Anti-fatigue mats reduce pain and stress

Anti-fatigue mats reduce pain and stress

Most facility managers — whether they work in schools, offices, or industrial locations — are well aware of the benefits of entry mats. Entryway matting systems promote safety and significantly reduce slip-and-fall accidents. They also keep facilities clean, well maintained, and healthy by keeping soils, contaminants and moisture outside. This makes the indoor environment both cleaner and healthier.

However, not all entryway mats are the same. Some mats are more effective than others when it comes to capturing and trapping soils and moisture. There are also a variety of matting types, including bi-level mats, wiper mats and wiper/scraper mats. Further, entry mats must be installed correctly, typically by using a system known as the “Rule of 15.”*

The Rule of 15* refers to the effective placement of matting both in and outside of a facility. First, five feet of scraper mats are placed outside the facility to scrape off large debris. Five feet of wiper/scraper mats are installed directly inside the facility as the next line of defense. Finally, five feet of a third type of mat, known as a wiper mat, is placed in the lobby area itself. Working together, these three kinds of matting form a system that can keep more than 70 percent of moisture and contaminants from being walked into a facility.

Anti-fatigue mats

Just as not all entry mats work the same way, not all anti-fatigue mats produce the same results. In fact, while most plant managers are aware of these products and their purpose, anti-fatigue mats can prove to be more confusing and harder to understand than any other type of matting.

Anti-fatigue mats, as the name implies, are designed to cut down on fatigue for those working in a standing position for prolonged periods of time. These products allow the user to make “micro-movements” while standing, which can reduce back and foot pain, fatigue, and physical stress. Additionally, they help enhance blood and oxygen flow through the lower limbs, which also reduces fatigue. Studies have indicated that people are more likely to have or cause an accident when they are tired, in pain, or fatigued — meaning these mats can also potentially reduce injuries to both standing workers and others in a facility.

Anti-fatigue mats can be made with vinyl, wood, PVC and PVC tubing, rubber, foam, polypropylene, nitrile rubber, or other materials. While they are frequently found in manufacturing and industrial locations where staff must stand for the majority of their working day, food service facilities, cashiers, and beauty shops frequently make use of these products as well. After all, these workers are typically on their feet eight to ten hours per day, and often suffer the same fatigue and pain caused by long standing with which industrial workers are all too familiar.

A bit of history

It is believed the first anti-fatigue mats were introduced more than 30 years ago. Since then, other manufacturers have introduced their own lines of anti-fatigue mats. For many manufacturers and distributors, anti-fatigue mats are the most commonly selected products after entry mats.

Why facilities need anti-fatigue matting products

According to experts, the main reason managers select anti-fatigue mats is they help improve worker productivity. Employers can eliminate the stress on employees and increase worker productivity with anti-fatigue mats. These products also protect people from the hazards of standing in place for long periods of time, which helps to avoid back, knee, ankle, and foot pain.

Studies reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and other medical journals going back more than a decade support this assertion. These studies indicate that lost worker productivity as a result of the “common aches and pains” often associated with standing for long periods of time costs American employers more than $60 billion annually.**

We should note that this worker productivity is not necessarily lost due to absenteeism. In fact, in most cases, workers do not believe they are in enough pain to justify taking time off. Instead, these costs are the result of reduced worker performance. The JAMA study estimates that more than 3.5 hours per week are lost due to reduced worker performance, or about 23 days per year due to pain.

Workers who stand for more than four hours per day with minimal movement can become fatigued, say matting experts. A worker who is not comfortable is not as productive as someone who is feeling healthy.

Selecting anti-fatigue matting

Plant managers and others should purchase anti-fatigue mats rather than renting them, according to experts. Rental mats may initially reduce worker fatigue, aches, and pains, but the selection offered may be limited, of relatively poor quality, and some types of mats may be better suited for different environments.

Managers should avoid making their selection based solely on price. Lower-cost matting tends to be made of poor-quality materials, and often lasts only a few months. Additionally, these products may prove to offer only minimal benefits to standing workers.

Some anti-fatigue mats are designed for dry environments in which moisture is rarely an issue, according to experts. But where water, grease, oils, or fluids are an issue — which is not uncommon in an industrial setting — managers should select a rubber anti-fatigue mat or an anti-fatigue mat specifically designed to allow moisture to drain below the mat, providing a dry, safe, and steady surface to walk on.

Follow these three recommendations for managers, all of which are supported by almost all matting manufacturers and distributors:

• Work with an astute sales representative/distributor who knows matting systems and the types of anti-fatigue mats that are available. These individuals can be a manager’s best friend when it comes to selecting anti-fatigue matting products.

