When it comes to commercial and industrial flooring, such as an industrial floor mat, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. Commercial and industrial flooring is for areas that center on business. This means that—depending on the field—there are different principles you should follow to pick the best industrial floor mat. For example, in commercial locations, the flooring should be aesthetically pleasing but with a professional touch—all while offering protection to employees and customers. In an industrial setting, while aesthetics can still be important, this consideration tends to fall to the wayside—especially in comparison to matters like employee safety, subfloor integrity, and equipment and product protection. But, regardless of the type of industrial floor mat you choose, one thing’s for sure: Durability and resilience are of utmost importance.

Potential commercial and industrial flooring applications would benefit from the implementation of a rubber industrial floor mat. After all, rubber is the one of the best materials available to meet the many demands that each sector requires. For one thing, an industrial floor mat is available in many different styles—color and texture are just the beginning. Manufacturers like Rubber-Cal are privy to the nuanced flooring needs each business has, so they are likely to have an industrial floor mat option that works. And more generally, you can get your industrial floor mat in a model according to your business’s functions. For example, an individual work bench mat especially offers fatigue resistance to your employees, but it will also protect your expensive equipment from rumbling against hard floors. And an all-encompassing rubber industrial floor cover can be purchased primarily to protect a subsurface—which is especially important when renting or leasing a building. In any case, the point is clear: a rubber industrial floor mat is very versatile. There is a form of industrial rubber flooring available to fit your needs. Below, we’ve listed the main reasons for why you should consider installing a rubber industrial floor mat in your building. While doing so, we’ll answer your pressing questions, such as “What is the purpose of a floor mat?” and “Why is industrial flooring important?”:

What is the Purpose of a Floor Mat?

The purpose of a floor mat is to protect people, subfloors, and equipment. It protects people by being slip-resistant and anti-fatiguing. And it protects subfloors and equipment from damage by being shock-absorbing. To make our point clearer, here are three major safety benefits offered by rubber surfacing:

A Rubber Industrial Floor Mat Protects People

The protection of customers and employees is the most important aspect of any commercial and industrial flooring option. This is for good reason. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), slips, trips, and falls cause 15 percent of all accidental deaths—a percentage that is second only to those deaths caused by automobile accidents. In the U.S. alone, there are over 540,000 slip, trip, and fall injuries that require hospital care every year. Of which, nearly 50 percent (of workplace) accidents are attributable directly to the sort of flooring installed at the time of the accident. Industrial rubber mats offer excellent protection qualities that are well suited to withstand the abrasive conditions of most heavy-duty environments.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring is Slip-Resistant
In places that see excessive moisture, a rubber industrial floor mat is key. An industrial floor mat can be exposed to excessive moisture without fear of creating a slip and fall hazard. This is because rubber naturally resists water and has a high coefficient of friction. Combined, these two factors make rubber flooring products some of the best available for most commercial and industrial settings. For example, consider food service locations, produce preparation factories, and—really—any place that mops its floors. Excess moisture is everywhere, a consequence of at least one of a business’s functions. Thus, to ensure that neither your employees nor your guests accidentally slip and fall on a slippery floor, a rubber industrial floor mat should be your first consideration.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring is Anti-Fatiguing
A supple and elastic mat can offer an immediate performance boost in the same way that eyeglasses can instantly improve your vision. The supportive surface of a rubberized work bench mat enhances your standing comfort, allowing you to be more efficient and effective as you work on your feet. An industrial floor cover can come in a variety of designs. All of which directly affect the supportive qualities of the flooring option. The thicker the rubber surface, the suppler and more elastic it will feel underfoot. Nonetheless, even a thin sheet of rubber will do wonders for your body, especially when compared to cold and hard concrete. The right commercial and industrial flooring can do wonders for the human body.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring Protects Subfloors

Second to the protection of people is the protection of your building’s structures—especially its floors. After all, it makes obvious sense to keep the structure that houses your business in good condition. In the long run, having an industrial floor cover that protects the subsurface of your building, specifically one that employs a concrete floor, is a wise decision. The cost of resurfacing a damaged concrete floor can range from $1-$3 per square foot, not accounting the cost of labor involved. And if the concrete is damaged beyond resurfacing, complete replacement can range anywhere from $3-$12 per square foot. Thus, a rubber industrial floor mat, while affording you many other benefits, also saves you money by protecting your expensive subfloors.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring Protects Equipment

There’s probably nothing as frustrating to a business owner as downtime. This can happen for a variety of reasons. But a lot of the time, it’s due to breakdowns in crucial pieces of equipment. A business stands to lose a lot of money when its machinery breaks down—expensive repairs are another factor that makes breakdowns so costly. A work bench mat, strategically placed at the foot of workstations, or rubber, studded flooring placed beneath heavy machines can help prevent some of these losses by preventing equipment from damaging itself when it rumbles against hard concrete.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring is Durable

Rubber, in its natural form, has been long recognized as a highly durable material. With modern science and revolutions in industry, a process called vulcanization came about. Without getting caught up in the details, vulcanization essentially further increases rubber’s durability and resilience, making an already robust material even stronger. Later, manufacturers discovered that the introduction of additives during the vulcanization process resulted synthetic rubber materials whose resilience rivaled that of natural rubber. As we know it today, our many rubber products are the achievements of centuries of human tenacity and ingenuity. And while a rubber surface may not last forever (nothing lasts forever), it is especially designed to withstand harsh conditions. After all, car tires are made from this stuff. Rubber is one of the most durable materials out there. So, when you decide to purchase a rubber industrial floor mat, know that you’re making an investment that will last many years to come.

Commercial and Industrial Flooring is DIY-Friendly

A rubber, industrial floor cover can come in a variety of styles. For example, there is coin-grip rubber flooring, studded rubber flooring, and ribbed rubber flooring. Individual pieces like a work bench mat or a rubber utility mat work well for smaller areas. And for longer areas, rubber, diamond-plate rolls and other types of industrial runners can match the lengths of the corridors. Regardless of the rubber product you choose, your installation process will be straightforward. Once rolled out, rubber stays in place under its own weight. And depending on how permanent you want your new floor to be, you can add in or leave out adhesives, which are mainstay products on the shelves of sellers like Rubber-Cal. All in all, for your commercial and industrial flooring needs, look primarily toward a rubber industrial floor mat. Given all the benefits we’ve just outlined, rubber industrial flooring is a practical necessity.

Why is Industrial Flooring Important?

Commercial and industrial flooring is important because it protects people, equipment, and subfloors from damage. It adds slip-resistance and combats fatigue. It reduces the chance that heavy equipment will become damaged from rumbling against a hard surface. And it prevents heavy equipment and dropped objects from damaging the building’s subfloors.