The entrance mat at a hospital plays a crucial role in patient and staff safety, as well as for overall cleanliness and reducing the spread of bacteria. This means choosing which entrance matting to install is not a decision that should be left to chance.
But what are the main considerations you need to bear in mind when refitting a hospital, or building a new healthcare facility?
Top of the list are safety and hygiene, followed closely by the ability to easily clean your entrance matting and the option to design it to support wayfinding. Let’s dive into each of these areas in more detail.
What safety considerations are there for entrance matting?
Slips, trips and falls remain one of the most significant causes of workplace injuries in the UK, with these kinds of incidents that occur on the same level accounting for 30 per cent of all non-fatal injuries.
Of course, in a hospital setting you not only have your employees to consider, but also the patients, outpatients and other visitors who will be coming in and out of your premises. Naturally, some of them will have limited mobility.
This is why your choice of entrance matting is crucial. You need to select an option that allows both foot traffic and wheels to pass by easily, whether wheelchairs, stretchers or other mobility aids.
Loose lay matting is certainly not appropriate in such a setting, because there is the risk of the mat moving on the floor, or of someone tripping over its edge.
You need a fixed entrance mat that offers good grip to prevent slips, as well as being absorbent to prevent debris and water from entering the building on people’s shoes or on the wheels of the likes of wheelchairs or stretchers.
Why is hygiene for hospital entrance matting essential?
Being easy to clean is another must for hospital entrance matting. The aim is to provide a barrier to collect as much debris as possible and prevent this and associated bacteria from being brought further into the hospital environment.
Further into the hospital, you may also want to consider specialist barrier matting to help keep sterile areas truly clean. One study found that the use of decontaminating mats in passageways leading to operating theatres significantly reduced the presence of bacterial colonies in those parts of a hospital.
Why is durable entrance matting important in hospitals?
Hospitals experience heavy foot traffic, so it is also vital to consider how durable an entrance matting solution is. For example, many Gradus entrance matting products come with a ten-year guarantee, giving you peace of mind that it will last for the long term.
Not only do you want entrance matting that lasts a long time, you also want a product that does not degrade easily to ensure that the most-used sections don’t start to let dirt and water in after months or years of use.
How do you use entrance matting for wayfinding in hospitals?
By using different colours of entrance matting at different entry points or across different hospital buildings, you can help visitors and patients alike to navigate their way around your facilities.
This sounds simple, but zoning hospital facilities by colour is a valuable visual aid to help people find their way around.