Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents, Stop Dirt, Protect your
Floors
Soil is everywhere. It is a part of the earth we live on and
managing it is a vital part of our everyday existence. Today's emphasis on
Green Cleaning and the impact of the cleanliness of a building on health makes
soil management even more important. Experts are recommending a minimum of
10-12 feet of quality matting products at entrances as part of a Green Cleaning
program. At the heart of soil management is the concept of prevention -
prevention of contaminants from entering a building. 85% of all soil enters a
building on the feet of building occupants. Of this, at least, 80% is dry soil
and the rest is oily. The dry soil can range from large particles to
powder-like dust. Over the years, many products have been developed and sold to
help keep soil at the door and out of the building. The International Sanitary
Supply Association (ISSA) has estimated that it costs $600 to find and remove 1
pound of soil after it has been allowed to enter an average building. This cost
is primarily labor. Since entrance mats stop and contain soil and water, it is
obvious that removing soil from a mat can be less expensive than removing it
from a building since the soil is concentrated in a localized area. In
addition, entrance mats may also be scraper mats that provide the first line of
defense against soil. Scraper mats should always be used with other entrance
mats that will provide wiping properties to remove fine soil and water from
feet. What is the reason to use entrance mats for your establishment? There are
4 purposes that an entrance mat should provide:
1. Stop Soil and
Water at the Door:
An entrance mat should stop soil and water at the door by
providing a combination of scraping and wiping to stop the maximum amount of
contaminants such as dirt, water, debris and oil.
2. Store Soil and
Water for Removal:
An entrance mat should store soil and water for removal by
providing a place for soil and water to go to for storage. It is important that
the storage be designed for maximum storage and ease of removal when the mat is
cleaned. It is important that the mat provide a way for soil and water to be
contained so they cannot spread to the surrounding floor . Contaminants that
flow off the sides of a mat cause damage and can lead to slip/fall dangers.
Mats with flat borders do not provide the necessary containment for best
performance. Higher performance mats provide a dam that will hold the soil and
water for removal during cleaning.
3. Minimize
Tracking of Soil and Water:
An entrance mat should minimize the tracking of soil and
water. This capability is best accomplished by a Bi-level construction that
provides an upper surface for walking and a lower area where soil and water are
stored until removed by cleaning. The amount of soil that a mat allows to be
reattached to shoes is directly related to the construction of the mat. High
performance mats utilize this permanent rubber reinforced BI-level
construction, thereby, trapping large quantities of moisture and dirt,
minimizing the effects of soil and water being tracked further into the
facility. Low performance mats such as those with non-reinforced ribbed or cut
pile face yarn alone will not hold up under foot pressure and will crush in a
short period of time, thus allowing more water and dirt to reattach to shoes
and be tracked into respective facilities. A permanently rubber reinforced
Bi-level construction extends the performance life of a mat reducing the need
to dispose of mats frequently.
4. Provide a Safe
Surface:
An entrance mat should provide a safe walking surface. The
bottom of a mat should be slip-resistant to minimize movement on the floor when
it is walked on. Also any water on the mat should be contained in a reservoir
below the traffic surface to prevent moisture on flooring surface adjacent to
the mat that can cause slip/fall incidents. Rubber-backed mats provide a better
slip resistance than vinyl-backed mats. Rubber-backed mats do not curl, as
vinyl mats do, thus reducing trip and fall exposure. Some rubber-backed mats
have cleated surfaces on the bottom that further enhances non-skid properties
and allows moisture to dry from underneath the mat.
We recommend the Brush Hog Scraper Mats as your outside
scraper mat. For your entrance mats, we recommend Waterhog Entrance Mats.
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