Sian Walkling, Marketing Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, explores best practice in floorcare to make a good – and safe – first impression.
The UK has strict legislation in place to protect the health and safety of visitors to commercial and public buildings. It’s of paramount importance to maintain the highest standards of hygiene possible in commercial buildings.
Floorcare is an often overlooked, but crucial component of this. Failing to keep floors clean can lead to trips, slips or falls – and ultimately, a knock to your reputation.
In this article, we explore best practice in floorcare to ensure you give the best impression possible for visitors to your building, while also making you protect the safety and wellbeing of occupants.
FLOOR MATS
While selecting floor mats for your premises may not be top of your priority list, their practical and aesthetic benefits should not be ignored. Forming a crucial component of any business’s health and safety strategy, they can reduce the number of slips and trips in the building. They also help to keep the workplace clean, reduce the spread of germs, and contribute to the wellbeing of both employees and visitors. What’s more, placing floor mats around premises helps to demonstrate that health and safety regulations are being respected and adhered to, which can enhance the reputation of your brand.
Whether you are deciding on a mat for your reception, service areas, or one to protect the floor beneath appliances such as water coolers, there will always be a mat to suit your needs.
Here are the different ways in which a mat could benefit your facility:
1. MAKING HYGIENE SIMPLE
Well-designed mats should significantly reduce the amount of dirt and water tracked into a building and improve the cleanliness of the facility, by reducing unsightly water or mud marks in building entrances, especially when there’s been a period of bad weather. Place your mats in areas which receive high traffic, such as entrance and reception areas, corridors, or in front of water coolers, to ensure maximum dirt is collected and your premises are kept clean.
Mats that use a high proportion of microfibres – small strands that attach themselves to microscopic dirt particles for optimum pick-up and absorption – are most effective as they are able to hold more water and dirt than a standard mat. To put this in perspective, a single mat can absorb several litres of water, and a few kilograms of dirt in between services when the mat is cleaned.
2. HEALTH AND SAFETY
Mats help ensure facilities are fully compliant with workplace health and safety regulations. Initial Washroom Hygiene provides mats with a superstyrene backing which helps reduce ripples and keeps the mat flat, reducing movement as this backing reduces friction.
For areas such as pubs and bars, or in leisure centres and gyms where spillages occur frequently, microfibre or non-textile mats are recommended.
These particular mats are specifically designed to reduce movement on wet, hard surfaces and minimise the risk of slips and trips, and therefore the likelihood of injury to employees or customers.
3. FINANCIAL BENEFITS
Using a mat can also add to a business’s bottom line, by helping to reduce cleaning costs and floor maintenance bills.
4. A GREAT IMPRESSION
Contrary to the well-known expression, people often do judge books by their covers, and a mat can be one of the first things customers, clients and employees encounter upon arrival at a facility. It’s therefore worth opting for mats which are aesthetically pleasing – to help make a good first impression. Consider placing logo mats outside your premises or in reception areas where they can give a splash of colour, while at the same time demonstrating an added level of consideration and care to people.
Initial’s Outdoor Logo Scraper Plus Mat, for example, not only collects dirt and water as visitors enter the building but can be customised with your business’s logo to communicate your brand message to anyone that enters the building.
5. CUSTOMER WELLBEING
If you are looking to boost employee or customer wellbeing, and enhance their experience in the facility, consider exploring anti-fatigue mats. These mats are designed to address ailments associated with long periods of standing on hard surfaces, including joint pain, backache and tiredness. This helps increase employee comfort, and in doing so increases concentration and efficiency.
LONG-TERM PROTECTION
Choosing the correct floor mats to suit your business requirements is important to protect and prolong the life of your flooring. In the long-term, floor mats can be effective in trapping dirt, water and other substances from trailing into your premises, as well as preventing accidents. But what if you’re not sure which mat to opt for, or where to place them for maximum benefit? If you have any queries, don’t be afraid to consult the experts. There’s a comprehensive range of floor mats available for all types of business sector. Whether you require floor mats for your lobby, office building or food preparation area, it’s worth discussing the best solution for your unique needs.
Offerings such as Initial Washroom Hygiene’s service option for textile mats can provide your business with freshly laundered mats at an agreed frequency, ensuring that your floors are constantly protected and that your mats will work harder for longer. Enlisting a service like this ensures your mats are laundered on a regular basis and are also subject to a thorough quality control check.
FINAL WORDS
It’s critical that managers do their best to enforce floorcare best practice – not only to enhance their premises aesthetically, but most importantly, to protect visitors. In addition to using mats in your premises, running a tight ship when it comes to cleaning will make sure floors are routinely cleaned and will deliver clear advantages for your business.
Facilities managers should take the time to assess the profile of their business and functionality of different mats before choosing the ones which best fit their professional environment. Provided they are laundered on a regular basis, these mats can help to create and maintain a clean, safe and attractive work environment for customers and employees.
For more information please feel free to contact us or call us on 0800 313 4972, and we will be more than happy to help.
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