Facts about anti-fatigue matting
Of course we are going to say that as we specialise in these mats, but there has been study after study released showing the advantages of anti-fatigue mats on employee health which is making these flooring breakthroughs more popular than ever before.
The fact is that fatigue is a very serious problem in so many industries and countries – the HSE points out that there has been several very high profile accidents causing many deaths as a result of fatigue at work; not least the Chernobyl disaster, Clapham Junction, Herald of Free Enterprise to name a few. You might say these are high profile so don’t affect our business, but a fatigued worker on a production line or even standing at a desk could still make some serious mistakes which could have a very detrimental effect.
With a current emphasis on using stand up desks in offices to reduce the effects of sitting for too long, this isn’t always quite what it seems as fatigue is still experienced from standing at a desk for a good length of time as reported in this post.
So What Are Anti-Fatigue Mats?
Anti-fatigue mats reduce fatigue and health impacts from standing for extended lengths of time. Your backside needs a cushion for extended periods of sitting; so do your feet for standing. Anti-fatigue mats from Lanmat are scientifically designed to contribute to “muscle-pump theory” by improving blood circulation in the body, and reducing compression on the spinal cord.
So how Do They Work?
Obviously, Anti Fatigue Mats are not the ‘be all and end all’ to remove all of the woes associated with the standing worker, but they do reduce impact to various parts of the body, especially the feet, legs, knees and the hips that are negatively affected by prolonged standing. Anti-fatigue mats improve circulation and soften the pressure on your joints and muscles.
There are many ways to implement anti-fatigue mats to better serve your employees and your business.
Studies have shown that long-term standing on hard and unforgiving floors, particularly concrete, can cause a host of problems. Joint pain, back pain, muscle weakness and foot pain from standing and kneeling on hard surfaces can be debilitating. The health issues caused by standing can send or keep more people home on sick leave, which can cause an increase in workman's claims, raise insurance premiums and slow down productivity.
When your workers are in pain, they just can’t bring themselves to come to work the next day. Causing absenteeism to increase as well as the many costs associated with it. Anti-Fatigue mats provide relief to the standing worker, so those pains don’t build up, and they go home at the end of the day in as good a shape as when they came in.
As mentioned earlier, it has been established through various studies that concrete floors cause the most discomfort when standing for extended periods of time. It may be time to take a very close look at your productivity numbers to see if workers have seen a decrease in output over time. Or take an anonymous poll of your standing workers to see how severely they are suffering from aches and pain from working. OHS (Occupational Health & Safety) state that, “When used properly, anti-fatigue matting provides an overall healthier work environment, fostering enhanced worker productivity.”
Hard-working employees need to be taken care while doing something good for your business’ bottom line. Putting the health, comfort, and well-being of employees at the forefront should lead you to make the decision of putting Lanmat mats in your building. You will see a rise in productivity, a dip in sick days and an overall morale boost in the workplace from those who work there.
Browse our many anti fatigue products and flooring types or call to speak to one of our representatives who can walk you through the process of picking out the perfect anti-fatigue mats for your business.
Lanmat is here to help your business!