Five factory approved anti-fatigue floor mats to help keep standing employees safe
Need anti-fatigue industrial mats for workplaces like factories, food processing plants and packing stations? Here's everything you need to know about choosing the best anti-fatigue floor mats for your factory floor or industrial workplace.
We've spent 50 years refining our anti-fatigue floor mats, and in wet or oily industrial environments, a basic anti-fatigue mat won’t suffice.
In this guide we’re exploring everything you need to know to choose the best anti-fatigue floor mats for workplaces where there’s spillage or debris falling onto concrete floors or metal grids, such as food processing plants, repackaging, sorting centres, bottling plants, industrial plants, manufacturers, refineries, automotive plants, chemical plants and distribution centres.
Why you need anti-fatigue floor mats at factory packing benches and workstations
Standing on cold concrete floors and metal grids puts enormous strain on the body. Installing anti-fatigue matting provides comfort underfoot for employees, and helps to lessen the negative impact on workers’ calves and lower backs from standing on firm surfaces for extended periods.
Comfort and safety is particularly important in heavy-duty environments, as operating industrial equipment and heavy machinery can put additional pressure on workers’ bodies. The right anti-fatigue mat can play a critical role in decreasing the risk of injury, and circulatory problems – while employees may not experience any ill-effects after one day of working on a hard surface, the long-term strain on their bodies can accumulate, potentially leading to pain and injury.
Many of our anti-fatigue floor mats also provide varying levels of slip resistance and cushioning, which is important for workplaces like food processing plants, commercial kitchens and garden centres, who need to shield employees from potential slip hazards caused by water, product fall-through, and oils and fats. The cushioning also helps to protect delicate items and expensive tools from damage if accidentally dropped.
Characteristics to look for when choosing anti-fatigue floor mats for factory packing benches and workstations
For some work environments, basic foam matting might be appropriate, but if you need extra attributes like drainage or fall through, make sure to carefully research the product features and specifications. This is particularly crucial if the matting needs to be suitable for exposure to oils and chemicals.
We suggest choosing anti-fatigue floor mats made of PVC: it’s longlasting, and provides thermal insulation. This successful combination reduces fatigue in employees caused by long hours of standing on cold concrete floors, boosting productivity through increased comfort underfoot.
Consider the following features:
An open grid to allow for drainage and fall-through
Flexible, easy to cut to size, and loose lay to ensure a simple installation process
Tested safety credentials for underfoot slip-resistance
Ability to withstand exposure to oils/chemicals without degradation
To help you narrow down your search for the most effective slip resistant anti-fatigue mat or oil resistant anti-fatigue mats, here are five anti-fatigue floor mats to consider:
Five anti-fatigue mats that suit the brief for factory environments:
1. Heronair
Heronair is a lightweight, slip-resistant anti-fatigue mat that's super versatile and easy to install and move. Its non-porous PVC construction and open-grid means these industrial mats are impermeable to fluids, naturally resistant to bacteria growth and provide superior drainage, while the etched pattern delivers great traction underfoot.
Heronair has effective anti-fatigue properties thanks to its hollow air-filled construction, which provides additional cushioning for standing workers who need support underfoot. It also withstands most acids, alkalines and oils.
2. Vynagrip
If you’re looking for an all-rounder anti-fatigue floor mat with slip resistance, consider Vynagrip. Designed to withstand all kinds of fluids, Vynagrip provides a superior defence against slippery environments and is oil and fat resistant, making it perfect for food processing areas, plant-based factories and areas with metal mezzanine grating walkways.
This PVC mat has a diamond tread pattern that delivers excellent slip-resistance with unparalleled traction – this not only helps to minimise the risk of people slipping but also helps to stop equipment from skidding.
Case study
When Sandvik Coromant, a global tool manufacturer, needed a slip-resistant anti-fatigue mat that would contour to its facilities’ uneven surface, they introduced a combination of Vynagrip and Vynagrip Plus. The matting's open grid and two layer construction delivers excellent drainage, while the non-porous PVC repels all kinds of workplace fluids, including oils, acids and chemicals.
The industrial matting also helped Sandvik Coromant prioritise employee safety: the two-layer construction provides anti-fatigue properties proven to help increase productivity, while the yellow bands around the edge of Vynagrip Plus allowed the factory to delineate safe walkways around the heavy equipment. Read more
3. Herongripa
Oils, acids and animal fats are no match for Herongripa. These heavy-duty factory industrial mats are specifically designed to keep food processing and food service areas free of slip hazards.
The industrial floor mat’s anti-fatigue properties provide comfort for standing workers, while the extra-wide open grid means waste and other spillages fall straight through, helping to keep the factory floor free from hazardous material.
This winning combination makes Herongripa the ideal choice when selecting an oil-resistant, anti-fatigue mat for busy food processing and production environments, and is easy to clean with a high pressure hose.
4. Floorline
One of our bestsellers, Floorline is ideal for any environment where liquid is present and cushioning underfoot is a must. The mat's open grid and embossed surface provides superior slip resistance and drainage, making it an ideal choice for slippery walkways.
Made from a single tier of flexible PVC, Floorline is incredibly lightweight, easy to carry, move and lift for cleaning. Extra soft underfoot, it's also a popular selection for environments where employees are standing for long periods, spillages are frequent and breakages possible.
5. Crossgrip PVC
If your factory has a slightly sloping walkway, fit out that area with industrial matting with extra slip resistance, such as from our Crossgrip range. Crossgrip gets its name from its cross directional top ribs, which deliver extra slip resistance on slightly sloped walkways and external walkways (such as on roofs).
Crossgrip PVC is a durable walkway matting that's designed to be loose laid with no fixing required. It can be quickly rolled out and efficiently cut to fit on site, making it perfect for factories and plants with long production lines, especially those needing absolutely minimal disruption to production cycles, such as those working on a 24 hour basis.
Case study
When Jaguar Land Rover needed a heavy duty industrial matting solution to keep over 3000 shift workers on a busy production line safe from slips and free from fatigue, they selected Crossgrip PVC. Crossgrip contours over uneven surfaces, including ramps and changes in level, while the matting's durable, two-layer construction also provides underfoot comfort for employees standing on their feet for long hours Read more
Which of these anti-fatigue floor mats is right for you?
Chat to our friendly sales team – they can help you choose which of these anti-fatigue floor mats will help keep your employees safe – send us a message today.