Anti-fatigue foam mats, also called sponge mats, help prevent occupational injuries associated with long periods of standing. Many employers look to foam flooring to create healthy and safe work environments. Less stress on the feet means more productive and happy workers.
While anti-fatigue floor mats are comfy to stand on, poorly designed mats can cause slips and falls. Choose products that comply with U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards in order to keep your business property safe for workers, customers and visitors.
Features
Anti-fatigue foam is injection-molded into assorted mat sizes and shapes, and sealed in a nonslip material, such as textured vinyl or rubber. Surfaces may be beveled and/or raised to prevent trips and skids.
You can purchase mats to adapt to different work environments in precut or custom sizes. Choose products based on their ability to resist slips, abrasion, liquid spills, oil, grease, chemicals and/or static electricity according to needs. Some are designed with drainage holes, for wet environments. Foam flooring mats are lighter than solid rubber varieties, so they are easier to move for cleaning.
Lifetime
The useful lifetime of foam mats varies depending on the thickness and chemical make-up of the product. For instance, a 3/8-inch-thick to 1/4-inch-thick PVC sponge mat such as Wearwell Tuf Sponge carries a one-year warranty. A thicker (9/16-inch) sponge mat with rubber added to the foam, such as Diamond-Plate SpongeCote, is guaranteed for three years.
Benefits
The resiliency of foam flooring eases the stress of standing in one place by encouraging foot and leg muscle flexing. This increases blood flow, which discourages muscle tension, a culprit of chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions.
Anti-fatigue foam is an inexpensive investment that can save employers money and downtime in occupational health claims. Industries that require lengthy periods of standing by workers, such as battery manufacturer Duracell, include anti-fatigue floor mats in an ergonomic program to reduce their on-the-job injury rate.
Requirements
The design of foam flooring for industrial or institutional use must meet accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and some OSHA standards. These are part of federal guidelines for safety in walkways and work spaces in public buildings.
The rules are intended to prevent injuries in doorways and hallways, as well as to protect wheelchair users from electrostatic shock. Purchase anti-fatigue floor mats that are certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) for the best safety and compliance features.
Recommendations
OSHA recommends anti-fatigue floor mats to reduce acute and chronic injuries to workers in production industries such as maritime, agricultural and industrial manufacturing. Institutional and retail employers--including hospitals, schools, restaurants, grocery stores and other retail outlets--can reap the same health and safety benefits from anti-fatigue foam.
