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Upfront Health and Safety Matting Systems Underlie Green Cleaning
January, 2008
By Chris Tricozzi
Dirt, soil and contaminants are everywhere. Studies have found that as much as 80% of the floor-damaging soil within a facility arrives via the entryways on the shoes of building workers and visitors.
Notably:
* Up to 24 pounds of dirt can be tracked into a facility by just 1,000 people coming through an entrance during a 20-day work period. In large, busy locations greater volumes can accumulate in considerably less time.
* ISSA, the leading international cleaning association, estimates that it can cost from $500 to $750 to remove just one pound of this soil from a facility.
* Within the first six feet of a building entrance as much as 42% of a floor's finish can be damaged or removed after 1,500 people have walked in without an effective matting system.
High-performance matting systems can help prevent damage, save on maintenance costs, and improve indoor air quality. "High-quality, appropriately sized matting systems are an integral part of every cleaning program - and especially a green one. A good entry matting system is also one of the most under-appreciated green strategies," says Stephen Ashkin, President of the Ashkin Group and one of the professional cleaning industry's leading advocates for green cleaning.
Many facilities, large and small, feature small mats at the building entries so workers and visitors can wipe their shoes - if they remember to do so. Otherwise, mats have historically been used mainly to enhance safety when needed, such as in adverse weather conditions.
SLIP SAFEGUARD
Properly installed matting systems can help reduce slip, trip and fall accidents because they help remove substances from footwear that can make floors slippery, including moisture, grease, oils and soil. This was proven conclusively in a two-year study conducted by an insurance company at a large U.S restaurant.
It was determined that slip-and-fall accidents accounted for 34% of the overall claim frequency and 61% of all losses experienced by the restaurant. Based on recommendations by the insurance company, the restaurant installed specific matting systems at the facility's entries, in and around food service and preparation areas, and on walkways going in and out of the kitchen, as well as other areas where slip-and-fall accidents had occurred in the past. In less than a year, fall frequency was cut by 57% and the dollar amount of claims was cut in half.
The insurance company also recommended that the restaurant select mats that:
* Have non-slip backing
* Have edges that do not curl by design
* Are of high quality and can withstand the expected environment and traffic load
Further recommendations included:
* Cleaning the mats regularly so that they function properly
* Storing the mats properly if not in use so that edges do not curl and they lay flat on floor areas
REDUCING DUST AND VOCs
Indoor air quality benefits when the amount of soils and contaminants entering a facility is reduced. A building entry or lobby that does not have an effective matting system will likely require more frequent buffing and polishing, which can release dust into the air. Additional wear and tear on the floors can necessitate more frequent strip and refinishing cycles.
Offshoot environmental issues include more airborne dust and increased use of floor care chemicals, including strippers, glosses, finishes, and detergents, which are some of the most powerful and harshest chemicals used in the professional cleaning industry. Many contain large amounts of zinc, heavy metals, ammonia and carcinogens that are difficult for local sewer treatment facilities to remove and often end up in local waterways, harming aquatic and plant life. These chemicals can also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which mar indoor air quality.
High-performance matting systems are recognized in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program as a component of an effective green cleaning program. At least 1 point of the 32 necessary for LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) certification can be attained by including a minimum length of 10 to 12 feet of high-performance matting at all facility entrances.
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FEATURES
In order to be effective in keeping soil outside and to become a key part of green cleaning, matting must be viewed as a system. Three main types of mats are placed in and outside a facility. These include:
* Scraper Mats: Often referred to as the first line of defense, these mats aggressively scrape dirt, debris and snow from shoes and trap them beneath the mat's surface. Five feet of scraper matting should be placed outside all major building entries and can effectively trap as much as 50% of the soil and moisture found on shoes.
* Wiper/Scraper Mats: These mats are designed to clean shoe bottoms and remove soil. Wiper/scraper mats should be about five feet in length, are typically found directly inside a facility entrance, and help remove soils and moisture not captured by the outdoor scrapers.
* Wiper Mats: These mats should be used in conjunction with scraper and wiper/scraper mats and should also be about five feet long. Considered the final line of defense against outdoor soils and moisture, these mats remove any remaining dust, dirt, moisture and contaminants still found on footwear.
This system of matting involves approximately 15 feet of matting altogether and is often referred to as the "Rule of 15." However, some experts, such as Ashkin, suggest even more matting should be installed.
"Studies have indicated that 30 feet of a high-quality, well-placed entry matting system [is recommended]," he says. "This can remove nearly 100% dirt, sand and moisture walked into a facility, making mats not only a key component of green cleaning but one of the best pollution prevention strategies that can be employed."
An astute distributor of janitorial/sanitation products can help property owners and managers select an effective matting system. If property owners want the building or company names and/or logo imprinted on the matting system, this can be easily provided, and can also be a valuable marketing tool.
Chris Tricozzi is Vice President of sales for Crown Mats and Matting. For more information, see the web site at www.crown-mats.com.
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