What are anti-fatigue mats?

The ultimate guide to understanding anti-fatigue mats and their benefits

According to HSE, Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work and can happen almost anywhere. 95% of major slips result in broken bones and they can also be the initial cause for a range of other types of accident such as a fall from height. Recognising the gravity of these risks is not only a matter of fulfilling a duty of care to employees but also essential for mitigating the potential repercussions, such as inventory losses, business disruptions, and financial setbacks.

How does anti-slip mats work?

As the name suggests, anti-slip mats provide extra traction underfoot. The mats have a textured surface – some come with special grit-top surfaces, too – which help to further improve grip and also play a part in preventing injuries.  We’ve explained this further in our anti-fatigue mat guide.

Many anti-slip mats also include drainage holes. This solution is highly effective in liquid-prone environments, as the drainage holes prevent liquid from accumulating on the mat’s surface, ensuring that the gritty texture remains slip-resistant.

While slips are dangerous in any environment, there are certain workplaces where the dangers of slipping and falling are significantly increased. Food processing of wet ingredients, commercial kitchens and outdoor areas exposed to high moisture levels from weather elements are at the top of the danger zone list.

Which environments are anti-slip mats suitable for?

Anti-slip mats are suitable for a wide range of environments. Each site may require its own unique solution to combat the challenges of that specific site, whether it may be oil or greasy areas in a commercial kitchen or moisture control in a gym locker room. We have a wide range of matting solutions available that can assist with your bespoke requirements. Our friendly team of experts are always ready to assist you with choosing the “Right Mat, First Time”.

Here are some of the danger zone areas that would require anti-slip matting to avoid costly injuries:

Oily environments

Oily environments such as garages, manufacturing plants and other industrial premises are at a higher risk for slips and must have anti-slip mats installed to prevent this costly safety hazard. Slipping when carrying heavy equipment or operating heavy machinery, for example, can cause serious injury, and extra grip is crucial. By selecting the appropriate anti-slip matting, you can effectively diminish this risk, ensuring the safety of your employees. Anti slip mats can also have anti fatigue characteristics which reduces the probability of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) developing due to extended periods of standing.

Commercial Kitchens

Commercial Kitchens is a high pressure environment where speed is of great importance, with people in constantly in motion around pots and pans of boiling liquids and in the presence of all kinds of sharp knives and cooking utensils, commercial kitchens are full of risks. Slipping whilst carrying boiling water could be disastrous, and so commercial kitchens should have anti-slip mats installed in all potential risk areas.

Anti-slip mats are purpose-built to enhance traction in high-risk slipping areas. In the bustling setting of kitchens and catering environments, where liquids are prevalent and spills are a common occurrence, the absence of anti-slip mats on a hard, uncovered surface could pose a significant hazard. However, with anti-slip mats in use, this risk is effectively nullified.

Bars and pubs

Happy hour at the bar might be a jolly time, but the risk of slipping due to spilt liquids is higher than ever. Anti-slip mats are important for bars and pubs. There will always be a few spillages behind any bar, which will pose a risk to staff trying to squeeze past each other as they go from customer to customer hastily. A secondary benefit of anti-slip mats in bars is that they’ll help to protect dropped glassware; meaning a reduced risk of stock loss when someone drops a pint glass or a bottle of wine. These mats can also have anti-fatigue properties to fight staff fatigue from being on their feet for long periods of time.

What are the benefits of anti-slip matting?

Reduced injuries

The most obvious and most important benefit of anti-slip mats is that it helps to prevent injuries arising from people slipping and falling. According to the HSE and the Labour Force Survey, 565,000 workers reported a non-fatal injury in the workplace during 2021/2022.

Businesses have a duty of care to their employees, and any slips can result in people needing lengthy periods away from work, or potentially even legal action against a business. This can cause unnecessary financial losses to a business.

Improved efficiency and productivity

This benefit is twofold. Firstly, if anti-slip mats are in place, then the number of slips and trips is reduced, which in turn means there’s less time away from work, and a higher level of productivity. Secondly, the presence of mats means that it’s easier for people to pass through areas, which helps to speed up processes and removes the need for convoluted routes around potentially slippery areas. Some anti-slip mats also have anti-fatigue capabilities creating under foot comfort for employees that spend a large amount of time on their feet. The less fatigue or injured employees the more efficient your team can perform their tasks.

