Anti-Fatigue Matting Terms

Antifatigue Mats: What are they?

The names and spellings abound: antifatigue, anti-fatigue, anti fatigue, fatigue, etc. All point to matting which is designed to ease the stress and strain on the lower legs and back that comes from standing for long hours on hard surface flooring such as concrete, linoleum, and to a lesser degree, hardwood.

Standard antifatigue mats are composed of three sections: a backing, a center material designed to compress and retract under pressure (a sponge-like material) and a surface material designed for the specific environment of the mat. These three sections are then made to adhere to one another as a laminate. Manufacturers differ on how the laminate process is done. This is the type of mat traditionally thought of as being anti-fatigue. The surface can be made of materials which are resistant to chemicals, oils and greases if that is the environment for the mat's intended use. The surface can be molded with shapes such as the industry standard "diamond" pattern. This might provide extra grip and slip-resistance in certain oily, greasy or wet environments.

Newer designs are coming to the industry which achieve similar ends without the laminate approach. The Bubble Flex™ mat from Apache is one example. It is made of a grease-resistant rubber compound with "air pocket" bubbles to provide anti-fatigue properties. Being made out of a single mold, the mat could prove to be a cost effective alternative to the traditional laminate approach in some applications. It is currently available in 2' x 3' and 3' x 5' sizes. Therefore, not intended to replace traditional laminate mats in most applications. However, it is a good prospect for counter operations, mailing workstations and supermarket checkout register operations.

In addition to newer designs, there are any number of other mature designs which also are considered to be anti-fatigue. For instance, a traditional wet environment like a kitchen has been the recipient of rubber mats made from a single mold for decades. These mats usually contain drainage holes to allow liquids to pass through to a floor drain. In addition to providing a more slip-free environment in the presence of grease, oil and water, they also provide relief to the lower legs and back.

How do antifatigue mats work?

They work through the use of the spring-like effect of, in the case of the laminate mat, the inner foam cell. In the case of mats made from a single mold, the material itself provides the spring-like effect. This spring effect causes small and constant motion of the feet and lower legs, even when the worker is standing still. This constant motion in the legs and lower back keeps fresh blood and oxygen flowing to the muscles. This action does not occur on hard surfaced flooring. The extra blood flow to the muscles keeps them oxygenated. The result is decreased pain and fatigue in those muscles of the lower legs and back at the end of the day.

For a complete list of available antifatigue matting visit our antifatigue page.

