Food service mats are essentially commercial rubber mats designed for floor use in slippery areas with applications across many industries. They offer a variety of benefits, including that they can:
- Be used in many types of businesses
- Prevent accidents (such as but not limited to slips and falls)
- Promote productivity
- Protect your business from legal liability
- Prevent the adverse health effects of prolonged standing
Following a challenging year for the food service industry, restaurants are coming back in full force. They need to be prepared for the incoming flood of new business. Your workplace, food service or not, should be prepared to handle it all with the help of commercial floor mats.
Slippery and uneven surfaces can be hazardous for any business. In the foodservice industry, the environment can be high intensity and increase the risk of injury. Accidents are a common and unfortunate occurrence in business. Every sector has potential risks to employees, and those that often have slick floors can avoid the burden of that risk.
Useful for Any Business With Risk of Slips and Falls
Food service mats have applications beyond the kitchens of restaurants. Restaurant rubber floor mats are also significant additions to the front-of-house areas that can be high traffic and slippery, like behind the bar or at the check-in desks of establishments. Besides restaurants, food processing plants and facilities are full of high-risk locations in need of safety additions to protect workers.
Despite being typically referred to as food service mats, non-slip rubber mats can be used in any situation that calls for protection from slips and falls. Swimming pools, mechanics, and breweries are just a few examples of the types of establishments that have wet and hazardous surfaces and use commercial rubber mats for safety.
Commercial rubber mats come in a variety of sizes and materials specific to the exact need. They are manufactured of high-quality materials and can be UV resistant or anti-microbial depending on the application of the mat. They are designed to facilitate the best possible drainage of fluids underneath and ensure a slip resistant surface.
Protection From Legal Liability
While some accidents are unpredictable situations, many are avoidable. You can easily prevent slip and fall accidents. They leave you scrambling to find someone to cover the injured employee and make the company suffer financially when they have to cover the cost of worker's compensation.
Fryers and grills can cause fatal burns, heavy lifting can strain employees beyond their ability, and slippery surfaces can cause dangerous falls. All these onsite injuries can leave your employees in the hospital and off the schedule for prolonged periods.
In some instances, employees that experience a slip or fall on the premises of your business can hire legal assistance to claim you were legally negligent as the owner and seek compensation. This is a lose-lose scenario for any business as just the cost of legal services alone will be a burden for your company and create stress for you while you try to run your business.
Avoid Common Accidents
Many workplaces, like kitchens, are going to be a hectic environment because of the nature of the industry. The hazards of a greasy or wet floor pose significant threats to your staff and your business. Protecting employees from accidents that you can prevent is a simple way to keep your business running as effectively as possible.
Food safety expert Jeff Nelken said in a report for EHS Today, "Slips and falls statistically land at the top of the list of accidents that occur in food service kitchens." In the fast rush of dinner service, it can be expected for preoccupied workers to miss the greasy spots on the floor and get hurt as a result.
Some may express concern over past floor mat experiences, like mats that slide on the floor. This is a result of improper maintenance and cleaning, not faulty equipment. Kitchen mats, like all equipment, must be maintained to ensure the best performance. Regular mat cleaning, and when necessary replacement, will make sure the mats are working to the best of their ability.
Increase Workplace Productivity
An unsafe work environment can add to the stress your employees already carry with them. Adding some much-needed safety measures to your workplace will elevate the business and relieve some of the anxiety your staff faces. With less stress and more mental capacity to focus and stay productive, the benefits will pile up.
Protect Against the Adverse Effects of Prolonged Standing
Another significant benefit of implementing commercial floor mats in your workplace is the relief it provides from standing on hard surfaces for hours on end. The food service environment, for example, can be hectic. Still, even during the rushes, many will be standing in place behind counters and fryers for prolonged periods.
The adverse effects of standing on hard surfaces at length were researched in a peer-reviewed journal from the National Library of Medicine. Dr. Thomas Walters and Dr. Robert Dick explain that "Prolonged standing at work has been shown to be associated with a number of potentially serious health outcomes, such as lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, fatigue, discomfort, and pregnancy related health outcomes."
Their research found that the use of floor mats is an effective intervention in preventing these health risks.
Lower-back pain is most commonly associated with and is often considered one of the only problems with standing for long periods. Contrary to popular belief, numerous severe health risks can be linked to prolonged standing.
One of the significant potential risks explored was the possible adverse cardiovascular effects of standing for long periods. They found a common agreement among eleven different studies that prolonged periods of standing "plays a significant and potentially dangerous role in development of vascular problems for workers who must stand for long periods during the workday."
The negative effects of prolonged periods of standing can also have a significant impact on your business. These adverse effects will increase the likelihood of staff needing to call out and leave you and your company to pay their sick hours. Promoting the general health and wellbeing of your employees will save you money in the long-run.
Make Sure to Find the Best Quality Product
When adding new safety equipment to your kitchen, finding the best quality possible is vital. The role of food service mats is to create a safer working environment, and if you buy poorly made mats, they lose the benefits they're meant to provide. High-quality mats can make for a safer environment and provide a smooth transition between the floor's surface and the mat.
Be sure to research floor mat companies to find the best products for your business. Exploring reviews and having contact with the provider can make the path to high-quality products clear and straightforward.
Commercial Rubber Mats can Protect and Elevate Your Business
Slip and fall accidents have a high rate of occurrence relative to other food service related accidents and are easily avoidable. Utilizing commercial rubber mats in the high-slip areas of your business can create a safer work environment. In effect, that will increase worker productivity and decrease the likelihood of potential hazards and problems for your business.
Custom Mats Can Help With Any Rubber Floor Mat Need
The food service mats (otherwise known as commercial rubber floor mats) are available in different models and sizes at Custom-Mats along with all of your other custom mat and rug needs. If you still need help finding the right custom mat, click here to contact us or give us a call at 800-330-1343.
