In any industrial environment, safety is one of the highest priorities. Floor mats, however, are generally only an afterthought for safety professionals.
It's time to change that way of thinking.
Preventing Slip and Fall Injuries
According to OSHA, “Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities.”
We need to do what we can to improve those stats! Floor matting is an easy fix that not only controls slip and fall hazards, but also increases the comfort level of your employees.
Not convinced? Sounds too simple? I think you'll change your mind once you consider these top four reasons you should purchase a quality safety mat.
Why Safety Mats Are Worth Your While
1. You Can Find the Perfect Fit
Workplaces are designed for efficiency, safety, and comfort, but they're not always built with additional improvements in mind. That includes laying down safety mats. Depending on your layout, you might need a wide mat to cover a large workspace or you might need a narrow one that you can slide in between a pair of worktables.
Either way, you don't have to miss out on the safety benefits of floor matting. Purchasing a modular safety mat with interlocking pieces lets you customize it in whatever configuration meets your needs. The awkward floor plan or layout of your workplace doesn't have to keep you from optimizing your slip and fall safety (for more advice on preventing slips, see 6 Tips for Safer Walking-Working Surfaces).
2. Gives You More than Just Grip
A safety mat gives workers extra traction and comfort, but it's not just a glorified rug. The materials used in industrial safety mats are designed and tested to meet additional safety specifications.
Analyze the hazards in your workspace and select the safety mat material accordingly. If you're working with welding equipment, for instance, make sure to get a fire retardant safety mat so that your mat doesn't become an extra hazard when those stray sparks land on it. And if you're working with anything slick like oil or grease, make sure the mats are built to resist those substances and gives your workers an extra line of defense between their backs and the floor.
3. Greater Comfort Means Greater Productivity
Who doesn't feel worn out near the end of a workday? By mid-afternoon, you can sometimes feel those first six hours in your neck, legs, and lower back. When you're in that state, it's hard to be at your most efficient while putting in your last two hours before punching the clock.
A good safety mat can help you fight that kind of fatigue. Research shows that anti-fatigue mats increase an employee's comfort levels and thereby increases their productivity. Cushioned safety mats keeps workers' blood circulating, keeps them alert, and keeps them functioning at their best.
4. Safety First – Always!
Even if every shift ends with a good cleaning, the debris and liquids that accumulates on the floor throughout the workday can still pose a real danger. Water, oil, grease, industrial chemicals – even a small spill can be enough to make a worker slip and tick up your lost time injury rates (for related advice, see How to Deal with Spills in Your Facility).
It's not always possible to stay on top of everything that is spilled, dropped, or tracked into a workplace. Safety mats give your workers a dry, slightly elevated surface to work on so they can go about their work safely.
Conclusion
Slips are a serious matter, and setting down safety mats is a small, simple fix with some big pay-offs. Don't wait until another worker falls – improve traction in your workplace now.
Contact Notrax to ask about getting a complete facility audit by an authorized Notrax representative.