Reduced risk of damage

As well as protecting people, anti-slip mats also protect equipment and stock from falling on hard surfaces. Fewer slips mean fewer items being dropped, and any items that are dropped will land on a slightly softer surface, rather than a hard floor. While anti-slip mats may not prevent every dropped item from breaking, they will certainly provide some form of protection. This means reduced stock loss and less money spent on replacements.

What are the main features of anti-slip matting?

Anti-slip matting is a multifaceted solution that offers a plethora of advantages to both the workplace and its occupants. However, it’s essential to delve deeper into the key factors that render these mats exceptionally effective and indispensable.

Textured surface:

Often taking the form of a raised pattern across the mat, but sometimes using a ‘grit-top’ texture for additional grip, the textured surface is the most crucial part of a non-slip mat. Even if something is spilled on the surface, the texture prevents the mat from becoming slippery. Each type of surface has its own level of slip resistance and we have developed a icon guide to assist you to navigate through the properties of each mat with ease.

An easy example is looking at the samples of our Fatigue-Step Grit Top which has a courser grit for extra slip resistance and our COBAdot Rubber Matting which can assist with slippery surfaces, but has a medallion /dotted surface and isn’t gritty.

Moulded edges

While the anti-slip mat helps people stay upright once they’re stood on it, it’s important that people don’t trip over it whilst passing through a space. Moulded edges act as a slope to ensure nobody stumbles on a raised edge, and it also helps wheelchair users, trolleys and trucks traverse the mats more easily.

We also have a yellow edging option on a selection of our safety mats, the yellow highlights the change in surface level to assist in avoiding tripping hazards.

Finally, ramped floor borders give the floor a more complete and finished look.

Cushioning

Anti-slip mats can also have anti fatigue properties. Although it isn’t the primary feature when you are looking for anti slip mats, but could be beneficial for your workplace. These mats are designed to be soft underfoot to help provide comfort and relief. The level of cushioning varies, but it still helps to protect workers from the pitfalls of standing for long periods, such as muscular and joint injuries.

Learn more about why it is important to choose anti-slip mats with anti fatigue properties – Click here

Anti-slip backing

If the mat itself is slipping on the floor, then the non-slip features on the surface are redundant. That’s why anti-slip mats feature anti-slip backing to assist with enhancing traction and reducing moisture accumulation underneath the mat, so that they remain secure on the surface they’ve been placed on. It is always best to refer to the provided installation guide to confirm which glue would be suitable for your mat and surface, if the mat you are looking for is not loose laid.

To ensure that the mat performs its best cleaning and prepping the surface before laying the mat can assist you with the longevity of your mats backing.

What do I need to consider when choosing anti-slip matting?

We have a wide range of anti slip mats available, each a bespoke solution for the different conditions on a site. There are a number of factors that can play a roll in choosing the best matting solution for your site like weather, amount of traffic, type of traffic, layout, hygiene and resistance requirements. We recommend using our MatBrain decision tree to assist you in choosing the best solution for your site’s requirements, if you are still not sure what you are looking for our friendly team of experts is always ready to assist you with a free site survey.

Layout

We have a wide variety types of anti-slip mats, weather if you are looking for a interlocking tile solution or roll, we have it all. Our interlocking tile solution means you can connect as many mats as you need in order to fit the size and shape of your space and can create a finished look with a bevelled edge. Mats that are loose laid can also be picked up and moved easily if need be.

A anti-slip matting roll again allows for ease of installation as the mat can be loose laid or bonded. If avoiding down time os important to your site then this is the best solution. Our installation team know our products inside out and can work through the night to assist with any installation requirements to get the job done as fast as possible for you to continue work as usual.

Contact us for more information on installations – Get in touch

Footfall Traffic

If your environment is a busy one, and there’s a high probability that there’ll be people walking across your matting throughout the working day, then you’ll need to opt for a more durable product. Once you have established the amount of traffic that your mats will be getting, you’ll need to take into account the type of traffic you’re mats will receive.

We have worked with numerous customers looking for a matting solution that is able to withstand the rough conditions of a cold room or pallet jack, which has forklifts moving over the matting.

