WHY ANTI-FATIGUE MATS KEEP WORKERS

HAPPY & EFFICIENT

INTRODUCTION

If your employees spend HOURS on their feet, their standing surfaces play a huge role in the efficiency and

safety of your workplace. Anti-fatigue mats are designed to reduce risks and optimize efficiency.

ANTI-FATIGUE MATS INCREASE

PRODUCTIVITY HAPPINESS+

WHAT IS PROLONGED STANDING?The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) characterizes “prolonged standing” as

an hour or more of continuous standing, or at least four hours of standing per shift.

If you require this from any of your employees, it’s important to understand and attempt to minimize the risks involved.

HEALTH COMPLICATIONS OF PROLONGED STANDING

• Physical fatigue

• Leg and foot swelling

• Muscle pain

• Cardiovascular problems

• Pregnancy complications

According to the NIOSH, health complications caused by prolonged standing include the following:

After analyzing the results of several studies, the NIOSH researched workplaces where employees are particularly prone to standing-related health problems. They discovered that employees needed more freedom to lean and sit throughout their shifts, and suggested ergonomic interventions such as floor mats and shoe inserts.

ENCOURAGING MOVEMENT AND CIRCULATION

(source: http://www.matcentre.co.uk/our-blog/anti-fatigue-mats-study.html)

FEET IN A STATIC POSITION SMALL MOVEMENTS TO POSTURE

ENCOURAGING MOVEMENT AND CIRCULATION

However, it’s not enough to find a mat that cushions your employees’ feet. It must provide a specific amount of support and relief in order to minimize health risks, and you may also need to accommodate additional hazards, such as wet floors or heavy machinery. Anti-fatigue mats meet a few specific criteria in order to make this possible.

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*ORTHO 1 ANTI-FATIGUE MAT

THE PROBLEM WITH PLUSH, SOFT MATS

Plush mats may feel comfortable at first, but ultimately soft surfaces are too unstable for jobs that require hours of standing. Because mats that are too soft don’t balance weight evenly, your employees must steady themselves throughout the day by swaying and shifting their weight. This wears out the muscles and the mat, resulting in fatigue and thin or frayed surfaces that become tripping hazards.

UNBALANCED WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

THE PROBLEM WITH HARD, FIRM MATS

Floor mats can’t be too hard either. It’s important to change posture slightly throughout the day, because muscle movement keeps the blood circulating. If employees stand on completely firm surfaces, their muscles remain motionless for long periods of time, causing poor circulation. Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to keep muscles healthy, so when a hard surface interferes with this flow, veins in the legs and feet tend to swell up, causing pain and exhaustion.

STANDING ON HARD SURFACE

(source: http://www.brainshark.com/MATtraining/vu?pi=zI6zwnsv7z6Js4z0)

ANTI-FATIGUE MATS: THE PERFECT BALANCE

Fortunately, anti-fatigue mats strike a balance between providing stability and maintaining circulation. They are firm enough to offer support, but soft enough to encourage small muscle movements that keep the blood circulating. They also have enough elasticity to return to their original shape after being compressed by weight. This responsiveness prevents them from thinning out quickly, and it takes pressure off the muscles and bones that support your employees’ weight.

STANDING ON ERGONOMIC MAT(INCREASED LEG ACTIVITY)

(source: http://www.brainshark.com/MATtraining/vu?pi=zI6zwnsv7z6Js4z0)

PREVENTING WORKPLACE FALLS

Soft, thin, and low-quality mats may also develop warped, cracked, or curling edges, which are tripping hazards that make it harder to move around efficiently and safely. To prevent this problem, anti-fatigue mats have cushions that are permanently molded rather than glued onto the base. For example, Hog Heaven marble top mats feature an anti-static, anti-slip combination of PVC and nitrile rubber to maximize mobility.

REDUCING HUMAN ERRORIndustrial anti-fatigue mats also improve safety and morale by preventing human error.

Exhausted employees have less balance and muscle control, which increases the likelihood of slipping, tripping, falling, and other workplace accidents.

If your employees operate heavy machinery or need to move quickly, they must stay alert and depend on a stable surface to stand comfortably and pivot when necessary.

BOOSTING MORALE AND PRODUCTIVITY

An employee in pain cannot devote full attention to the task at hand. Discomfort is distracting, but daily pain is debilitating, and both reduce morale and make it harder for employees to do their jobs properly. Anti-fatigue mats give employees the support they need to put full effort into every task they perform, and prevent morale from plummeting due to painful working conditions.

THE COST OF POOR EMPLOYEE HEALTH

Of course, if your employees trip, fall, or develop health complications because they have inadequate support, the decrease in productivity will cost you too. To illustrate the financial effects of poor employee health

in the United States, Forbes broke annual employer expenses into three increments:

$227 billion $117 billion $232 billion Lost productivity due to sick days (absenteeism) or illness that prevents maximum performance

(presenteeism)

Wage replacement for sick days, worker’s

compensation, and short-term and long-term

disability leave

Medical treatment and pharmacy costs

SUPPORT EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Healthy employees don’t need to call in sick frequently, and employees who use anti-fatigue mats are also less likely to need treatment for chronic conditions and injuries. When you decrease the stress on your employees’ bodies and make sure they remain alert instead of growing more exhausted, you may decrease your financial obligations too.

ANTI-FATIGUE MATS: A WIN-WIN FOR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS

When employees can operate in safe working environments, everyone benefits. Employees are protected from discomfort and health risks, and employers benefit from higher morale and productivity. Anti-fatigue mats play a crucial role in creating a safe working environment, especially in industries that require prolonged standing. Make your workplace safer and your employees happier with anti-fatigue floor mats.