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Managing a Potential Office Environment Risk
Floor mats (clear or dark plastic carpet protectors) were common back in the early days when carpet began to be regularly used in the office. The floor mats reduced wear and tear caused by the old-style, metal, rolling casters on task chairs. Well, the office has changed – and it’s not just in the information technology. The technology of furnishings has advanced as well. The carpet is tougher. And the casters are now hard plastic. They are designed for carpeted surfaces making floor mats a thing of the past.
For years, floor mats contributed to sometimes very serious employee injuries. More recently they have been linked to Indoor Air Quality problems. DAS-RMD recommends that floor mats not be used for the following safety reasons:
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Chair casters are designed for either carpet or hard surfaces.
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Carpet casters allow ease of movement and decrease the wear on carpeting. They do not work effectively on hard surfaces and easily slip away from the person sitting in the chair. Note: State Price Agreement chairs are spec’ed with carpet casters.
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Hard surface casters do not work effectively on carpeting and are difficult to move when sitting on carpeted surfaces.
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Carpet and hard surface casters are not designed to be used on floor mats. They do not work properly on rubber or plastic surfaces.
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Floor mats are not routinely moved during regular housekeeping. Dirt, mold, fungus and bacteria can collect under floor mats. This is not usually a problem until moisture is added. This may occur during carpet shampooing. If any moisture remains in the carpet when the floor mat is put back in place, it presents a breeding ground for microbes. This increases the potential for allergic reactions, claims, absence from work, and additional clean up expense.
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Over time, floor mats gradually weaken, crack, break, become uneven and sometimes even curl. The resulting condition of the floor mat leaves it extending above the carpet or floor surface. The weakened floor mat results in a potential tripping hazard.
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There is a low visual contrast between the mats and the floor, which results in a trip hazard. As individuals walk up to a work station it can be difficult to determine that a floor mat is there. If an employee does not see the floor mat they may catch the sole of their shoe on the floor mat edge resulting in a trip and/or fall.
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The floor mat surface is different than the carpet. Floor characteristics are measured in terms of the static or dynamic coefficient-of-friction (COF). The abrupt change, especially if the walker does not notice the mat, can result in a slip and fall.
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Incidents due to having floor mats in the work place are not unusual and may result in injury to employees. Below are some examples:
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It is not uncommon for an injury to occur when an employee attempts to sit in a chair positioned on a floor mat and the chair rolls away. The employee misses the chair, suffers a hard landing on the floor, which potentially could result in a tailbone or spine injury.
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Another common incident occurs when an employee “pushes” away from the work surface causing the chair to roll off the floor mat and onto carpeted surface. An injury may occur when the chair reaches the carpeting, immediately ceases movement, and tips over, spilling the employee onto the floor or possibly against another object.
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Another tipping incident occurs when the employee tries to move the chair from carpeting onto a floor mat. The casters get caught on the floor mat and cause the chair to tip, again, spilling the employee onto the floor.
The original reason for using floor mats was to prevent damage to carpets and to make it easier for the employee to move on carpet in a chair with hard-surface floor casters or vice versa. If the correct caster is ordered for the chair, there should be no excessive wear to the carpets. More importantly the risk of an employee becoming injured is significantly reduced. The argument for preventing damage to carpet is far outweighed by the risk of a costly back, neck, hip, or concussion injury.
History: New 3-1-04
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