TESTS AND TRIALS
An injection molding manufacturer headquartered in Massachusetts produces custom parts for the lead battery, automotive and consumer markets. Their facility employees over 350 people engaged in the operation and maintenance of several injection molding machines.
Years before, the company invested in laminated anti-fatigue matting throughout their facility to support the health and safety of their team. They chose various sizes of workstation mats placed at and around the different machines. Over time it became increasingly clear that the mats weren’t holding up to the high demand, high humidity conditions. The mats were crushed flat, and their edges curled. Employees were no longer getting any ergonomic benefit and even worse, the rippled edges introduced the likelihood of a trip and fall injury.
Upper management recognized the mat failures and committed to resolving the issues. Resigning to the thought that what they experience was inevitable, they considered repurchasing the same mats that had worked in the beginning. Just in case there was a better option, they reached out to Wearwell.
MATTING OR FLOORING: WHICH IS BETTER?
Upon a conversation with a Wearwell representative, a different approach came into light. Given the unique footprint of the equipment and the placement of employees around it, loose laid matting of any kind wasn’t the best solution. Instead, the representative recommended anti-fatigue flooring – a modular system that can be configured to surround the machines and provide ergonomics without interruption.
The choice came down to 24/Seven LockSafe® 3’ x 3’ rubber tiles or ErgoDeck® 18” x 18” PVC tiles. Both modular systems would deliver the comfort, durability, and the customization their operations needed. Once Installed, both would result in a single, ergonomic floor as opposed to the multiple workstation mats with frequent on-off transitions.
Not only would the ramped edges not curl, but because both 24/Seven LockSafe and ErgoDeck have strong, patented connections there isn’t the fear of the trip hazards that come for separated tiles.
To help in the decision, the Wearwell representative proposed a demonstration of both products. The area chosen was one with the most machine operators. The safety team along with the production and maintenance staff were present since they would be responsible for the installation. Soon after, employees from other areas were drawn to the trial. All participants appreciated the customization, comfort, durability, and the cost savings of replacing single tiles, not full mats.
In the end, the group chose 24/Seven LockSafe for its larger sized tiles and faster installation. Expecting production changes, the company also purchased extra tiles for any potential reconfiguration and expansion.
EXPECTATIONS MOLDED INTO SOMETHING MORE
The final installation exceeded the customer’s expectations for dependability, ergonomics, versatility, and cost savings! In fact, 24/Seven LockSafe more than paid for itself within 9 months. Its durability alone saved the company over $100K in just the first year by avoiding the cost of continual mat replacement and trip and fall claims. Even beyond the hard costs, the company avoided the soft costs of absenteeism and any resulting lost productivity. The cost of downtime for relatively small businesses ranges between $137 to $427 per minute. Downtime for large businesses can cost over $16,000 per minute ($1 million per hour) for just short disruptions.
Unfortunately, companies like this one have come to expect very little from their anti-fatigue matting. They accept that failure is bound to happen sooner rather than later. Employers simply don’t know there are better solutions available.
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