How anti fatigue floor matting improves productivity

Anti fatigue floor matting improves productivity in the work place and improves morale.Slips and falls are the second most common cause of injuries at work.Employees who stand on hard work surfaces such as concrete, tile, or linoleum for an entire shift often suffer from fatigue and discomfort.The fatigue will translate into lost productivity as the shift progresses.

Cushioned industrial floor matting is a low-cost preventive for foot and lower leg aches, pains, and muscular cramps.Additionally, the matting but has the added advantage of improving workplace safety by greatly reducing the potential for slips and falls. The anti fatigue floor provides an abrasion resistant cushioned surface that permits items like oil and other fluid to drain through.

One work force survey indicated that more than 80% of factory workers have at some time experienced severe foot and leg pain.These pains can be attributed to muscle fatigue resulting from having to stand in one place for long periods of time.Additionally, many of these workers can develop chronic lower back pain.

Most industrial matting is modular and is designed either for wet or dry environments. Mats for use in low temperatures or that are flame resistant or static dissipative also are available.

Matting is usually made of vulcanized or nitrile rubber, Zedlan foam, or vinyl or urethane bonded to a PVC sponge base. Many users believe that Zedlan foam offers the best balance of softness and resilience for dry environments.

You will want to use molded rubber mats in demanding wet conditions where chemicals and caustic substances are present because they stand up better to these conditions.

Anti-fatigue matting can cost from as little as 50 cents a square foot to $2.50 a square foot for dry areas, and up to $7 a square foot for heavy-use areas. For wet areas, matting ranges from $4.50 up to $9 or $11 a square foot. Some extra-thick specialty matting can cost more than $12 a square foot.

Anti-fatigue matting works by causing you to make natural yet imperceptible flexing of the muscles as your body makes adjustments to keep a balanced position. As your muscles tense and relax, blood and oxygen flow back to the heart, and the buildup of lactic acid, which causes fatigue, is reduced.

There are literally hundreds of mats on the market, which can make selection difficult. However, safety professionals seem to agree that only matting for wet areas presents a challenge. In dry work areas, nearly any anti-fatigue mat will do the job. The major consideration, therefore, becomes its estimated in-use life, which often is a function of how much you pay for it.

In general, employers selecting anti slip, anti-fatigue matting should not rely on manufacturer's claims but rather should test selected products on their own floors under real working conditions. You can't get a good judge of the matting from reading a description.There isn't a good standard to judge them by either.

The best method to decide on the proper anti fatigue matting is to get samples or purchase samples and test them yourself.This will give you a true sense of what the mats can or can't do.OSHA standards do not exist.Even if they did, there is no way to determine the specific conditions of your work place compared to others.

In summary, anti fatigue floor matting will improve productivity by reducing injury and fatigue in the work place.This will also decrease cost for training new employees.You will need to test the matting for your work conditions to determine the best floor matting for your company and your employees.