Do you know the largest cause of physician visits in the United
States?
The flu? The Common cold? No, the largest cause of physician
visits is lower back pain, apart from headaches.
Lower back pain can be quite a drag, especially since its
usually accompaniend by dreadful foot & leg pain. A major cause
of foot, leg, & back pain is harsh and demanding work
environments, where a worker can stand on an extremely hard
surface for prolonged time frames.
Working on hard surfaces can cause severe fatigue, which is
when the muscles are constricted and blood flow is reduced. In
this state, the heart works a lot harder to pump blood through
the troubled areas, and the body runs out of energy. The
negative effects are pain and exhaustion.
One solution to this ever-growing problem is to use anti
fatigue mats in the workplace, especially in areas where a lot
of standing labor is performed. Apart from cushioning, anti
fatigue mats provide a gentle “rebound” which encourages subtle
movement of leg and calf muscles, thus promoting an easier flow
of blood to and from the heart. Basically, through more
efficient muscle activity, the imbalance of constricted blood
is virtually eliminated.
So what is the proof that anti fatigue mats actually work?
There are several studies that prove the efficacy of anti
fatigue mats, with the most notable one being a format study at
the Center of Ergonomics at the University of Michigan. Mark
Redfern, an economist, tested the effects of a variety of floor
conditions on physical fatigue. Fourteen subjects were required
to stand throughout their entire shift at the Ford Chesterfield
Trim Plant. Two of the surfaces tested were concrete and a 3/8″
rubber anti-fatigue mat. The conclusive result of the study was
that hard concrete floors caused the greatest amount of
discomfort and fatigue, while anti fatigue mats were able to
reduce it by as much as 50%.
Your company can directly benefit from the use of anti fatigue
mats through increased worker productivity, reduced worker
compensation costs, and lower insurance costs and absenteeism.
Since it is a well-established fact that companies are losing
billions of dollars each year due to the above mentioned worker
related issues, it only makes sense to make a trivial investment
on anti fatigue matting to dramatically reduce these losses.
In addition to pain and discomfort, prolonged standing on hard
surfaces can also cause long-term problems. Pronation, which is
the extensive flattening of the foot, and varicose veins, which
are caused by the stagnation of blood in lower areas, are two
health problems associated with standing trauma. These problems
are very costly in terms of worker compensation and insurance,
not to mention the resulting lack of productivity and employee
turnover.
Anti fatigue mats are a real solution, as recommended by the
National Safety Council in its publication “Ergonomics”.
Amongst the professionals who recommend anti fatigue mats are
ergonomists, occupational nurses, insurance agents, and POM
managers.
It is essential that the workplace be safe and pleasant in
order to promote the highest levels of productivity, reduce the
rate of absenteeism and turnover, increase employee
satisfaction, and as a direct result, cut costs and improve
profits.