Entrance mats are one of the main barriers preventing dirt and water from being walked in and getting onto the floor of a building. Entrance mats are often primarily installed to protect the surface finish of the floor. To prevent slips, entrance mats need to be good at removing water from shoes.
It takes several footfalls with each foot to effectively dry a pedestrain’s shoes. On average
Allway recommends 8-10 footfalls, roughly 6 metres of entrance matting. Wet footprints beyond the matting are a warning sign, and indicate that the mat is either not long enough, not absorbent enough or can’t cope with the amount of foot traffic.
Effective entrance mats should:
It is also important that there is a clear colour contrast between the entrance mat and the surround.
Positioning matting as close to the entrance as possible helps to reduce the chance of a slip and immediately tackles shoe born dirt and water. If an entrance mat is positioned correctly, everyone that enters the building should step directly onto the mat and should walk across it for several paces, before stepping onto the entrance floor.
To prevent trips, entrance mats should ideally be fixed, or sited in a mat-well. This allows the mat to be flush with the floor and prevents mats from creeping.
There are times when supplementary matting will be used to stop water getting onto a floor, for example, at secondary doorways or beyond entrance matting that is proving ineffective. Supplementary matting needs to have the same good features as fixed matting, and should not move when stepped on. It is important that they don’t lose their shape, curl or ruck as they can create a slip risk. When using supplementary matting, position it up against the original fixed matting, ensuring there are no gaps. If used as a standalone mat at an entrance, position it as close to the doorway as possible, again ensuring no gaps and that it is fixed securely using an adhesive or tackifier. It is important to note that loose mats or “throw down” mats can introduce a range of hazards, and can create a barrier to entry which is against DDA compliance so C/S recommends fixing any supplementary matting using an adhesive of tackifier. Supplementary matting should be considered a temporary fix, it is recommended to improve the entrance design at the first opportunity.
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