A glossary of antifatigue and safety mat terminology

Terms, definitions, and styles of ergonomic mats

CFR - This ia a Cutting Fluid Resistant molded rubber compound. It is specifically designed to resist the effects of Mineral Oil based cutting fluids. This compound can be found in the 24/Seven? line and WorkSafe? Light.

Coefficient of Friction - COF - This is the measure of traction provided by the surface of the mat. It is a measurement of force that must be exerted before an object slips. Therefore, the higher the number, the better the traction. OSHA recommends a COF of .5 in dry areas and .25 in wet. The ADA recommends .6 on flat surfaces and .8 on ramps.

Compression Deflection - This is one way of measuring the softness or comfort level of a sponge mat. It measures how much a person's foot sinks into the mat the higher the reading, the softer the mat. The results are affected by the thickness of the sponge backing and the flexibility of the surface material. We consider .20 - .5 the ideal range. The test is ASTM D575.

Customization - Refers to extra wide, extra long and customer specific mat configurations. Most of our anti-fatigue mats can be customized to conform to any size or shape. Look for the associated with a product means that the mat can be customized.

Durometer - The measure of hardness/softness of molded rubber and molded PVC mats. As a general rule, the lower the durometer, the softer the mat. Most of our mats range between 45-80 durometer. The test is ASTM D2240.

ESD - This stands for Electro-Static Discharge. When static builds up on a person's body and that person touches another object, the static charge is passed onto the object. This discharge can harm sensitive equipment and is drained off when the person steps on or touches a Conductive or Static Dissipative mat.

Extruded and Molded PVC - Many PVC mats are injection molded (Comfort Deck? No. 460 and ErgoDeck?) or extruded (KushionWalk No. 475). These durable vinyl mats provide good anti-fatigue properties and resistance to chemicals and industrial greases and oils. Always request a small sample of the mat to test.

GritWorks!? - This is Wearwell's line of abrasive-coated, molded rubber mats. They are the only gritted, molded rubber anti-fatigue mats on the market. The grit system provides an exceptionally high level of traction and is featured on all of our abrasive coated mats including Grit-Top Comfort Deck? No. 461.

Life Expectancy - The life expectancy of a mat can vary dramatically depending on a multitude of factors such as: number of shifts per day, amount of foot traffic, exposure to oils, caustic chemicals or fluids, excessive temperatures, cleaning and maintenance schedule, compound, etc. The following is general representation of what our customers experience (your experience may vary):
5 Years or more - Urethane Mats (Ex: Rejuvenator?)
3 to 5 years - SpongeCote? Mats (Ex: Diamond-Plate SpongeCote?)
1 to 3 years - Molded Rubber Mats (Ex: WorkSafe?)
1 to 3 years - Molded Vinyl Mats (Ex: Comfort Deck?)
6 to 12 months - PVC Sponges (Ex:Tuf Sponge )

Molded Natural Rubber - Natural rubber is characterized by its flexibility and resilience. It performs best in dry areas and when exposed to water.

Molded Nitrile Rubber - This is a resilient rubber compound containing 50% nitrile. It has better chemical resistance than natural rubber and holds up well to most greases and oils. (Always request a small sample of the mat to test.)

Nitricell? Sponge - This is a black, closed-cell sponge compounded of a unique blend of PVC and rubber. It is used as the underside sponge of most Wearwell? SpongeCote? mats. Considered by many customers as our softest and most comfortable sponge, it has exceptional resilience, far exceeding that of typical PVC sponge bases.

Ohm - A measure of resistance. The higher an ohm reading on a conductive mat, the more difficult it is for the static electric charge to go through the mat and out the ground. Therefore, the lower the ohm reading, the more conductive the material.
Conductive = 1 x 103 ohms to 1 x 106 ohms
Static Dissipative = > 1 x 106 ohms to 1 x 1010 ohms

PVC Sponge - Also referred to as blown vinyl sponge, it is a vPVC compound that is expanded into a sponge with a blowing agent. PVC sponge mats provide modest comfort and durability at an economical price.

SpongeCote? - The most popular category of ergonomic mats. Each SpongeCote? mat is constructed of a durable top surface permanently bonded to a superbly comfortable, longwearing sponge base. These mats offer the highest degree of comfort and longevity for dry work areas.

Tabor Abrasion - This test determines how well the surface of a mat will hold up to heavy use. The less weight the sample loses, the more durable the product tends to be.

Tensile Strength - One measure of the tear strength of a material. The higher the psi, the stronger the mat.