A Comprehensive List of Floor Mats Designed for High-Traffic Areas

Places like shopping malls, business establishments and hospitals are considered high-traffic areas where thousands of people enter on a daily basis. All those feet and shoes bring in moisture, dirt, mud and other substances from outside, often causing great damage to the floors and carpeting after a long period of time. They also create serious safety hazards for both workers and customers, which can easily lead to costly claims and disruptions.

That’s why it is important that building managers pay close attention to how they go about improving the safety of their establishments.

In addition to taking general safety precautions, they should also be mindful of the mats and coverings they use in such high-traffic areas in and around the building. There are numerous types of floor coverings that are able to stand up to the abuse of all of those shoes as well as absorb moisture and scrape dirt efficiently.

Here is a brief list of the best floor mats for high-traffic areas.

Recessed Floor Mats

For decades, recessed floor mats have been considered to be the best choice for flooring among business owners. This type of mat is a flooring solution that lays flush with the floor surrounding it. It usually comes with a frame that is laid into an indent to help with water drainage.

The benefits of using a recessed walk off mat are endless. The biggest one is that it reduces the possibility of people slipping, tripping or falling resulting from upturned mats. They also offer maximum accessibility for carts and wheelchairs and have excellent debris scraping and moisture-absorbing properties which will keep lobbies and entryways clean and slip-free at all times.

Entrance Mats

Another type of floor mat which serves as a great safety precaution in high-traffic areas are entrance mats. Whether it is a hospital, a shopping mall, a business building or even a restaurant, this type of floor covering is a necessity. These are places where lots of people come in and bring in all kinds of debris from outside, increasing the risk of slips, trips and falls.

There are several types of entrance mats reserved for such areas. For example, carpet entrance mats are great for removing dirt and water from the soles of shoes, and rubber entrance mats are designed for water drainage and offer more traction and noise-dampening qualities for hard floors.

Runner Mats

Runner mats are an excellent type of floor covering for high-traffic areas like hallways and corridors. These are places that also see a lot of foot and equipment traffic on a daily basis which can easily damage the floor and make it a safety hazard for people.

The best thing about runner mats is that they are a simple, effective and inexpensive way to keep hallways, corridors and lobbies cleaner, lower maintenance costs, extend the life and durability of the floors and make the establishment safer for employees and visitors.

Plus, they are available in many textures and colors so they can instantly add a subtle element of style to the space.

Commercial kitchen Mats

Restaurant kitchens are another high-traffic place where chefs and waiters are in constant motion throughout the day. These areas are also full of food, liquids and other items which can easily and quickly end up on the floor, making it wet and greasy to step on and increasing the risk of kitchen staff getting injured in some way.

Therefore, as the best way to increase traction and prevent possible injuries and accidents, restaurant managers should definitely consider using industrial and commercial kitchen floor mats. These mats are typically constructed with durable rubber compound formed with alternating holes which help channel drainage and debris while providing excellent traction for workers.

Final Thoughts

Places like business buildings, shopping malls, hospitals and restaurants undoubtedly see a lot of foot and equipment traffic every day. This increases the risk of floors getting damaged and people getting injured as they bring in dirt, debris and other substances that make the area a safety hazard.

The best way to increase traction and prevent possible accidents and injuries is to use floor mats and coverings. Depending on the establishment, there are several types available, with the best and most effective ones briefly described in this post.