How to choose the right commercial and restaurant kitchen mats for every zone from food prep through to washing-up stations
Are you updating a commercial kitchen, or fitting out a brand new restaurant? Kitchen mats need to be part of the safety equation to help prevent slips. There’s lots to consider, so we asked our sales team to identify which commercial kitchen safety flooring mats you need for every zone.
Slip hazards are everywhere in restaurant and commercial kitchens. There’s the inevitable food debris and spillages, water around sinks and washing up stations and the condensation in cool rooms. There’s also the frequent mopping of the floor to ensure hygiene standards are met, between and during shifts. These risks are amplified by the fact that in a commercial kitchen, people are under pressure and are moving at a fast pace, while working with knives, boiling water and hot stoves.
Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Statistics report that there were 93,800 nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2019 in full-service restaurants alone, with approximately one-third leading to at least one day off work. Furthermore, safety experts report that slips and falls are, statistically, frequently at the top of the list of accidents that occur in food service kitchens, thanks to debris from food preparation, oily and greasy residue on floors around cooking areas, etc., and these same risks are present in non-food service commercial kitchens too.
The right industrial kitchen floor mats can make a significant difference keeping commercial kitchens clean, safe, and running efficiently by adding a slip-resistant surface to a floor that might be greasy, or have not quite dried since it was last cleaned between shifts (or between spills!). It’s important to look at each zone individually when specifying slip-resistant commercial kitchen/restaurant floor mats, despite the fact that many are actually quite tight spaces, considering each of these as separate areas in terms of matting needs:
- Food prep counters
- Cooking stations
- Washing up stations
- Refrigerated areas, like walk-in fridges and freezers
- Service areas
Need industrial kitchen floor mats for food prep counters?
The challenge:
- Slippery floors from food and liquid spillages in high foot-traffic areas
- Slicing vegetables, dicing meat and whipping up sauces means food debris and animal fats fall on the ground
- Frequent mopping intervals to maintain hygiene standards leaving floor surfaces slippery to walk on
The solution:
Herongripa
Our heavy-duty, animal fat-resistant mat specifically designed to keep food processing areas safe.
Herongripa’s large open grid means food, liquid and other debris can easily fall through, helping to eliminate potential slip hazards.
Specifically made for food processing and preparation areas like those in commercial kitchens, these floor mats feature a diamond-cut pattern delivering unparalleled traction underfoot to help prevent slips.
Need restaurant kitchen mats for cooking areas?
The challenge:
- Slippery floors in close proximity to stoves, deep fryers and ovens
- Grease and oil spills, splashes and residue comprimise floors and need strong cleaning products to remove
- Fast-paced and high-pressure work space where risks of injury are significant
The solution:
Vynagrip
Our hard-wearing, slip-resistant matting perfect for slippery environments and workplaces, including food processing and food service areas
Vynagrip’s diamond tread pattern delivers unparalleled traction underfoot, which helps to reduce the risk of people slipping in commercial kitchen cooking areas. This combined with an open grid design for easy fall-through of liquids and debris equals a powerhouse mat that works wonders to eliminate potential slip hazards in cooking and food prep areas.
Vynagrip is easy to cut on site and contours to uneven surfaces, meaning it’s a breeze to install these restaurant kitchen mats even around large equipment.
Resistant to most acids, oil and grease, Vynagrip won’t be compromised by spills or by the cleaning products used to clean the floors and equipment. It can also easily be cleaned with a high-pressure hose; just roll it up, move, hose, and roll it back out.
Need commercial kitchen safety flooring for washing up stations?
The challenge:
- Dishes washed in large quantities leaving water and washing up liquid residue on the ground
- In many commercial kitchen layouts, the washing up station is adjacent to the entrance of the kitchen, meaning it’s often a high foot-traffic area
- Staff need to frequently wash hands with water and soap to maintain hygiene standards
The solutions:
Vynagrip or Floorline
Vynagrip, our hard-wearing, slip-resistant matting perfect for slippery environments and workplaces, including food processing and food service areas.
Flooring, our lightweight, slip-resistant matting designed for areas where water is present and spills are frequent.
Vynagrip is the ideal slip-resistant restaurant kitchen mat as it delivers superior drainage and, because it’s heavy duty, it offers the stability needed in a wet area like a washing up station.
Another great restaurant kitchen mat option for washing up stations is Floorline, our lightweight alternative to Vynagrip, which also offers an open grid design that allows dispersion of liquids to eliminate potential slip hazards.
Floorline’s embossed surface delivers the highest slip resistance and traction underfoot. It’s a popular choice for washing up zones as the extra-soft cushioned surface helps prevent breakages, and the excellent sound absorption properties help combat the noise of clinking dishes.
Need commercial kitchen safety flooring for refrigerated areas?
The challenge:
- Condensation from temperature changes when refrigerator doors are opened lead to pooling water on the ground outside, and slippery, icey floors inside the fridge/freezer
- Stock stored on the ground inside cool rooms and freezers are at risk of damp and contamination due to lack of airflow
- Slip-resistant matting needs to be able to withstand freezing temperatures without being compromised
The solution:
Vynagrip
Our hard-wearing, slip-resistant matting perfect for slippery, low-temperature environments and workplaces, including commercial kitchen and refrigeration areas.
Vynagrip’s open grid allows for free circulation of air beneath and around any cartons stored on the ground, keeping them elevated to prevent dampness from any ice, condensation, or accidental leaks and spillages.
Vynagrip’s non-porous construction also resists bacteria growth and mildew, helping to ensure the highest levels of hygiene, and can withstand low temperatures without cracking or curlinge. Easy to cut-to-fit on site, the matting is a breeze to install around any shelves or features within a cool room or walk-in freezer.
Need restaurant kitchen mats for food service areas?
The challenge:
- Fast-paced and high-pressure kitchens where service staff are hurrying to collect dishes to deliver to patrons, with their hands full
- High likelihood of dropped (breakable) items and spills, including hot liquids
- Close proximity to the meal cooking zone so ensuring safety and preventing slips is paramount
The solutions:
Floorline or Heronair
Floorline, our lightweight, slip-resistant matting designed for areas where spills are frequent.
Heronair, our lightweight, slip-resistant workplace mat that's super versatile and easy to handle.
Floorline isn’t just a great safety mat for washing up stations, it’s also the ideal choice for service areas in commercial kitchens, and for restaurant kitchen mats for the service area. The mat's open grid and embossed surface provides the highest slip resistance and drainage, and is a perfect option if you’re looking for commercial kitchen anti-fatigue mats.
Another great option for service areas is Heronair. Certified slip-resistant with anti-fatigue benefits, Heronair is the ultimate workplace mat when there's a risk of liquids underfoot. The use of non-porous materials and an open-grid design means these mats are impermeable to fluids and provide great drainage, while the etched pattern delivers excellent grip to help prevent dangerous slips.
Plastex has safety at the top of the menu when it comes to commercial kitchen floor mats.
Plastex are commercial matting specialists, and experts in hospitality safety matting. All our mats are roll and go with no templating required, and can be cut to fit on-site requiring minimal labor to install.
Need help with commercial kitchen floor mat specifying? Our expert team is on hand to help find the best mat for your needs.