by Carla Landi

Commercial foodservice operations are busy, high-foot traffic environments. Several safety factors can appear in a fast-moving foodservice operation, compromising employee safety. As operators are moving swiftly through the kitchen, multitasking and getting things done, wet floors and grease have the potential to bring it all to a halt with an unfortunate accident that causes injuries to employees. Cactus floor mats provide the best prevention and safety against slip and fall hazards.

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 9 million slip-and-fall injuries happen each year in the United States. According to ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, more than 4 million of those injuries are directly related to restaurant slip-and-fall accidents.

The top recommendations by the NSC in regards to avoiding commercial kitchen accidents include the following:

• Place non-slip/non-skid mats in the kitchen.
• Be sure the floor beneath the floor mat is clean and dry.
• Require non-skid footwear for anyone that works in or frequents the kitchen area.
• Quickly clean up spills, oil, and grease that gets on the floor.
• Place a caution sign on the slippery floor surface until the risk for hazard is gone.
• Identify uneven floors with floor mats or install a ramp.
• Keep walkways open and clear of extension cords or other trip hazards.
• Watch for customers who may get up unexpectedly to avoid collisions.

Cactus Mat is an industry leader in commercial matting, serving the market since 1930. The solutions they bring to foodservice operations are not limited to safety prevention. For example, floor mats play a considerable role in reducing worker fatigue from long-period standing; they can also keep customers safe, offer direction to patrons, brand the foodservice operation, and more.

Cactus mat produces the most well-known and widely used Entrance Mats in carpet, rubber, and vinyl coil.  They are available in a variety of styles, colors, materials, and textures with both rubber and vinyl back.  Cactus carpet matting patterns present fashionable style with maximum strength designed for effectively removing dirt and moisture.  All Cactus entrance mats provide great durability and longevity.

How about Cactus Logo Mats to promote your company’s image and market brand? Cactus supplies an all-inclusive line of Logo Mats produced with many different materials and textures that display attractive images for indoor/outdoor use.

So how do you know which mats to get and where they would provide the most value? The first thing you can do is ask yourself a few questions:

Where is the mat going? (or where should it be placed?)

How much traffic will it get?

What kind of traffic will it get?

A variety of mats are available depending on the location and need. You could choose extra thick anti-fatigue mats that provide extreme comfort with anti-slip textured surface and tapered safety edge, high-quality 100% nitrile grease proof mats with excellent drainage for wet areas, heavy-duty 7/8” thick anti-slip and anti-fatigue mats that are considered to be the workhorse of mats, and more. Choose between the best, better, and good scenarios of each line of mats depending on the need for specific areas of your operation.

FROM LOGO ENTRANCE MATS TO ANTI-FATIGUE AND ANTI-SLIP SOLUTIONS, CACTUS HAS YOU COVERED. THEY ARE DEDICATED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF QUALITY AND INTEGRITY WITH A LONG-STANDING REPUTATION IN WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS TOWARDS MUTUAL SUCCESS, AS WELL AS STAYING THE LEADER IN INNOVATION AND SERVICE.

Choosing the right mat for the right application will make the difference in safety, comfort, drainage, and floor protection. Below is a floor plan guide that Cactus Mat put together to make it easier for foodservice professionals to allocate the best mat for the application.