The Role Of Walk Off Matting

Crown Mats and Matting of Fremont, OH, recently conducted an online study with questions for jansan distributors and other cleaning professionals. The more than 100 professionals who responded were asked to test their knowledge about high-performance matting systems.

Matting systems historically have been used to promote safety, but these items have also come to have a role in green cleaning. This is because they help keep outdoor soils and contaminants from being “walked in” to a facility, resulting in a healthier indoor environment and reducing cleaning needs.

One of the first questions asked in the Crown Mats study was “what percentage of contaminants are captured and trapped by a high-performance matting system?”. Fifty-five percent of respondents knew the mats are estimated to trap as much as 80% of the contaminants.

Another question asked the respondents to define the expression “Rule of 15.” Eighty-four percent knew it refers to the number of feet of matting needed at building entries to help keep contaminants out.

The respondents were also asked a number of questions relating to slips and falls and overall building safety. More than half knew it is estimated that 35% of workdays are lost each year as the result of slips and falls.

Nearly half knew that the National Safety Council estimates the average cost of a slip and fall in lost work time, worker’s compensation, and medical costs is about $50,000 per incident.

“This survey tells us that most of the respondents are aware of the environmental benefits of high-performance matting systems and how they can promote safety,” says Phyllis Lark, marketing manager for Crown Mats. “However, it also indicates more education [on these benefits] may be needed in certain areas.”

Below are all the questions asked by Crown Mats in this study…

Q. A factory worker working on a mat without resilience is similar to which of the following choices?
A. Trying to run in sand

Q. What percentage of “lost workdays” can be attributed to slips and falls each year?
A. 35%

Q. The National Safety Council estimates that the average cost per lost time Workman’s Compensation case, often the result of a slip, trip, or fall injury, amounts to:
A. $50,000

Q. How many people per day are hospitalized because of a slip, trip, or fall?
A. More than 20,000

Q. Crown Mats and Matting invented the market’s first walk-off mat:
A. 60 years ago

Q. What percentage of our nation’s workforce reports work-related foot or lower leg problems each year?
A. More than 80%

Q. Some studies report that a high-performance matting system can capture and trap how much soil and contaminants, preventing it from entering a facility?
A. About 80% or more

Q. The Rule of 15 applies to:
A. The number of feet of matting needed at building entries

Q. ________ occurs when there is not enough traction between the walker’s feet and the surface walked upon. In this case, ________ is referring to:
A. A slip