When your workforce needs to be on their feet for prolonged periods, there are strong arguments to support the use of anti-fatigue floor mats. In fact, these products can be essential to your duty of care, as we outline here.
Enforcing correct footwear to protect the health and safety of your workforce is widely accepted as essential practice, especially when staff are stood up or walking around for large parts of the day. What is not as universally understood, is the role of anti-fatigue matting.
What are anti-fatigue floor mats?
These removable products create a shock-absorbent layer across your workplace floors. They are also quick to install, instantly cushioning foot traffic and anyone standing up.
The cost of anti-fatigue floor mats is relatively small, and they can be replaced quickly. Yet, they are an excellent way of combating foot fatigue and promoting good posture.
What does anti-fatigue matting guard against?
Having tired feet may not sound dramatic, apart from being a source of distraction and productivity reduction. However, just think about it for a moment.
If your building has a solid, cold and unyielding floor – such as one made of concrete – anyone stood up or constantly walking across it will suffer from considerable impact on the soles of their feet. Particularly on pressure points, such as heels.
This will inevitably lead to soreness and strains. It could also result in them standing badly, creating leg, hip and even back problems. It’s the sort of thing that can contribute significantly to absenteeism and long term sick leave.
Finding the best anti-fatigue floor mats
The solution to the problems outlined above is simple. However, you need to make sure you buy quality flooring materials that don’t create a whole new set of problems.
One of the things to look for in anti-fatigue matting is the product’s grip on the floor. There is not much point taking steps to avoid foot tiredness if you add a trip or slip hazard to your workplace
The best mats to combat foot fatigue are made from robust foam-like materials that stand up well to environmental factors such as heat and moisture. They should be engineered with the correct degree of thickness and elasticity too, as soft or thin mats will not provide enough support.
Also, look for anti-fatigue floor mats with sloping edges to enable wheels to pass over them smoothly, as well as reducing the potential for cheaper versions to ride up and cause stumbles and tumbles.
One added bonus of some high-quality anti-fatigue mats is they can also protect against electric shocks and reduce static electricity on your floor
Matching anti-fatigue mats to location
There is a big choice in this category of industrial safety products, depending on the location and the type of business you operate. For example, some companies need anti-fatigue floor mats that can be cleaned frequently or moved around with ease such as our Orthomat Ribbed Anti Fatigue Mats.
Other commonly ordered examples of safety flooring include our Unimat Anti Fatigue Matting, a heavy-duty option for wet floors. The holes for drainage also add to its ability to prevent slipping in oily work conditions.
Another great choice for where moisture is present is the Orthomat Ultimate Anti Fatigue Mat. This solid piece of flooring is designed to provide a high degree of support, impact absorption and shape recovery.
What if you need cushioning mats for places where appearance matters, such as in salons and other retail outlets? A great solution is our Marble Anti-Fatigue Mat, with bevelled edges to reduce trips. It looks good in any interior design but includes a plush foam backing for superb foot and leg relief.
Deckplate Connect interlocking anti-fatigue mats are ideal to cover wide areas or complex floors. If you need your mats to go over wiring or other items, the diamond-patterned Deckplate Anti-Static ESD Anti-Fatigue Mat is grounded and features ramped edges to facilitate foot and machinery traffic.
When you need a particularly resilient, loose lay anti-fatigue mat, COBAelite ESD is versatile and highly effective in promoting foot health in workers
Best foot forward for employee care
These are just some of the anti-fatigue floor mats we stock, ranging across all price points and purposes. However, keep in mind that even our cost-effective and superbly engineered safety flooring doesn’t negate the need for staff to enjoy periods of rest and protective footwear in some work situations.
For help in finding the right anti-fatigue mat type for your premises, give us a call.