Ecoglo® has put the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida - and its patrons - on a surer footing with a new anti-slip surface.
Slip and fall is a major issue for this indoor venue, which has architecture that lends itself to accidents, even as it inspires awe in its patrons.
Doors on both sides of the length of the venue open into stairs down to 800 seats in the orchestra level and another 1200 on the balcony level.
There are three times as many stairs as in the average venue of its type and size. The unusual architecture, combined with the thrill of the impending performance, mean that patrons at its 160 performances a year are less likely to look down, even as their feet must find triple the numbers of stairs.
What’s more, there is little opportunity for patrons’ eyes to adjust when they move from the glassed lobby which lets in a lot of sunshine, to the darkened interior.
Before installing Ecoglo®, King Center was experiencing one to two falls a performance, which would invariably lead to insurance claims. Every performance required a slip and fall report, due to the lack of an anti-slip surface.
“It’s been a difficult situation for us, especially lighting the stairs and making patrons aware of how many stairs there are. Sometimes the carpet blends and people don’t often look down,” says executive director Steven Janicki.
Enter Ecoglo® anti-slip surface, stage right
Since Janicki had Ecoglo® installed in July 2001, there have been no slips or falls in the inside of the theater where the ecoglo® anti-slip surface strips have been placed. There are still incidents in the external lobby, where Ecoglo® is not installed.
Patrons not only see every step illuminated in ecoglo®’s strong yet sensitive glow, they can also feel the anti-slip surface on the step edge underfoot because Ecoglo® is set in castellated aluminum nosing with a quality slip-resistant insert.
Cost is not the only concern for Janicki - his venue is a showcase in Florida, and his patrons attract significant revenue.
“I’m very picky. I don’t just want to throw anything there, or use a stopgap measure. I would rather do it right the first time and if it takes a bit more time, that’s okay. At least the problem is solved then, it’s over with,” he says.
Janicki was impressed that Ecoglo® not only solved his slip and fall problem and drastically reduced his expenditure on lighting and maintaining electrical pathfinding, it also made a grand aesthetic statement that complemented the inspiring King Center architecture.
“When the lights go out and the steps are fully charged, it gives off a nice glow - it’s not intrusive, it really attracts attention and fits in well with the architecture,” he says.
To cap it off, Janicki found Ecoglo® provided a professional finish that looks as good as the day it was installed. “I love the way the carpeting tucks underneath it. We have experimented with other types of nosing and edges and they have come apart, or if we screwed them in, the screws wiggled out and gave us a constant repair problem.”
From spotlight to limelight
“So far, with the number of people we have through the building, in the six months since we installed Ecoglo®, everything seems to be just as tight as when it was installed.”
To Janicki’s delight, Ecoglo® products, including anti-slip surface strips have stolen the show for King Center patrons.
“Patrons are very impressed - they tell us Ecoglo® was a definite improvement that was stunning enough visually that they felt we had redecorated the facility. I can tell by the decreased incidence of slips that Ecoglo® has worked very well for King Center patrons, and those are the people whose opinions on the facility matter to me most.”