A MAT FINISH
Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene discusses how floor mats can benefit your premises.
While selecting floor mats for your establishment may not be top of your priority list, a mat’s practical and aesthetic benefits should not be ignored. Forming a crucial component of any business’ health and safety strategy, they can reduce the number of slips and trips in the building, whilst also helping to keep the workplace clean, reduce the spread of germs, and contribute to the wellbeing of both employees and visitors. What’s more, placing floor mats around premises helps to demonstrate that health and safety regulations are being respected and adhered to, which can enhance the reputation of your brand.
Whether you are deciding on a mat for your reception, service areas, or one to protect the floor beneath appliances, there will always be a mat to suit your needs. There are a number of ways in which a mat could benefit your facility.
1 Making Hygiene Simple
Well-designed mats should significantly reduce the amount of dirt and water tracked into a building, and improve the cleanliness of the facility, by reducing unsightly water or mud marks in building entrances when there’s been a period of bad weather. Place your mats in areas which receive high traffic, such as entrance and reception areas, corridors, or in front of water coolers, to ensure maximum dirt is collected and your premises are kept clean. Mats that use a high proportion of microfibres – small strands that attach themselves to microscopic dirt particles for optimum pick-up and absorption – are most effective as they are able to hold more water and dirt than a standard mat. To put this in perspective, we are talking of a single mat removing a few litres of water, and a few kilograms of dirt in between services when the mat is cleaned.
2 Remaining Compliant
Mats help ensure facilities are fully compliant with workplace health and safety regulations and can reduce the number of slips, trips and falls. Initial, provide mats with a super styrene rubber backing which is wrinkle-resistant and guaranteed to remain flat and secure underfoot, as their backing reduces friction. For areas such as pubs and bars, or in leisure centres and gyms where spillages occur frequently, non-textile mats are recommended. These reduce movement on wet, hard surfaces and minimise the risk of slips and trips, and therefore the likelihood of injury to employees or customers.
3 Money Savings
Using a mat can also help add to a business’s bottom line, by reducing cleaning costs and floor maintenance bills. Their safety features also contribute to this, as they help save money from compensation claims and minimise loss of productivity.
4 Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Contrary to the well-known expression, people often do judge books by their covers, and a mat can be one of the
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first things customers, clients and employees encounter upon arrival at a facility. It’s therefore worth opting for mats which are aesthetically pleasing – to help make a good first impression. Consider placing logo mats outside your premises or in entrance areas where they can give a splash of colour, while at the same time demonstrating an added level of consideration and care to people. The new Initial Outdoor Logo Scraper Plus Mat, for example, not only collects dirt and water as visitors enter the building, but can be customised with your business’ logo to communicate your brand message to anyone that enters the building. Initial has also launched a range of seasonal ‘festive’ mats to help brighten up the workplace and put a smile on visitors’ faces.
5 User Experience
If you are looking to boost employee or customer wellbeing, and enhance their experience in the facility, consider exploring anti-fatigue mats. These mats are designed to address ailments associated with long periods of standing on hard surfaces, including joint pain, backache and tiredness. This helps increase employee comfort, and in doing so increases concentration and efficiency.
6 The Fact of the Mat-ter
Using mats in your premises can deliver clear advantages for your business. Facilities managers should take the time to assess the profile of their business and functionality of different mats before choosing the one which best fits their professional environment. Provided they are laundered on a regular basis, these mats can help to create and maintain a clean, safe and attractive work environment for customers and employees.
www.initial.co.uk/floor-mats/entrance-mats FLOORCARE & MAINTENANCE | 45
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