In this guide to matting and flooring solutions, Wearwell answers some of the frequently asked questions regarding mats, floors, runners, and how to choose the right product for you and your workforce.

At Wearwell, we are experts in matting and flooring solutions. Below, we answer some of the frequently asked questions regarding mats, floors, runners, and how to choose the right product for you and your workforce:

First off, what isn’t a mat?

A typical mat may be made from one material, multiple materials, or multiple materials adhered together. However, a typical mat is NOT made to interlock with other mats. If you are looking at an interlocking mat, modular mat, or tiles that connect together, you are looking at anti-fatigue flooring or runners. So what’s the difference anyway, and which one is right for me?

So what’s the difference, anyway?

  1. In the first photograph, you can see a workstation mat. You can tell this is a mat because it does not have any tabs around the edges to connect to another mat. This is a standalone product that is intended to provide relief at workstations where users are stationary for long periods of time.
  2. In the second photograph, you can see interlocking (modular) flooring tiles. You can tell that these are interlocking floor tiles because the sides have tabs, allowing all 4 sides to connect to the next tile over. These tiles can connect in all 4 directions, making them perfect to cover a large area or an entire floor where users are performing their duties.
  3. In the 3rd photograph, you can see a runner. You can tell that this is a runner because it can only go forward or backwards. The tabs only allow this to be connected long ways. The purpose of these is to place matting in an area where people are constantly walking back and forth over a straight line. This particular product (Rejuvenator Runner 502) is also a great option for assembly lines.

How to know if you have the WRONG mat:

From a safety perspective, having the wrong mat can greatly increase the chances of a slip, trip, or fall. The most important step in preventing injuries is to make sure the mat, floor, or runner covers the entire footpath that the worker takes to perform their duty. In other words, if the worker must step off, and then back onto their mat during the course of their work, you have a safety hazard. If this is observed in your facility, you must consider one of two options for personnel safety:

Option 1: Purchase a large single mat to cover the entire footpath of the worker. Luckily, Wearwell specializes in creating custom mats in any shape or size. Just take a look:

While custom sized mats are the best solution for many companies, they come at a premium. Custom mats can end up costing more than to cover the entire area with an interlocking floor.

Option 2: Use interlocking floor tiles: Interlocking Floors are made of several tiles connected together. These anti-fatigue floor tiles come in standard sizes, such as 1x1 foot tiles, 1.5x1.5 foot tiles, and 3x3 foot tiles. Each tile is manufactured with anti-fatigue properties, but the tiles are not meant to be used as stand-alone mats. The tiles interlock with one another to allow anyone to create their own anti-fatigue floor, at a fraction of the price of a custom mat.

Previously Featured on Wearwell's blog.

Talk to Us!

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Founded nearly 70 years ago by two World War II veterans, Wearwell is a U.S.-based global manufacturer with sales operations throughout North America, South America and Europe. At our core, Wearwell designs and manufactures flooring and matting solutions that improve the bottom line and performance of our customers. We work to eliminate slips and falls, reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, heighten morale, and enhance the aesthetics in the workplace. Stand Strong with Wearwell!

Browse Products from Wearwell

More on Workplace Safety

Understanding the difference between spill containment and secondary containment is essential in maintaining a safe and regulation-compliant working environment.

Fines for failing to protect workers from on-the-job falls surged 25 percent to $36.2 million in 2022. The regulation requiring fall protection topped the U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’s list of most-violated rules for the 12th straight year.

The technological advances that power Industry 4.0 can also enable the use of predictive analytics to help manufacturers prevent accidents rather than investigating what went wrong afterward.

MSC

Signing into Better MRO is easy. Use your MSCdirect.com username / password, or register to create an account. We’ll bring you back here as soon as you’re done.

Redirecting you in 5 seconds