Chemicals

If you work in a greasy or oily environment, then you’ll need to consider the impact of grease and oil on your non-slip matting. The chemicals in oils and grease can degrade the rubber in standard matting, so make sure to look for nitrile-based non-slip mats; nitrile rubber, also known as nitrile butadiene rubber, NBR, Buna-N, and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, is a synthetic rubber derived from acrylonitrile and butadiene. Nitrile is chemical-resistant, so any mats constructed from it will be able to withstand chemical degradation.

Hygiene

Food preparation environments and medical buildings require a higher standard of hygiene practices than most workplaces, so any matting that is being installed in such an environment should include extra hygienic properties. Our Hygimat is the ideal solution for the healthcare industry. The material has anti-microbial properties and can easily be cleaned. Closed cell construction means that no liquids can penetrate the mat and reduce performance.

You can learn more about slip resistance and how it is measured by clicking here.

Anti-slip mats for oily environments

COBAscrape Rubber Workplace Mat

This solid surface mat is designed for use in oily, greasy environments. It has a textured, raised surface to improve grip, and the pattern itself incorporates channels for capturing liquids. Its chemical resistance means it will enjoy a longer lifespan without degradation from oils, grease and chemicals.

Fatigue-Step Anti Slip Comfort Mat

Available in standard and nitrile versions, this resilient floor mat is designed for particularly wet and oily environments. The ramped edging helps to reduce trip hazards and the drainage holes ensure no liquid pools on the surface. The nitrile version has strong chemical resistance, and each mat tile links together easily to cover larger surface areas.

High-Duty Grit Anti-Slip Matting

With excellent resistance to chemicals, this matting is ideal for oily environments. The grit coating adds an extra level of grip to the surface, and the moulded edges help to reduce the risk of people tripping over the mat itself. Plus, the softness of the mat helps to reduce fatigue from standing on hard floors for prolonged periods of time.

Anti-slip mats for wet environments

COBAMat Workstation Workplace Safety Mat

Designed to provide the grip, comfort and protection that you expect from COBAMat, but for use on individual workstations, this mat is available in ‘standard’ and ‘heavy’ versions. The mat has bright yellow edging for improved visibility, and holes for catching debris. The diameter of the holes varies between ‘standard’ and ‘heavy’ versions.

Rampmat Rubber Workplace Mat

The honeycomb design of this mat provides the double benefit of extra grip and the removal of dirt and moisture. It’s manufactured from strong rubber for extra durability, and it’s slip tested to DIN 51130.

Fatigue-Step Anti-Slip Comfort Mat

Soft for added comfort and with yellow edging for improved safety and reduced likelihood of trips, this mat provides extra grip with the added benefit of collecting spillages and debris in the drainage holes.

Anti-slip mats for dry environments

COBAdot Rubber Matting

This matting provides effective anti-slip properties, contained in a sleek design that easily blends into most environments. It can be laid loosely or bonded to the floor to suit your preferences, and there is a nitrile version available for extra chemical resistance.

DeckStep Industrial Matting

Flexible, lightweight and easy to clean, this matting provides plenty of extra grip and helps to keep staff comfortable on their feet. The mat is made up of strips that are welded together for extra strength.

Tough Deck Interlocking Workplace Tile

As the name suggests, this is interlocking anti-slip matting designed for industrial usage. It also offers basic anti-fatigue properties, as well as large drainage holes for capturing any spillages that do occur.

What else can be done to prevent slips at work?

As well as matting, there are several steps business owners and managers can take to minimise the risk of slips and trips in the workplace. From regular safety audits to proper training, cleaning and maintenance, minimising hazards is a continuous task.

Anti-slip mats are a vital tool for the protection and safety of employees and visitors to certain environments. Businesses have a duty of care to their people, and investing in non-slip matting is a key component of fulfilling that duty. Keeping your people safe means a happier workforce, improved productivity, reduced absences and reduced risk of litigation and other potential legal consequences arising from slips and trips in the workplace.

Our range of anti-slip matting features the most effective products on the market, with mats available to suit all commercial and industrial environments. To find out more about our anti-slip mats, please get in touch with our friendly team today and we will be more than happy to help.

Our friendly team of experts are here to help you with choosing the best anti-slip matting solution – Contact Us