Many facility managers are unaware of how important mats are to the overall health, safety, cleanliness and appearance of a facility, or how they help keep facilities green and sustainable. The following interview with JoAnne Boston, business development head at Crown Mats, helps clarify the importance of mats and how they help keep facilities green, clean and healthy.
 
Question: What is the primary reason managers select entry mats?
Preventing slips and falls, especially during adverse weather, is likely the key reason. However, today, mats play many new roles in facilities.
 
Q. What are some of these new roles?
One key role is to help minimize worker fatigue. Prolonged standing can cause fatigue, harm worker morale, decrease worker productivity, have health consequences and increase the chances for mistakes…even slips and falls. Antifatigue matting helps prevent these problems.

Another major trend is the use of matting systems as part of a green cleaning program. They play such a vital role in keeping soils, moisture and contaminants outside that they are now required for buildings seeking LEED certification.
 
Q. What is a high-performance matting system?
A high-performance mat is a higher-quality mat purchased (not rented) by a facility and will invariably have a much longer warranty than a rental mat. Rental mats may be warrantied for only a few months. High-performance mats, on the other hand, may be warrantied for one to several years, making them not only more effective but more cost effective as well.
 
Q. Do you have any tips on selecting matting?
Higher-quality matting is typically purchased from a distributor. Because matting and green cleaning are so closely interconnected, a distributor knowledgeable about green cleaning will likely realize the value of matting and help managers select the matting that best meets their needs.
 
Also, a higher-quality mat is manufactured to last longer and perform better; this will be reflected in the length of the warranty.