Five industrial anti-fatigue floor mats that will help keep your employees safe
Need anti-fatigue industrial mats for workplaces like factories, food processing plants and packing stations? Here's everything you need to know about choosing the best industrial anti-fatigue matting for your environment and needs.
We've spent the last 50 years perfecting our anti-fatigue industrial mats, and if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that in wet or oily industrial environments, a basic anti-fatigue foam mat won’t suffice.
In this guide we’re exploring everything you need to know about choosing industrial anti-fatigue floor matting for environments where there’s spillage or debris falling onto concrete floors or metal grids, such as food processing plants, repackaging, sorting centres, bottling plants, industrial plants, manufacturers, refineries, automotive plants, chemical plants and distribution centres.
The benefits of industrial anti-fatigue floor mats in factory packing benches and workstations
Standing on cold concrete floors and metal grids puts enormous strain on the body. Installing anti-fatigue matting ensures comfort underfoot for employees, and helps to reduce the negative effect on workers’ calves and lower backs from standing on solid surfaces for prolonged periods.
This is particularly important in heavy-duty environments, where operating industrial equipment and heavy machinery can put increased pressure on employees’ bodies. The right anti-fatigue mat can play a critical role in decreasing the risk of injury, and circulatory problems – while workers may not experience any ill-effects after one day of working on a hard surface, the strain on their bodies can accumulate over time, potentially leading to pain and injury.
Many of our industrial anti-fatigue floor mats also provide varying levels of slip resistance and cushioning, which is critical for workplaces like food processing plants, commercial kitchens and garden centres, who need to protect workers from slip hazards caused by water, product fall-through, and oils and fats. The cushioning also helps to protect delicate items and expensive tools from damage if accidentally dropped.
Features to look for when choosing anti-fatigue matting for factory packing benches and workstations
For some work environments, basic foam matting might be appropriate, but if you need additional attributes like drainage or fall through, make sure to carefully research the product features and specifications. This is particularly important if the matting needs to be suitable for exposure to oils and chemicals.
We recommend choosing anti-fatigue matting made of PVC: it’s longlasting, and provides thermal insulation. This winning combination reduces fatigue in employees caused by standing for long hours on cold concrete floors, boosting productivity through increased comfort underfoot.
Look for the following features:
An open grid to allow for drainage and fall-through
Flexible, easy to cut to size, and loose lay to ensure a simple installation process
Tested safety credentials for slip-resistance underfoot
Ability to withstand exposure to oils/chemicals without degradation
To help you narrow down your search for the perfect slip resistant anti-fatigue mat or oil resistant anti-fatigue mats, here are five factory-approved industrial anti-fatigue floor mats to consider:
Five anti-fatigue mats that fit the brief for factory environments
1. Heronair
Heronair is a lightweight, slip-resistant anti-fatigue mat that's super versatile and easy to handle. Its non-porous PVC construction and open-grid means these industrial mats are impermeable to fluids, naturally resistant to bacteria growth and provide superior drainage, while the etched pattern delivers excellent traction underfoot.
Heronair has excellent anti-fatigue properties with a hollow air-filled construction, which provides cushioning for standing employees who need support underfoot. It’s also resistant to most acids, alkalines and oils.
2. Vynagrip
If you’re looking for an all-rounder industrial floor mat for both anti-fatigue and slip resistance, consider Vynagrip. Designed to withstand all kinds of liquids, Vynagrip provides a superior defence against slippery environments and is oil and fat resistant, making it ideal for food processing areas, plant-based factories and anywhere with metal mezzanine grating walkways.
This PVC mat has a diamond tread pattern that delivers excellent slip-resistance with unparalleled traction – this not only helps to reduce the risk of people slipping but also helps to prevent equipment from skidding.
Case study
Vynagrip helps keep factory workers safe
When global tool manufacturer Sandvik Coromant needed a slip-resistant anti-fatigue mat that would contour to its facilities’ uneven surface, they chose a combination of Vynagrip and Vynagrip Plus. The matting's open grid and two layer construction delivers superior drainage, while the non-porous PVC repels all kinds of workplace fluids, including oils, acids and chemicals.
The industrial matting also helped Sandvik Coromant prioritise worker safety: the two-layer construction provides anti-fatigue properties proven to help boost productivity, while the yellow bands around the edge of Vynagrip Plus allowed the factory to delineate safe walkways around the heavy machinery.
3. Herongripa
Oils, acids and animal fats are no match for Herongripa. These heavy-duty factory industrial mats are specifically designed to keep food processing and food service areas free from slippery floors. The industrial floor mat’s anti-fatigue properties provide comfort for standing employees, while the extra-wide open grid means waste and other spillages fall straight through, helping to keep the factory floor free from hazardous material.
This winning combination makes Herongripa the ideal choice when choosing an oil-resistant, anti-fatigue mat for busy food processing and production environments, and is easy to clean with a high pressure hose.
4. Floorline
One of our bestsellers, Floorline is perfect for any environment where liquid is present and cushioning is needed underfoot. The mat's open grid and embossed surface provides excellent slip resistance and drainage, making it an ideal choice for slippery walkways. Made from a single tier of flexible PVC, Floorline is an incredibly lightweight floor mat, making it easy to carry, move and lift for cleaning. Extra soft underfoot, it's also a popular choice for environments where employees are standing for long periods, spillages are frequent and breakages likely.
5. Crossgrip PVC
If your factory has a slightly sloping walkway, make sure to fit out that area with industrial matting with extra slip resistance, such as from our Crossgrip range. Crossgrip gets its name from its cross directional top ribs, which deliver extra slip resistance on external walkways (such as on roofs) and on slightly sloped walkways.
Crossgrip PVC is a hardwearing walkway matting that's designed to be loose laid with no fixing required. It can be quickly rolled out and cut to fit on site, making it perfect for factories and plants with long production lines, especially those needing absolutely minimal disruption to production cycles, such as those operating on a 24 hour basis.
Case study
Crossgrip PVC keeps productivity levels high
When Jaguar Land Rover needed a heavy duty industrial matting solution to keep over 3000 shift workers on a busy production line safe from slips and free from fatigue, they chose Crossgrip PVC. Crossgrip contours over uneven surfaces, including ramps and changes in level, while the matting's durable, two-layer construction also provides underfoot comfort for shift workers spending long hours on their feet.