To protect your floors and the occupants of your facility, commercial floor mats can be placed inside or outside your facility.
To prevent slips, trips, and falls, floor mats can be used in many types of places, including hospitals, schools, retail stores, and hospitals.
These are used to protect floors from liquids and abrasive soils.
It is crucial to understand the importance of mats in your business. This will help you prevent slip-and-fall injuries and keep your facility looking great. Each mat performs differently and each one has its own use.
Types Of Commercial Floor Mats
Entrance mats
In a soil control program, the entrance mats are the first-line defense.
Where to use:
The entry matting should be installed both inside and out of the building’s entranceway. The visitor should be able to walk 8-10 steps on the matting before they reach your unprotected floors. This usually requires about 15 feet of matting outside and another 15 inside your building.
These are made of nylon, polypropylene, or vinyl, and can also be made from a mix of fabrics.
Commercial entrance mats may have a pattern like a raised “waffle”, diamond ridge, or “ribbed” to collect dirt from shoes.
To retain moisture and dry floors, entrance mats will include a water dam border.
Vinyl or rubber backing is used to stop mat movement on hard and carpeted floors. Rubber backing is also resistant to oils, grease, abrasive soils, and other liquids.
Scraper Mats
Scraper mats, which are usually made of rubber, are heavy-duty mats.
Where to use: Scraper Mats should be placed outside of an entrance.
Features:
Rubber floor mats are often made with raised surfaces, or “fingers”, to “scrape” dirt, moisture, and other debris from shoes.
Some moisture is retained by scraper mats. They also provide increased traction in wet conditions to reduce the chance of falling.
Grease and oil are unlikely to cause damage, which helps protect guests from hard floors.
These mats can be fitted with vinyl or rubber backing for slip resistance. For hard floors, the backing can be smooth or cleated to provide extra gripping strength on carpeted floors.
Wiper Mats
Wiper mats can be made of tough materials like olefin or microfiber.
Where to use:
For best results, wiper floor mats should be used together with scraper mats. These should be placed at the entrance to your facility.
Features:
They can absorb water and trap dirt and dust particles.
To prevent mats from shifting and creating slip-and-fall hazards, wiper mats will be secured to the floor with a rubber or vinyl backing.
Anti-Fatigue Mats
These mats reduce stress on the feet and legs of your staff when they are in one place or for a long time. The mats have a core and layered design that allows for controlled compression. They are soft and squishy and when stepped on, they compress to stimulate the lower back, feet, and legs.
Where to use:
Floor mats made from Anti-fatigue are great for any area in your facility where employees spend extended periods on their feet.
Some examples include:
- Restaurant Kitchens
- Laboratories
- Workspaces
- Behind the Retail Counters
- School Cafeterias
These mats are suitable for use in both dry and wet areas, providing increased traction for employees.
Features:
Anti-fatigue mats improve weight distribution and reduce the impact on feet and legs. This promotes better circulation. You can increase worker productivity and lower labor costs by reducing worker fatigue.