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It all starts at the front door!
March 08, 2019
It all starts at the front door!
Does your entrance pose a health and safety hazard? Whether it’s a personal residence, business or commercial facility, safety starts at the front door, the entrance to the building... all with the humble mat.
Apart from being the first and last thing a visitor to your premises see, the entrance mat plays a pivotal role in your health and safety regimen. Tucked away in this welcoming but often neglected floor covering are admirable yet mostly unnoticed qualities.
What is the purpose of an entrance mat?
An entrance mat serves many purposes. In fact mats have come along way over the years since their inception. Today they are more than mats, they are a system designed to keep the outside from getting inside. Not only do residential settings benefit from effective entrance mats, in commercial settings, in particular, entrance matting systems are a vital element of building design that requires serious consideration due to their health and safety promoting qualities.
The benefits of matting.
Recent studies have shown that harmful pathogens that end up indoors, along with dirt and grime, are tracked in on people’s shoes. Used correctly, entrance matting systems can stop up to 95% of dirt, moisture and other allergens making their way into a building to provide the following major benefits:
- Reduction in maintenance costs - Over its lifetime an effective entrance matting system can save you a considerable amount in annual cleaning and maintenance costs by stopping dirt and moisture in its tracks and leaving it at the door minimising the amount of cleaning required throughout the building.
- Floor surface protection - Dirt, grime and moisture tracked into a building from the soles of shoes can damage interior floor coverings with scratches, scuffs and general wear and tear. In some instances, depending on the floor surface, permanent damage can be caused. The use of entrance matting designed to stop the outdoor elements at the door helps to extend the life of your floor covering by protecting your asset and minimising the damage caused by tracked in dirt while helping to keep floors clean throughout the premises.
- Improved air quality - Entrance matting systems contribute to improving the indoor air quality of your premises by removing dust, nasty bacteria, allergens and other contaminants from the soles of shoes so they don’t make their way indoors and into the air you breathe, in turn providing a healthier and safer environment.
- First impressions - The entrance to you premises is your first opportunity to leave a lasting first impression. Matting can assist in creating a stylish and welcoming entrance for visitors and employees by minimising the presence of unpleasant marks and stains left behind by dirt, grit and moisture tracked into the building on the soles of shoes.
- Safety - Regardless of premises wet, slippery floors are dangerous and accidents as a result of a slip or fall can happen almost anywhere, particularly in entrances that become wet on rainy days when water is tracked in on shoes. Matting assists with reducing the danger of slips, falls and potential liability claims by trapping dirt, debris and moisture by the door, before it reaches the internal floor surface and posing a hazard.
- Branding & Recognition - Apart from keeping your facility clean and safe, mats can be customised with your company logo to bring your brand to life and deliver marketing messages right on your doorstep.
It’s more than a mat...it’s a system.
Over 30 years ago, 3M scientists developed a solution which would help effectively protect building entrances from dirt. The first Nomad™ matting product with its revolutionary vinyl “coiled loops” was developed to help remove moisture as well as dirt and debris. Incorporating carpet fibre technology, 3M expanded its entrance matting offering. Today, thanks to continuous innovation and proven expertise, 3M offers a complete line of entrance matting as well as Safety-Walk™ branded wet area, anti-fatigue work area and clean room matting.
3M™ Matting Products are designed to trap dirt and debris, remove moisture, reduce fatigue and help keep floors clean and safe throughout your facility. The result? Cleaner looking floors that are easier to maintain, safer for building occupants and less likely to be damaged by tracked-in dirt.
3M has a full range of matting solutions that are harder working and longer lasting over conventional mats, whilst being easy to install and cost effective. Designed to suit a variety of applications and traffic levels they are available in a wide range of styles, colours and materials to help floors throughout your facility stay safer, cleaner looking, easier to maintain and less likely to be damaged by tracked-in dirt. Explore the range below.
Not sure where to start or what you need in your facility? Whether you need to protect an entrance zone, high risk zone, high traffic zone or a productivity zone, contact a 3M Facility Safety Specialist for more information. We can assist you with understanding the risk areas in your facility and provide reliable and proactive solutions for your floor safety program. - Reduction in maintenance costs - Over its lifetime an effective entrance matting system can save you a considerable amount in annual cleaning and maintenance costs by stopping dirt and moisture in its tracks and leaving it at the door minimising the amount of cleaning required throughout the building.
