What Is Anti-fatigue Matting?
Anti fatigue mats reduce stress caused by prolonged periods of standing on hard surfaces like concrete floors
. In most industrial, commercial, and even scientific workplaces, such hard, non-porous floors are common. Hard floors, like concrete, provide no shock absorbency. Anti fatigue mats in these environments provide shock absorbency and slip resistance, greatly reducing the chance of fatigue and injury.
Studies by occupational therapists show that standing on hard surfaces makes workers uncomfortable. Consider a worker standing in a work cell with a concrete floor. First, discomfort is caused by blood pooling in the constantly flexed lower legs. Because of this pooling less oxygen and blood flow to the rest of the body. The worker becomes fatigued. Eventually, the worker will also experience leg and lower back pain, followed by the development of varicose veins. This strain can lead to a condition called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis requires expensive surgery and leads to lost time at work.
Fatigue Gets Expensive
It only takes two hours a day to begin this chain reaction of passive injury and fatigue. A fatigued person loses patience and concentration. They take more breaks and pay less attention to tasks. Accidents and mistakes become more likely. Fatigue is more than just a health concern. It is a productivity concern. If a worker takes an average of 4 or 5 minutes out of every hour to sit down and rest from standing on a concrete surface, this translates into 160 hours per year, per worker, of lost time. All of this because of concrete floors. Surely something can be done about it without changing the whole building.
A Simple, Effective Solution
Anti fatigue mats provide an expertly engineered floor cushion for the standing worker. The most common anti fatigue mats are made of rubber, though some manufacturers produce wooden and carpet material mats. They come in a variety of materials and serve many functions.
What are the benefits?
Anti fatigue mats reduce back pain and stress, improving employee comfort. They reduce repetitive stress injuries (RSI). They reduce slip and fall incidents that may occur as a result of low traction or a spill on an unmatted hard floor. In addition, anti fatigue mats reduce breakage of dropped items, like glasses and other fragile materials. In the end, anti fatigue mats save money, preserve health, and boost productivity.
Types of Anti-Fatigue Mats
Before purchasing anti fatigue mats, learn the types of mats. Next, analyze your work space to see what mats are best for your needs. There are three main types of anti fatigue mat designs, based on your industry.
1. Food Production Mats. These mats are designed for the food industry. Food production anti fatigue mats withstand oil, grease, slips, and the wear and tear associated with food processing environments. These mats are thick and comfortable, with waffle type holes in them to allow for foodstuffs to get trapped away from foot traffic.
2. Lab and Pharmaceutical Mats. Lab mats are designed for hospital pharmacies or research centers where employees need to remain critically focused while standing for prolonged periods of time. These mats are recommended by OSHA, the CDC, and the Human Factors Society.
3. Industrial Anti-Fatigue Mats. This is the largest category of anti fatigue mats. Some industrial anti fatigue mats are designed to be non-conductive to insulate workers from dangerous high voltage applications. Static control anti fatigue mats, in addition to providing comfort and shock absorption, protect sensitive equipment from the build up of static charges. Heavy, medium, and light duty mats are available for various industrial applications. These mats come in a wet area or dry area design depending on the conditions of your workspace.
Does your workspace need anti fatigue mats? Is there room to improve productivity and comfort? If a worker is on there feet for more than two hours per day, chances are your work cell will benefit from anti fatigue mats.
by: Matt Timme
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