Slips, trips and falls are three things any facility manager wants to avoid within their building. Typical solutions to reduce these risks often include yellow caution signs to signify one should avoid wet areas and rubber-backed, carpeted flooring which help absorb moisture and get one’s grip on the surface.
(Photo: Grippy Mat from New Pig that reduces slip, trip and fall claims by 90 percent. Credit: New Pig)
However, rubber-backed mats can oftentimes add a trip hazard to an already existing slip hazard as they can ripple, shift or flip over. To rectify what could be an unsafe setup, global provider of floor cleaning and safety products New Pig Corporation created the world’s first proven adhesive-backed mat—the Grippy Mat—which can lower slip, trip and fall claims by up to 90 percent.
[Related: How to Keep Floors Clean During Heavy Foot Traffic
(Photo: Grippy Mat at New Pig booth at NFMT 2019. Credit: BUILDINGS staff writer Sarah Kloepple, who was in attendance.)
It was tested and certified by the National Floor Safety Institute to reduce slip and fall claims by as much as 90 percent when used as part of a floor safety program, making it an ideal solution for high-traffic areas.
“Wherever you can have slips and falls due to water, you would use something like this,” says Heidi Shetler, director of new market development for New Pig.
Listen to more from Heidi’s conversation:
Shetler showcased during NFMT how Grippy Mat comes in a variety of styles and colors, but all products still have the same adhesive-backing. It can be easily customized to fit any size or space, including cut to fit irregular areas like drink stations or displays, ramps or walkways, and transitions between different floor surfaces.
[Read also: Using Color in Your Wayfinding]
Companies can even display logos or a catchphrase for an extra touch.
(Photo: Companies can even display logos or a catchphrase for an extra touch on their Grippy Mat. Credit: New Pig)
“It’s more for safety than it is aesthetics, but it can be used for both ways,” Shetler notes. She adds that Grippy Mat can be cleaned side-by-side with the floor it rests on, and that it makes a great replacement for mat rental systems.
Grocery store chains like Whole Foods, Kroger, Hyvee and Publix are just a few businesses already using Grippy Mat in their high-volume areas. The adhesive backing sticks tight to most commercial floor surfaces and peels easily for quick change-outs, simplifying maintenance routines. A rundown of Grippy Mat’s notable perks versus regular risky rugs include:
- Adhesive backing to keep mat in place
- Lays flat—won’t ripple or bunch up
- Provides customized walk-off coverage
- Absorbent and fast-drying
- Built for high foot and cart traffic
- Can be cleaned right in place along with floors
- Costs 50 percent less on average than rental contracts
Dan Silver, New Pig’s vice president of product development, reveals in a press release that New Pig saw an immediate response from the facilities management community after launching Grippy Mat.
“In the past, payouts from slip and fall claims have almost always been viewed as a cost of doing business—an inevitable problem with no apparent solution,” he says.
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Products like Grippy Mat are proof, however, that dramatically reducing floor safety hazards is possible as long as companies are willing to innovate products and make safety a priority.
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