Are your facility39s floors an accident waiting to happen

Top 10 Reasons to Select a New Matting System

Sept. 5, 2013
Are your facility's entrances, hallways and cafeteria or lunchroom setting the scene for a slip-and-fall injury?

Many building managers are unaware of just how important high-performance entry mats are to a building’s overall health and appearance and to the safety of visitors and employees alike.

To help managers better understand the importance of mats and when new mats should be installed, Crown Mats and Matting has created the following list of the top 10 reasons for installing a new matting system:

No mats are currently installed. While this is increasingly rare, some facilities have no mats installed. This can prove to be a serious health and safety risk for any facility.

A slip-and-fall accident has occurred. If an accident occurs, the first thing insurance investigators typically look for is the presence of an effective matting system.

Soil load issues. If surrounding floor and carpet areas frequently are soiled, it may be due to insufficient matting. The “rule of 15” dictates that 15 feet of matting should be installed at all key building entries.

Soil load increases. An obvious clue that a new matting system is needed is surrounding floors and carpets requiring more cleaning than usual.

The mat's appearance has changed. New mats are needed when old mats looks frayed, are torn or are thinning.

Seasonal changes. New mats often are necessary during seasonal transitions, from summer to fall or fall to winter, for example.

A green cleaning program has been implemented. The first step in implementing a green cleaning strategy often is installing matting systems at key entries.

Costs and convenience. There are pros and cons to purchasing mats versus renting mats. Decide which option works for your facility.

Marketing potential. Logo mats offer an excellent marketing opportunity for businesses and can help identify a facility or company.

Making a good first impression. Floors often are the first thing visitors see when entering a facility. An effective, high-performance matting system tells visitors their health and safety is a key concern in your facility.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

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