What Lies Beneath?
Taking time out at a sport or swimming facility is both healthy and relaxing, but what hidden dangers lurk in locker rooms, swimming pools and on wet floors?
Communal sports and leisure environments, which are rarely regulated by health authorities, are ideal breeding grounds for bacteria that spread infections. In addition to rigorous maintenance, cleaning and disinfection procedures, hygiene policies are also common practice for leisure facilities. Many policies include no-shoes zones to prevent the entrance and spreading of dirt and contaminants, recommended showers before entering pools and hot tubs, hand hygiene, and avoiding sharing towels and personal items that come into contact with bare skin.
Hygienic matting is treated with an anti-microbial to prevent the growth of bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms that cause odours, rashes, athlete’s foot and other skin infections, and are therefore a key component of a total hygiene policy. Durable hygienic matting creates a healthier and safer environment in wet areas like shower facilities; the grip design creates a slip-resistant yet comfortable walking surface for bare feet, while the anti-microbial treated materials prevent the growth of fungi or bacteria and promote hygiene in wet areas such as locker rooms, public swimming pools, commercial saunas, and shower facilities. An open structure for the easy drainage of water, soap, shampoo and lotions where dependable and a sure footing are essential – they are also easy to clean with a water jet and require only minimal maintenance.
One of the most common causes of swimming pool accidents is slips and falls. In and around shared changing rooms and locker rooms, swimming pools and showers are a slip hazard with wet, slippery and cold floors. Plus, the use of shampoos, soaps and oils often compound this problem. Coated
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anti-slip flooring can become clogged even after cleaning due to an accumulation of microscopic residual stains (oils, protein, grease), meaning one would have to keep on checking, maintaining and replacing floors to ensure the effectiveness of an anti-slip coating in and around swimming pools, so that it is safe for swimmers to use. When this hasn’t
happened and pool sides become dangerously slippery, it is very easy for swimmers to slip or fall and suffer a serious injury.
Hygienic mats are designed to provide a secure footing where excess water, oils and shampoos would otherwise make floors or tiles slippery. The anti-slip surface is designed to provide traction, while still being comfortable and warm for bare feet, and the gripper base prevents the mat from sliding or shifting. Hygienic mats are ideal for a temporary anti-slip solution or as a permanent flooring installation.
Notrax® has expanded the selection of hygienic mats to be able to offer a full range of heavy, medium and light duty matting products. Their unique designs afford not only instant drainage and slip resistance, but they also prevent the growth of micro- organisms. Notrax® floor mats are made of specific formulations with designs that provide good adherence and the instant evacuation of fluids, which is a more effective, economical and durable solution to reduce the risk of slip falls.
The open grid allows for the easy drainage of water while the raised structure provides aeration for easy drying and prevents the mat from floating. The mats are manufactured from PVC or Polyethylene, which is resistant to oils from soaps, shampoos and chlorines that are often found in leisure and pool areas.
Notrax® matting is available on rolls or interconnecting tiles that can easily be laid, installed or customized for walkways, changing room floors, showers, saunas and along swimming pools to prevent slipping.
www.notrax.eu
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
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