When Chemical and Grease Resistant Mats Are Necessary
Grease and chemical spills in the workplace can be very dangerous, resulting in slips, trips, and falls. This could in turn lead to serious injuries like broken/dislocated bones, causing employees to be absent from work for a long time, or could even be fatal. Fall accidents are a leading cause of injuries in the workplace, so it’s important to take preventive measures, such as installing chemical and grease-resistant mats.
Benefits of chemical and grease-resistant mats
- To prevent fall accidents in the workplace and ensure employee and customer safety, it’s important to have chemical and grease-resistant mats in place. Here are some of their benefits:
- These mats are made of nitrile rubber, which is a highly durable material.
- They can be used for a variety of purposes.
- Chemical and grease resistant mats offer comfort underfoot with a cushioning effect, as well as fatigue relief and anti-slip properties.
- They have medium-sized drainage holes that enable spills and liquids to flow through the mat, which keeps the surface dry.
- These mats have a closed-cell foam construction that will not absorb liquid, making them useful in both wet and dry environments.
- They have a grip pattern on both sides of the mat that keeps it in place on any floor surface and also offers traction when people walk over it, thus reducing the risk of fall accidents;
- Has an antimicrobial additive that makes it safe for use in sterile and food preparation areas. It also helps prevent bacteria and microbes from growing on the mat that could render it ineffective or create health and safety hazards.
- They are easy to clean – just hose the mat down with a mild detergent on a daily or weekly basis.
Tourism, hospitality and leisure industries
Most people get into fall accidents in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industries due to grease spills. For example, if a worker who is preparing food for a restaurant uses a ladder to access ingredients/equipment on top of a storage room but the floor is full of grease, the ladder will end up slipping out from under them. This worker could receive serious injuries that could prevent them from working for an indefinite period of time. A lot of people also fall into or around swimming pools every year, as people spill food or drinks near pools. While customers enjoy the recreational services on offer, they don’t think too much about environmental hazards and their own personal safety. Pool accidents often result in cuts, bruises, broken bones and concussions, so it’s important to install chemical and grease-resistant mats with anti-slip properties. Other areas and places that will need chemical and grease-resistant mats are:
- Kitchens
- Dining areas
- Tasting rooms
- Recreation facilities
- Hotels
- Country clubs
- Traffic routes
Automotive manufacturing industry
Fall accidents from chemical or oil spills often occur in the automotive manufacturing industry. For example, if a garage foreman walks through a diesel spill and slips down a set of stairs, he could fracture his leg. When working with vehicles in the workshop or with manufactured goods, grease and chemicals can spill onto the floor, making the surface slippery. You can prevent slips and trips and maintain safety by:
- Having absorbent materials on hand for cleaning up grease, chemical and water spills immediately.
- Placing oil drums on drip trays.
- Applying a non-slip coating on the floor surface, or installing chemical and grease-resistant mats.
It’s vitally important to ensure that the work environment is safe for both your employees and your customers. Products such as chemical and grease-resistant mats can help provide a safe working environment, as they can prevent fall accidents that could cause serious injuries to your workers and customers.