• In some cases, it may be best to try different anti-fatigue mats and then poll workers about which products they find to be most effective.

• Finally, check the warranty. Mats with a longer warranty — no matter what they are — invariably have these warranties because they are made of higher-quality materials, have been tested and evaluated, and the manufacturer knows the mat should last and perform well for the life of the warranty. 

Playground Mats

Playground surfacing

A playground Mats is the material that lies under and around swings, slides, monkey bars and other playground equipment. The surfaces are usually made of wood or rubber and designed specifically for aesthetics, child safety, and/or ADA wheelchair accessibility. Playground safety surfacing often involves the use of recycled rubber tire products such as poured rubber, rubber tiles or loose rubber mulch.

1. Applies only if a drainage system is installed.

2 Ability to meet standards varies with installation materials and methods.

3. EPDM refers to Ethylene Propylene Monomer, a firm, yet flexible, rubber material.

4. ATP refers to Aliphatic Thermoplastic Polyurethane, a firm, yet flexible, plastic in which sphere-like particles are chemically bonded to a color-fast binding material.

5. When properly installed with a 6" depth.

6. OPTIMISATION OF THE SHOCK ATTENUATION PROPERTIES OF PLAYGROUND SURFACES. ^[2]

Safety    

       In the United States, playground Tiles-related injuries send 200,000 children to an emergency room every year. If visits to doctors are included, the figure rises to 500,000 injuries, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons^] More than half of these injuries result from falls to a playground surface that can cause fractures, concussions, dislocations, and internal injuries. Recognizing these facts, many organizations, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have issued guidelines and standards for playground surfaces.

Accessibility
In the United States, as well as being safe, a playground surface should be firm enough to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which means it must offer easy mobility for children in wheelchairs. Meeting these dual objectives limits the number of types of surfaces that can be considered by responsible playground owner/operators. ASTM International has developed test method F1951 to evaluate compliance with the Americans With Disability Act (ADA).

         However, meeting the ADA's requirements does not guarantee that all children with disabilities can use the playground equipment.
Engineered wood fiber (EWF): This material consists of shredded wood into sizes and aspect ratios determined by a series of specified sieves. The wood chips are springy enough to meet ASTM F1292 for impact attenuation and firm enough to meet ASTM F1951 for wheelchair access. Engineered wood fiber is made from biodegradable virgin wood. A wood fiber surface tends to compact over time and needs to be topped off every two to three years.

·         Poured rubber surfacing: This is a seamless rubber surface composed of two layers that is poured in place (PIP). The first layer, or "wear layer", is typically 3/8" thick and made of EPDM or TPV granules. The second layer, or "cushion layer", is 1" to 5" inches thick and made of crumb rubber or recycled rubber tires. The surface's thickness depends upon usage and play equipment with 15-20mm for hard surfaces and 40mm for compressed stone. The raw rubber particles are bound together with a polyurethane binder and mixed or made on-site. The surface comes in a wide range of colors and even mixtures of colors. A typical poured rubber surface meets national standards for safety and ADA wheelchair accessibility.

·         ATP rubberized unitary surface: ATP stands for aliphatic thermoplastic monomer. This surface also meets safety and accessibility standards. It consists of a layer of almost-spherical rubber particles, about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, which are chemically bound by a color-fast binder. This surface, in turn, is bonded to a layer of engineered recycled foam (ERF) to absorb shock. The colors are vibrant, and they will not fade from the sun or power washing. As with PIP, its main disadvantage is high cost. But this limitation is somewhat offset by long life: data from Europe and the U.S. indicate these surfaces have a useful life of at least 10 years.

·         Shredded rubber: This material consists of shredded tires about 1” by 1/8” in size. The loose particles are spread on the playground surface where they absorb shock effectively and meets the ASTM F1292 standard. But there are certain drawbacks. The material moves around in a playground as children play, creating an uneven surface that is not wheelchair accessible. Wear areas under swings and at the base of slides are particularly prone to scuffing out. When this occurs, the thickness of the shredded rubber surface may not be enough to cushion falls from originally specified heights. There is also a risk of fire. Only a small number of such fires are reported each year, but they are apt to be extremely hot and may not respond to conventional fire-fighting equipment. When this occurs, the playground equipment above the surface may be totally destroyed.

·         Sand and gravel: The extent to which these surfaces meet safety standards depends on the exact type and depth of the material used. When sand is wet, the surface becomes hard and unyielding. In such a condition, the ability of a sand surface to absorb impact is seriously compromised. Neither sand nor pea gravel meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for wheelchair accessibility.