When designing or maintaining an industrial space such as a factory floor or warehouse, the matting might not be the first thing any business owner thinks of.
However, industrial mats can be of prime importance, especially when it comes to maintaining workers’ health and safety. Mats can even lead to enhanced productivity and reduce time off work.
In this post, we look at a few of the benefits of high quality workplace industrial mats.
1 They enhance workplace safety
This is perhaps the key benefit, industrial mats reduce the risk of slips and falls and in so doing make the workplace a safer space, while also reducing the risk of lawsuits.
It is thought that around half of all accidents in industrial workplaces are caused by slipping, a huge proportion of these would have been avoidable had there been suitable matting down.
High quality workplace mats are anti slip, even when liquid is spilt or substances such as oil or grease. The mats can be firmly attached to the floor, so there is no danger of them slipping underfoot.
The mats can also be printed with warnings, this could relate to nearby equipment or simply be the visual bright markings that signify caution (for instance black and yellow stripes around the edge of equipment).
Creating a safe workplace is of course expected of any employer and with slips so often the cause of injury the importance of mats is demonstrated.
It is worth noting that any reduction in injury will also have financial benefits; there is reduced time off work and also the risk of being sued is extremely reduced. The presence of safety matting helping to demonstrate that the employer was not negligent in duties (of course there may be other relevant factors).
Given mats can cost from under £100, a mat only has to save less than day off work during its lifetime to be value for money.
However, quite aside from the financial benefits, the huge advantage is that they are simply an easy way to help keep people safe.
2 They demonstrate the employer cares for employees
While the main danger might be slipping and falling at work, there is also the ongoing impact of simply standing on hard floors.
There is a great deal of research that proves that standing on a hard floor leads to fatigue, back pain and potentially more serious problems such as reduced circulation.
Industrial mats help to reduce this fatigue and make standing in an industrial setting less of a health concern. The University of Michigan concluded from research that safety matting ‘is capable of mitigating discomfort during prolonged standing’.
It may be that standing is an unavoidable part of the work for some employees, however that is not to say that this cannot be made more comfortable.
Industrial matting can provide a cushion between the shoe and the floor, providing extra give and so reducing the strain on the back. In conjunction with good quality boots, this greatly reduces the impact on the back and posture.
Any employee is likely to welcome the addition of this matting, it is a sign that the employer is taking steps to improve their comfort, perhaps leading to that bit more loyalty.
3 They keep the floor clean and encourage high standards
Key to keeping any area clean and maintaining standards is attention to detail. If the floor is mucky and dirty, this will lead to others taking little care, this attitude can permeate to other areas of tidiness.
By way of contrast, a clean floor tends to stay that way - people take more pride and are far less likely to traipse dirt and muck around.
The mats make it easier to keep the floor clean, installed in the doorway areas they help to remove dirt and dust and so stop it from entering the work area. This then becomes self-fulfilling, because the work area is cleaner people maintain these standards.
Without mats, the cleaning process can feel somewhat never ending and there is a constant need for deeper cleans. While mats cannot completely remove the need for cleaners, they do help keep the industrial workplace cleaner in between those deeper cleans.
4 They build brand loyalty
The main purpose of industrial mats might be to boost safety and enhance cleanliness, but stye can also work to improve brand awareness.
If there is an industrial mat at the entrance to a building, it is a reminder of the brand to any visitors and it can even raise awareness among those not even visiting.
Imagine a shopping mall with numerous shops competing for attention - an entrance mat might not alone encourage someone to enter the shop, but it is another visual sign of the shop’s presence. Businesses pay a huge amount to raise awareness and keep their name in the back of customers’ minds - safety industrial mats can play their own part in this process.
At Mat Creations, we have the ability to recreate company logos and graphics across a range of different mat options.
They are Affordable
With budgets tight, any business owner has to consider what to spend on. There will always be things they would like to buy but may be hard to justify.
One huge advantage of industrial mats is that they are very affordable, especially when you factor in that high quality mats such as the ones we produce have lengthy guarantees and are typically expected to last at least a decade.
On a per-year basis, this often comes to a very small amount and yet for that you enhance safety, reduce risk of liability and also potentially boost brand awareness.
As such, industrial mats can stack up very well against other potential purchases.
There are a range of options
While we have spoken of factory floor type settings, the truth is that industrial mats and safety mats are widely used in many settings.
In hotels, receptionists value them behind the check-in area as they make standing more comfortable. In shop settings where there are Lottery terminals or similar, or self check-out areas in supermarkets, the mats make it more comfortable to stand - both for customers or staff members dealing with enquiries (and unknown item in bagging area issues…)
There are safety mats for around the pool, safety mats and industrial mats for the gym. If there is a need to stand, there is a mat type that is suitable.
If you are unsure which type of mat would be most suited to your requirements, please do contact us.
About Mat Creations
Commercial matting is diverse and addresses many requirements from keeping the dirt out of your building, preventing accidents, making the right first impression to in store marketing and as such we have a very highly trained team to help you.
All our team have many years of experience with the products you'll find on our site and each member will also have their own fields of expertise that can be called on for the more demanding projects.
Our objectives are simple, we want to clearly understand your needs, offer the correct advice and products then supply you quickly offering a hassle and trouble free experience.
Please contact us by calling 0161 320 3637, emailing sales@mat-creations.com or sending an enquiry via our Contact Form.