Even tough dairy farmers like
a soft touch underfoot
when spending hours milking
 Anyone who has ever worked in a dairy milking pit for
hours at a time will appreciate how wearing it can
be - especially if the farmers and workers involved
are past the first flush of youth.
In order to be at the forefront of Occupational Health
and Safety on farms, Dairyking is introducing modular
anti-fatigue matting systems that it has found are providing
very welcome relief to those suffering from the typical
aches and pains associated with working on wet and hard
concrete floors.
Dairyking, one of the world’s leading dairy farm equipment manufacturers,
has teamed up with one of Australia’s anti-fatigue and safety mats specialists,
The General Mat Company, to help employers fulfil their occupational health
and safety obligations - even in awkwardly shaped areas.
One of its prime weapons in the war against bodily wear
and tear is GMC’s 24/Seven™ modular mats,
which provide supple, comfortable and secure footing
24 hours a day for people working in either predominantly
dry areas (570 solid surface types) and in wet and greasy
areas (572 types with drainage holes).
A major advantage of the large (900X900mm, 15mm thick)
modules is their ability to be cut to fit into areas
that might otherwise be overlooked – such as L-shaped,
T-shaped and squared U-shape floor configurations that
abound in sheds, factories, warehouses, workshops and
processing areas.
“We have installed the product in dairies in the
Hunter Valley and Northern NSW recently and have been
encouraged
by the interest it has created,” said Dairyking
Sales Manager Philip Schultz.
“
We had one farmer whose Dad, aged 70, still likes to
get down in the milking pit and do his bit. Because he
suffered from the hard floors, he always had to get a
chair to sit on. But since we put in the 24/7 Solid Top,
he’s able to get through milking without needing
to sit down”.
“We have found that once we get an installation
in at one place, the farmers and managers who see it
like it and bring it into their own places. Everyone
likes the comfort underfoot – young or old – and
it is easy care, easy to wash and to look after.”
General Mat Company Managing Director Mike Siegle says
24/Seven is ideally suited to primary processing tasks
because of its versatility – “It’s
more of a flooring system than matting – it’s
that versatile,” he said, adding that the 24/Seven
modular range also includes Gritworks modular mats offering
up to 40 per cent extra traction and enhanced chemical
resistance through their nitrile formulation. These are
intended specifically for wet areas where optimum grip
is required.
The durable rubber mats – part of GMC’s
new range of economical high performance mats for heavy
commercial and industrial use – are modular designs
that plug together via a hidden interlocking system to
fit neatly into spaces of different shapes (around machinery,
behind counters and benches, underneath workstations
and in odd-shaped production areas, for example).
“Without modularity and a substantially sized
tile, these areas can be just too hard to do – not
only do you have to fit around shapes, but you have to
provide a tile that covers a decent area so you are not
fiddling with dozens of flimsy little tiles,” he
said.
Featuring a knobbed underside to keep the mat firmly
in place and with an optional 75mm wide bevelled safety
edge for easy cart access, 24/Seven mats can be specified
in 900X900mm single workstation size or in multiples
to cover large areas. Customised mats are available in
300mm increments on standard sizing.
In addition to conforming with relevant Australian
HCAAP requirements for food and food manufacturing,
GMC has
successfully subjected 24/Seven Solid and 24/7WH
to the CSIRO’s tests for Slip Resistance Classification
on New Pedestrian Surfaces. Detailed results of their
high performance are available upon request.
- Model 24/Seven 570-Solid features a solid surface
with pebbled texture for traction. Uses in mainly
dry areas include stockrooms, serving lines, behind
counters,
machinery workstations, assembly and despatch areas.
- Model 24/Seven 572-WH, with holes for drainage,
is suitable for uses ranging from food processing areas,
canteens and kitchens, through to wet manufacturing,
packaging and warehousing departments.
- Model 24/Seven
Gritworks No 574 and 576 (with solid surface and
with holes respectively) feature extra
grip and a nitrile formulation that provides better
chemical resistance than natural or SBR rubber products.
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