Choosing the Right Safety Mats for Your Business
Work safety should be your top priority. There are many hazards around the workplace you need to avoid to keep your employees safe. You surely don’t want to see your co-workers injured! So, one of the first dangerous situations you need to look out for is slipping and falling.
Everyone can slip and fall, right? These types of accidents happen now or then. But to minimise the chances of slipping, you need to pick the right safety mat for your business. How can you choose the adequate safety mat, and what do you need to look out for?
1. Types of mats
Did you know that wet floors can endanger your life? It’s unbelievably easy to slip and fall on wet surfaces. No matter what type of business you do, you need to protect your employees from falling and getting injured. That’s why you need to get a safety mat for your business. What kind of mat is the best one?
Various mats exist on the market, from outdoor welcoming mats to business safety mats with anti-slip surfaces and anti-fatigue mats that elevate the pressure from your feet and ankles. You can also get an indoor logo mat or a customised mat that will enhance branding on your premises. The choice is yours!
2. Purpose of safety mats
Before you opt for a certain type of mat, you need to know what its true purpose is. Even though you have mats that vary in purpose, safety mats can have comprehensive use. So, what are they for?
One of the first things business owners look for is employee safety. Mats prevent slip-and-fall injuries that can be dreadful for your workers, no matter the business type.
Also, safety mats keep the floor from getting damaged by heavy machinery and equipment such as those used in warehouses. On top of that, if you pick a noticeable colour, you’ll let your employees know that the safety mat is placed there. Some mats are also anti-fatigue which means that they keep your feet from straining and elevate the pressure from your ankles. This can especially be useful in professions where you have to stand for a longer time, such as cooks in the kitchen.
Last, but not least, safety mats can absorb liquids and dirt, preventing your floors from getting wet and dirty, which is also useful in preventing injuries in bathrooms and similar wet areas.
3. Large vs small mats
While choosing the type of mat is important, you can’t neglect the size. Even though the size of a mat may seem trivial, it’s actually quite important whether you’ll cover a larger or a smaller area with your mat.
To accurately decide on the size, you need to know the main purpose of your mat. Depending on the purpose, mats vary in size from small to extra large. So, how large should your safety mat be?
Where do you want to place your mat? If you’d like to place them outside your premises, smaller to medium mats are enough. They are compact, can be easily moved and don’t take up too much space to draw too much attention.
On the other hand, safety mats on work surfaces and warehouses need to be large enough to cover the floor. They need to alert your employees that a wet and slippery floor is there and make them more aware of their surroundings and cautious about safety.
4. Conductive vs non-conductive mats
A special kind of safety and protective mats are called conductive mats. Do you need to protect sensitive equipment? Then conductive mats are for you. They draw static electricity from your employees before they touch sensitive equipment.
As your co-worker move around the office or sit in chairs with casters, they gather up static energy that can be transmitted to the equipment through the touch and therefore damages it.
To prevent that from happening, place a conductive mat in each office or workspace, and make your employees stand on it before using sensitive equipment. Simply put, conductive mats protect your equipment from burning up and causing damages.
On the other hand, non-conductive mats, also known as switchboard matting, help you protect your employees and save them from a high-voltage shock. Various equipment, such as computers, can generate high voltage, which can be deadly to your employees. So, by using switchboard matting, there will be no chance of electricity getting to your employees.
5. Coefficient of friction and softness of the mat
Have you noticed how easily you can slip on some mats, even though they claim to be anti-slip? Low-quality anti-slip mats have a very low coefficient of friction. This means that you need to apply less force before you slip and fall, which is definitely something you’d like to avoid.
Therefore, the bigger the number, the better the mat! How can you determine which anti-slip mat is high-quality? You can’t test out each mat, can you? The coefficient of friction is there to help you! Occupational Safety and Health Administration advises looking for anti-slip mats that have a coefficient of friction of at least 0.5 on flat surfaces.
Besides the friction, the softness of the mat is very important. It determines whether it will be comfy or not to walk over or stand on it. Softness, however, depends on the manufacturing process and the material the mat is made of.
6. Material and pattern
As much as the functionality is important to you, the look of your safety mat is vital for your business. Why? Believe it or not, the way your premises look can affect the way customers and workers perceive your business.
The design of your work premises is crucial for branding and marketing, no matter what your business is. Therefore, you can’t sloppily choose a mat that would ruin the aesthetic of your business. So, you need to choose a material, pattern, colour and design of your mat to match your business.
Many companies offer custom mats, where you can choose the colour and the design. You can even add your logo to it! When it comes to material, it all depends on what your safety mat is for. Slippery and wet areas work well with rubber mats, while outdoor mats need to be made out of a different kind of material.
7. Benefits of safety mats
Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash
Safety: The greatest benefit of safety mats is that they keep your employees and everyone on your premises safe! If your premises have a slippery or wet area, use anti-slip pool mats that will prevent your employees from falling. On the other hand, many warehouses can be quite dangerous to employees if they don’t pay enough attention to their surroundings. So, make them aware of the dangers ahead by placing a caution mat on the floor!
Cost: Unlike the lawsuit you might be facing if you don’t take proper care of your employees and follow the regulations, safety mats are quite affordable! Since they come in various shapes and sizes, prices may vary according to that. However, they are still cheaper than a lawsuit!
Brand: They can increase the value of your brand! Mats usually aren’t considered trendy. But if you personalise and customise them to show off your business, they can be a true hit! As they attract attention, they will remind your clients and customers of your business, and create a memorable message they will remember.
8. Mat perfect for your business
So, taking into consideration all the things mentioned in this article, choosing a suitable and right safety mat for your business will be a piece of cake. If you list all the important aspects of a good mat, you’ll know how to recognise exactly what you need for your business. So, what is the perfect mat for you?
The best option for any kind of business is a pool mat. However, there are multiple types of pool mats and your choice depends on what you need them for! So, if your employees work around wet areas, drainable pool mats are a perfect solution. They keep them safe from slipping and falling while keeping your floors as clean as possible.
Similarly, if you need extra traction for slippery floors, pool mats with holes will do a fantastic job. They come in an amazing design that will certainly contribute to the professional aesthetic. So, if you want to impress your customers and clients while keeping your employees safe, pool mats are ideal for your business.
9. Cleaning and maintenance
Cleaning your premises is essential for the good hygiene of your workplace. If you want to keep your employees healthy and happy, regularly cleaning the premises is vital. Even though you can easily clean the floors, how can you keep your mats clean?
Maintaining your safety mats clean is important to prevent the bacteria from breeding and spreading there. You can easily clean them yourself by mixing one cup of vinegar, baking soda, water and a couple of lemon juice droplets.
However, you can also use the benefits of professional cleaning for thorough maintenance of your premises. That way you won’t have to bother too much about the hygiene as you’ll surely have a clean space.
Conclusion
As there are many options on the market, choosing the right safety mat for your business isn’t easy. However, if you take into consideration the size, traction, material and purpose, you’ll surely be able to pick a suitable safety mat for your premises.
So, think about all the benefits safety mats can bring to your business and invest in high-quality pool mats that will keep your employees safe, maintain the premises clean and increase brand awareness amongst workers and customers!
Author: 
I’m Willy Beamen, from Sydney, an avid researcher and editor helping website owners with content marketing.
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