Everyone loves to go to the bar. There is a bar in every town and city in this country. These places are a center of life for some, a home away from home, a halfway stop between places, or even a livelihood. If you happen to own a bar or have a restaurant with a bar area, then you should consider having rubber bar mats around. Although some people may find them easy to overlook, the importance of bar floor mats cannot be underestimated. Well placed bar runner mats can increase the bar area’s overall safety for workers thanks to the traction which rubber can provide. They can also enhance comfort, leading to a more productive bar staff. Some of them come in the form of drainage matting and can help keep things a bit safer and cleaner.

According to the business research company IBISWorld, there are close to 70,000 bar establishments in America and together they account for about $24 billion in revenue (http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1685). It is fair to say that these are productive places. However, these places need to be safe and clean in order to remain productive.

The first hazard that bar-workers are exposed to is slippery surfaces. Most existing surfaces behind the bar are made of either wood or concrete, and sometimes even tile or stone. An absence of bar mats means that these surfaces can become quite slippery when wet. Without any type of waterproof floors in place, the likelihood of someone slipping and falling is much higher. Anyone who has ever worked at a bar will tell you that those particular areas are full of spilt liquids. Liquids can come in many forms at bars: water, ice, soda, whiskey, vodka, beer, gin, wine, etc. The list goes on and on. As shameful as it is that some liquor goes to waste, it is better for that liquor to end up on bar mats instead of on the floor.

Bar floor mats made of rubber offer enhanced traction capabilities. This is thanks to the rubber material used to make them. Rubber is a material that comes with a very high level of grip. This means that any feet on top of the bar runner mats will experience better grip and stability. These bar mats can greatly reduce the chances of someone suffering a nasty slip and fall accident. Even if the rubber is soaked with spilt rum, it is better that your feet are on the surface of rubber waterproof floors rather than wood or concrete because the rubber will still provide a superior level of grip. Some bar mats can function as a drainage matting option. On these types of drainage mats, you can see holes laid out across their surfaces. These holes on the bar runner mats are meant to drain excess amounts of liquid through them so that none of it can build up on top of the bar mats. Depending on the size of the drainage holes and channels, they can even filter through solid particles of the appropriate size. This will help keep the bar area cleaner to be in.

While any good bar should be clean, it should also be comfortable. Bartenders are always expected to be standing while on their shifts. While people can remain on their feet for extended periods of time, they will inevitably begin to get tired. A tired and aching bartender will not make a Cuba Libre as well as a comfortable and alert barkeep. Bar floor mats are an excellent investment in worker safety. Some bar mats are made with enhanced gauges or special kinds of synthetic foam rubber that are meant to provide comfort for the feet standing on top of them. Standing on top of these bar mats will relieve some of the built-up pressure in the joints of your feet. This is a great and easy way to get yourself and your fellow bartenders some easy comfort on the job.

There is no reason why any house of libations should be without bar floor mats. Bar mats combine safety and comfort into one easy-to-manage package. The rubber material used to make them will help keep you and others safe while on top of them. They will not degrade when exposed to the various liquids common to all bars. This feature is especially true if the waterproof floors in question are designed to be drainage matting. Bar mats will help keep your bar establishment productive and in business!