Walk off carpet tile systems can help to directly mitigate all sorts of issues relating to foot traffic and weather.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour (OMA) here are a list of slip, trip and fall hazards in your workplace:
- slippery surfaces (oily or greasy, etc.)
- seasonal slip, trip and fall hazards (snow and ice)
- spills of wet or dry substances
- changes in walkway levels and slopes
- unsecured mats
- unsafe use of ladders
- poor lighting
- falls from beds of trucks, trailers or loads
- debris and cables in walkways
- smoke, steam or dust obscuring view
- lack of guardrails on mezzanines and balconies
- unsuitable footwear
- poorly maintained equipment (ladders, fall arrest, etc.)
Unfortunately, inclement weather isn’t far away. To help mitigate any potential risk you may want to consider a walk off carpet tile system. These systems provide an aesthetically pleasing solution which protects visitors from slips and falls, while extending your long-term flooring investment.
Slips and falls can be costly. Commercial property and casualty insurer CNA identifies lack of slip resistance as the number one cause of slip and fall accidents. According to CNA Claim data in a recent article published on reducing slips and falls in financial institutions, “40 percent of slip and fall claims occur mainly on entry flooring. Make sure building entrances are visible and free from obstacles. Water should quickly drain away from pedestrian areas to keep feet dry when entering the building. Snow/ice management is also important.”
Walk off carpet systems and matting can mitigate risk and protect your flooring investment.
The article goes on to say that, “Mats can also help trap outside walkway dirt and water before they reach your floors and create a possible exposure. To be most effective, purchase floor mats with slip resistant backing and beveled edges. Position the mats flat on the floor and ensure they are cleaned on a regular basis. Lastly, floor mats should cover an area for people to take three to four strides, approximately six to eight feet, before coming into contact with the flooring underneath.”
Why Install A Walk Off Carpet Tile System?
Walk off carpet tile systems vary in design and materials but are generally a carpeted rubber-backed matting system which consists of carpet tiles which have coarse fibers that “scrape” dirt off shoes and carpet also can absorb soil particles and are adhered directly to the interior entrance area of a building. They are a better alternative to unsecured mats because they are not only safe, they also protect your long-term flooring investment through providing a soil and moisture capture/barrier. Over time, heavy traffic, combined with soil or debris brought indoors can affect and remove a finish from an installed floor or damage carpet life.
Walk off carpet tile systems can be more effective than traditional matting.
“Soil and moisture are the main causes of premature wear and eventual replacement of the installed floor,” says Doug McDonald, President of Darwin Fishing Commercial Flooring. “These types of systems also help building operators avoid the liability of slip and fall incidents caused by slippery entryways in their facilities by providing the higher traction, moisture-absorbing technology.”
Traditional matting systems when combined with hard surface flooring can pose a slip hazard when wet or soiled with debris that is tracked into a building. Area mats and runner matting systems can bunch or ripple.
A Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA) article states, “Many facilities still view matting as merely a way to prevent slip-and-fall accidents. While that is one of their key benefits, effective matting systems also keep as much as 80 percent of moisture and soil from entering a facility.”
Keeping It Clean
As walk off carpet tile systems are effective in their ability to “wipe/scrape” dirt, debris and moisture from shoes, this is a key benefit to mitigating trips and falls as dirt and debris does not reattach to footwear and become tracked into the interior of the building. Click here for a recent article where we featured on a walk off carpet tile matting system called Tough Stuff from manufacturer the Mohawk Group.
According to the Continuing Education Centre, Architecture and Construction :
- The estimated cost of finding and removing a pound of dirt from a building is $600. (ISSA)
- One square yard of carpet can accumulate one pound of dirt in a week- twice that in inclement weather.
- 70 to 80 percent of dust, grime, and dirt in a building are tracked in from the outside on people’s feet permanently damaging floors and carpets. (Institute of Industrial Launderers)
- Fifteen feet of effective, high-performance matting can trap and hold as much as 75 percent of this soil at the door; 30 feet can remove as much as 100 percent. (ISSA)
Photo credit: Mohawk Group – Tuff Stuff Walk Off Entry Carpet System
Photo credit: Mohawk Group – Tuff Stuff Walk Off Entry Carpet System
Walk Off Entry Carpet Systems Lower Maintenance Fees and Protect Your Investment
From a facilities manager perspective walk off systems will save money in maintenance fees as they are easier to clean and maintain. By reducing the amount of dirt and debris tracked into a building floors and carpets will stay cleaner for longer periods of time, needing less care contributing to reduced use of cleaning chemicals. For general maintenance, the modular systems can be easily cleaned by vacuuming. If a specific area becomes damaged, individual tiles can simply be swapped out or repaired.
For information about entry matting system installation, please contact info@darwinfisher.com