safety incident when a pedestrian slipped on worn steel road plates during a frosty morning. The plates, hired from another supplier, still met compliance standards but their deteriorated anti-slip coating no longer provided adequate traction in real-world conditions. Legend Hire responded immediately, delivering and installing premium anti-slip steel road plates the same day, restoring safety for all road users.
Project Overview
The contractor was carrying out essential roadworks requiring steel road plates to cover open trenches. The plates on site (hired from another supplier) showed significant wear to the anti-slip coating. During early morning frost, a pedestrian slipped, resulting in an injury and prompting urgent action.
The contractor requested replacement plates from the original supplier. However, the supplier refused to swap them out, advising that the plates were still compliant. Due to public traffic moving through the work zone, the existing plates presented a safety risk. To prevent further incidents, the contractor needed a safer, immediate alternative and quickly sourced replacement plates from Legend Hire.
The Challenge
- A pedestrian accident had already occurred, creating a serious safety and liability concern.
- Existing plates offered insufficient grip in adverse conditions.
- The original supplier would not provide immediate replacements.
- The contractor needed a solution the same day to prevent further incidents.
The Solution
The contractor had previously inspected Legend Hire’s yard and was confident in the condition and quality of our anti-slip steel road plates. Once notified, our team acted immediately to resolve the issue.
Same-Day Actions:
- Delivered premium anti-slip steel road plates directly to site.
- Removed all worn plates from the roadworks area.
- Returned the old plates to the original supplier on behalf of the contractor.
By the end of the day, the entire work zone had been refitted with high-quality anti-slip road plates designed to maintain grip in wet, frosty, or muddy conditions.
Outcome
| Metric | Result |
| Replacement time | Same day |
| Incident prevention | No further slip accidents reported |
| Coverage | Entire trench area refitted with premium plates |
Impact:
- Restored safe conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.
- Eliminated the risk of repeat incidents.
- Gave the contractor confidence that the site met both compliance and real-world safety needs.
Why Legend Hire’s Plates Performed Better
- Anti-slip coating retains grip in wet, frosty, and muddy conditions.
- Coating lasts significantly longer under heavy traffic than lower-cost alternatives.
- Reduced accident risk throughout the hire period due to consistent surface performance.
Client Feedback
“Legend Hire responded straight away and replaced every plate that same day. Their anti-slip coating is miles ahead of what we were using before. Now I know pedestrians, bikes, and cars can cross without risk.”
— Civil Contractor