Flooring vs. Matting - What's the Best Option?

13 Mar 2024 Production Equipment Europe

Flooring and Matting are two ergonomic, anti-fatigue solutions that can help improve the overall health of the worker. If a worker is standing on a concrete floor for hours at a time, health issues such as back ache and muscular pain can develop.

There is a key difference between the two:

Ergonomic Flooring is modular and features interlocking tiles that connect, covering large areas.

Ergonomic Matting is designed to cover a single workstation or an assembly area.

As a result of this, it is important to assess the process and environment before installing flooring or matting, and address the following:

Do employees stand in one place at a single workstation on a line, or do they move/pivot/walk from one place to another throughout their job?
Is the environment dry, wet or oily?
Are there debris involved? (e.g. metal shavings)

Below are some of the differences between flooring and matting:

	Flooring	Matting
Style	Interlocking tiles designed to cover a large area	Singular mat
Style	Can be as long or as wide as required	Normally standard/custom geometric shapes that can be dropped into place
Benefits	Ideal for use workplaces where employees move around - can be installed wall-to-wall	Easy to install
	Multiple styles/colours can be connected together to create durable, high visibility paths	Can be easily moved to another workstation
	Can be utilised in environments that are wet or oily, as it does not have the sponge material underneath	Economical option
Anti-Fatigue Solution	Elevates the standing worker above concrete flooring, which can be severe when standing on for long periods	Stimulates subtle movement of leg and calf muscles, which promotes easier blood flow around the body