Workforce middle age spread produces
anti-fatigue matting keyed to comfort and safety
 As Australia’s workforce expands towards 10 million
over the next decade, most of the growth will come from
groups aged 45 or more.
While this group accounts for about a third of all workers
now, it is expected to expand dramatically as the Baby
Boomer population bulge moves through the workforce, says
safety, ergonomic and anti-fatigue mat authority Mr Michael
Siegle.
“This means employers will increasingly have to
focus on adapting their workplaces to account for an older
workforce, particularly in employment where extended periods
are spent standing,” said Mr Siegle, an expert witness
in court cases involving accidents and workers compensation,
as well as being Managing Director of the national General
Mat Company network.
The General Mat company used National Manufacturing Week
from June 1-4 to launch some of the world’s latest
safety, ergonomic and anti-fatigue matting, including Ultra-Soft
Diamond Plate No 414, a 20mm thick general purpose mat
with bevelled edges for safety and a very high, non-slip
friction coefficient of .68 Dry per American Standard ASTM
F1677. GMC also showed its PowerBuy Range, Orthostand® commercial and industrial matting,
and Waterhog and Multi Guard matting designed to stop workers
and visitors bringing hazardous and slippery material into
workplaces and public buildings.
Mr Siegle says sprains or strains of joints or adjacent
muscles now account for more than 50 per cent of new workers
compensation cases recorded by the National Occupational
Health and Safety Commission.
The total of such injuries now exceeds 61,000, according
to the latest NOHSC figures - and is likely to rise again
as Australia’s workforce ages and a less nimble and
resilient workforce becomes more prone to falls, slips
and trips and plain wear and tear on older bodies.
“Just the simple act of standing eight hours every
day for years can be hazardous to workers health. It will
certainly take its toll on your body: varicose veins, lower
back pain, leg pain, fallen arches are just a few of the
most common ailments. And ultimately this wear and tear
on bodies will expose workers and their employers to a
greater risk of slips, falls, and chronic back injury,” says
Mr Siegle.
“
Such injuries can lead to big payouts. It doesn’t
matter if employers wrap workers in a cocoon of safety
garments – helmets, glasses, gloves, boots protective
clothing – but it won’t make an iota of difference
if underfoot safety and comfort is neglected. Workers will
still fall over if the surface underfoot is unsatisfactory,
and injuries will still build up slowly but surely if their
work continually requires them to stand on non-ergonomic
surfaces.”
Anti-fatigue mats function by encouraging subtle movement
of leg and calf muscles. As the muscles contract and
relax they pump blood back to the heart and eliminate
blood pooling
in the lower extremities, which often occurs if a worker's
muscles are totally static. Examples of GMC’s most
popular anti-fatigue mats:
- 24/7 high performance mats for heavy commercial and
industrial use. Part of the GMC’s economical PowerBuy range,
the durable 15mm thick rubber mats include 24/7™ 570-WH
and 24/7™572-SOL mats provide supple, comfortable
and secure footing 24 hours a day for people working
in wet and greasy areas (WH types) and in predominantly
dry
areas (SOL types).
- Ortho Stand® commercial and industrial
matting a domed surface to provide a massaging feeling
while encouraging
beneficial changes in posture.
- Waterhog and Multi Guard entrance matting,
which is designed to scrape grime from shoes to exclude
dirt
from commercial premises while providing a sure footing.
- Happy
Feet anti-fatigue matting for commercial and industrial
premises. This matting (used nationally
by Woolworths at checkouts) seals a dense shock-absorptive
cushion within solid, nitrile rubber to withstand industrial
deterioration caused by chemicals, animal fats, petroleum
products, and even the heels of employees’ shoes.
- Ultra-soft Diamond Plate No 414. Featuring GMC’s
best-selling diamond plate tough vinyl surface on its double-thick
Nitricel® sponge base, Ultra-Soft Diamond Plate No
414 is particularly suitable for manufacturing industries
with an ageing workforce, says GMC. This mat is very durable
with a high Tabor abrasion performance of one per cent
losses at 1000 cycles (as per Federal Standard 193 – Tabor
tests determine how well a mat will hold up to heavy use.
The less weight a sample loses, the more durable the product
tends to be).
Manufactured by one of the world’s leading safety
and anti-fatigue mat specialists, The Tennessee Mat Company,
Ultra-Soft Diamond plate No 414 will be available in black
and black with yellow chevron edging in a range of stock
sizes as well as being cut to custom lengths. It will feature
in GMC’s new catalogue to be released mid-year, showing
Australia’s most comprehensive range of safety, ergonomic
and anti-fatigue mats.
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