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Antifatigue Mats: What are they? The names and spellings abound: antifatigue, anti-fatigue, anti fatigue, fatigue, etc. All point to matting which is designed to ease the stress and strain on the lower legs and back that comes from standing for long hours on hard surface flooring such as concrete, linoleum, and to a lesser degree, hardwood. Standard antifatigue mats are composed of three sections: a backing, a center material designed to compress and retract under pressure (a sponge-like material) and a surface material designed for the specific environment of the mat. These three sections are then made to adhere to one another as a laminate. Manufacturers differ on how the laminate process is done. This is the type of mat traditionally thought of as being anti-fatigue. The surface can be made of materials which are resistant to chemicals, oils and greases if that is the environment for the mat's intended use. The surface can be molded with shapes such as the industry standard "diamond" pattern. This might provide extra grip and slip-resistance in certain oily, greasy or wet environments. Newer designs are coming to the industry which achieve similar ends without the laminate approach. The Bubble Flex™ mat from Apache is one example. It is made of a grease-resistant rubber compound with "air pocket" bubbles to provide anti-fatigue properties. Being made out of a single mold, the mat could prove to be a cost effective alternative to the traditional laminate approach in some applications. It is currently available in 2' x 3' and 3' x 5' sizes. Therefore, not intended to replace traditional laminate mats in most applications. However, it is a good prospect for counter operations, mailing workstations and supermarket checkout register operations. In addition to newer designs, there are any number of other mature designs which also are considered to be anti-fatigue. For instance, a traditional wet environment like a kitchen has been the recipient of rubber mats made from a single mold for decades. These mats usually contain drainage holes to allow liquids to pass through to a floor drain. In addition to providing a more slip-free environment in the presence of grease, oil and water, they also provide relief to the lower legs and back. How do antifatigue mats work? They work through the use of the spring-like effect of, in the case of the laminate mat, the inner foam cell. In the case of mats made from a single mold, the material itself provides the spring-like effect. This spring effect causes small and constant motion of the feet and lower legs, even when the worker is standing still. This constant motion in the legs and lower back keeps fresh blood and oxygen flowing to the muscles. This action does not occur on hard surfaced flooring. The extra blood flow to the muscles keeps them oxygenated. The result is decreased pain and fatigue in those muscles of the lower legs and back at the end of the day. For a complete list of available antifatigue matting visit our antifatigue page. Back to top
C CFR - This is a Cutting Fluid Resistant molded rubber compound. It is specifically designed to resist the effects of Mineral Oil based cutting fluids. This compound can be found in the 24/Seven® line and WorkSafe® Light. Back to top Coefficient of Friction - COF - This is the measure of traction provided by the surface of the mat. It is a measurement of force that must be exerted before an object slips. Therefore, the higher the number, the better the traction. OSHA recommends a COF of 0.5 in dry areas and 0.25 in wet. The ADA recommends 0.6 on flat surfaces and 0.8 on ramps. Back to top Compression Deflection - This is one way of measuring the softness or comfort level of a sponge mat. It measures how much a person's foot sinks into the mat - the higher the reading, the softer the mat. The results are affected by the thickness of the sponge backing and the flexibility of the surface material. Wearwell® considers a reading of 0.20 to 0.50 the ideal range. The test is ASTM D575. Back to top Customization - Refers to extra wide, extra long and customer specific mat configurations. Most anti-fatigue mats in our catalog can be customized to conform to any size or shape. Look for the emblem shown below. This emblem associated with a product means that the mat can be customized. Back to top D Durometer - The measure of hardness/softness of molded rubber and molded PVC mats. As a general rule, the lower the durometer, the softer the mat. Most of our mats range between 45-80 durometer. The test is ASTM D2240. Back to top E ESD - This stands for Electro-Static Discharge. When static builds up on a person's body and that person touches another object, the static charge is passed onto the object. This discharge can harm sensitive equipment and is drained off when the person steps on or touches a Conductive or Static Dissipative mat. Back to top Extruded and Molded PVC - Many PVC mats are injection molded (Comfort Deck® No. 460 and ErgoDeck™) or extruded (KushionWalk No. 475). These durable vinyl mats provide good anti-fatigue properties and resistance to chemicals and industrial greases and oils. Always request a small sample of the mat to test. Back to top G GritWorks!® - This is the Wearwell® line of abrasive-coated, molded rubber mats. They are the only gritted, molded rubber anti-fatigue mats on the market. The grit system provides an exceptionally high level of traction and is featured on all of Wearwell's abrasive coated mats including Grit-Top Comfort Deck® No. 461. Back to top L Life Expectancy - The life expectancy of a mat can vary dramatically depending on a multitude of factors such as: number of shifts per day, amount of foot traffic, exposure to oils, caustic chemicals or fluids, excessive temperatures, cleaning and maintenance schedule, compound, etc. The following is a general representation of what our customers experience (your experience may vary): 5 Years or more - Urethane Mats 3 to 5 Years - SpongeCote® Mats 1 to 3 Years - Molded Rubber Mats 1 to 3 Years - Molded Vinyl Mats 6 to 12 Months - PVC Sponges Back to top M Molded Natural Rubber - Natural rubber is characterized by its flexibility and resilience. It performs best in dry areas and when exposed to water. Back to top Molded Nitrile Rubber - This is a resilient rubber compound containing 50% nitrile. It has better chemical resistance than natural rubber and holds up well to most greases and oils. (Always request a small sample of the mat to test.) Back to top N Nitricell® Sponge - This is a black, closed-cell sponge compounded of a unique blend of PVC and rubber. It is used as the underside sponge of most Wearwell® SpongeCote® mats. Considered by many customers as Wearwell's softest and most comfortable sponge, it has exceptional resilience, far exceeding that of typical PVC sponge bases. Back to top O Ohm - A measure of electrical resistance. The higher an ohm reading on a conductive mat, the more difficult it is for the static electric charge to go through the mat and out the ground. Therefore, the lower the ohm reading, the more conductive the material. Conductive = 1000 to 1,000,000 ohms Static Dissipative = >1,000,000 ohms to 1 GigOhm Back to top P PVC Sponge - Also referred to as blown vinyl sponge, it is a vPVC compound that is expanded into a sponge with a blowing agent. PVC sponge mats provide modest comfort and durability at an economical price. Back to top T Tabor Abrasion - This test determines how well the surface of a mat will hold up to heavy use. The less weight the sample loses, the more durable the product tends to be. Tensile Strength - One measure of the tear strength of a material. The higher the psi, the stronger the mat. Back to top

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Online Dictionary of Anti Fatigue Terms

Antifatigue Mats: What are they?