An Easy Inexpensive Way To Improve Employee Morale and Wellness

/in ,

Standing for long periods of time hurts. We all know this. There is a solution to help prevent this. Ant-Fatigue Matting. Standing on a concrete floor for long periods of time, say anything over an hour can cause intense pain and discomfort in your feet, legs, knees, hips, back and shoulders. Anti-Fatigue matting can significantly help reduce this effect. Mats can help with this discomfort but can also help prevent other health problems, lingering aches and pains, and circulatory issues.

These are an inexpensive way to promote better health and safety among your employees. Anti-Fatigue matting comes in a variety of materials depending on your applications. It can be used in factory settings where dirt, oil or water may be present or in offices where you can use more decorative versions. No matter where it is used, people standing on quality anti-fatigue mats will experience a much more comfortable work setting. When the stress is removed, worker productivity and efficiency increases.

Some factors to be aware of when purchasing anti-fatigue matting:

Is the area dry or wet? Do you need to contain oil, water, debris or other contaminants from being tracked from one department to another? Does the matting need to be fire retardant or chemically resistant?

Many work areas may require ESD, Electro-Static Discharge Matting. These are designed to be conductive for a rapid discharge to the ground. Used in chemical plants and around the use and manufacture of electrical components. They are burn resistant and self-extinguishing.

Be sure to cover all areas where slip and fall incidents may occur. Matting is a great way to prevent accidents and the liability issues that accompany them.

Be sure the matting you use has beveled edges. It also helps if the edges are marked in a different color. Beveled edges allow rolling carts to easily pass over the mats and to prevent tripping and falling accidents. Coloring the edges adds another level of safety.

Many people may prefer to stand at their desk or work station. Standing burns more calories and may provide a better comfort level for some people. Anti-Fatigue matting has shown to reduce spinal compression and increase circulation. Anti-Fatigue matting comes in a variety of styles and colors to suit these applications.

In some cases anti-microbial matting may be a benefit. These mats have an added component that prevents mold, mildew and bacterial growth.

Determine the size of the area you need to cover. Most standard mats come in sizes ranging from 2’ X 3’ to 4’ X 6’. Runners can also be custom made to cover those larger areas.

For the right matting for your application contact Rhiel Supply. We can have one of our matting experts assist you in determining which matting is best suited for your facility. Click below to get the conversation started!

 

Talk to an expert

Do You Have Dirty Sticky Floors?

/in ,

This is a problem I run into very frequently and I hear a lot of concern on how to prevent this from happening. As it turns out there are a lot reasons why your floor can have a sticky/dirty appearance and the remedy is almost always the same. Routine Maintenance.

When using a mop to clean a floor you wet the mop in a bucket, wring it out, mop the floor and then put it back in the bucket. The mop is immediately contaminated with dirty water and you use that dirty water to mop the next section of the floor. The floor gets dirtier, and the sticky adheres to the dirt. You then start to notice a film of dirt on the floor and wonder why the floor is dirty since it is being mopped every day. In reality, much of the dirt is never being removed.

I am a huge believer in using automatic cleaning equipment when cleaning a floor. Here’s why. When you use an automatic floor scrubber to clean your floors you are applying clean, fresh water to the floor, aggressively scrubbing the floor and quickly removing the dirt, the residue and the sticky. This leaves a clean, dry floor immediately. Scrubbers come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they always do a better job than mopping.

Depending on your facility and your conditions there may be a number of reasons why the floors are sticky or dirty even if you have a routine cleaning program.

If you have a kitchen in the area, grease can be tracked on to the floor. Grease causes the acrylic to soften and become sticky and the grease can be hazardous itself if it is not removed.

Entry ways can have tracked in tar from a parking lot affecting the floor finish, causing it to become sticky/dirty and creating a dull effect.

If you are using a quaternary disinfectant the active ingredient in the quat can leave a build-up over time. Mopping will not remove this. The quaternary build-up can cause a browning or yellowing that can stain the finish and even the tile.

Restrooms that are not subject to routine maintenance can cause staining and discoloration from foot traffic leaving the restroom.

Too much chemical being used to clean the floor can also cause a build-up to occur. Always use cleaning chemicals by the recommendations on the label. If a little is good, a lot is not better.

The wrong chemical is being used. All cleaners are not created equal. Make sure you are using a cleaning chemical that is designed to clean your particular floor surface without adversely affecting the floor, the finish or the coating.

What’s the solution?

Scrub the floor with an automatic scrubber as often as you can. Use the recommended dilution of whatever chemical you need. Too high a concentration will leave a film. Use enough chemical to remove all the contaminants from the floor surface but not so much that you leave residue. Put a clean water rinse into floor cleaning routine every now and then. It’s amazing what flooding the floor and scrubbing with clean, fresh water can do to remove any excess residue and restore the clean look again.


Informed Buyer's Guide to Automatic Floor Scrubbers

7 Factors That Should Impact Your Choice In Floor Finish

/in ,

The most common types of flooring found in commercial buildings today are either terrazzo or VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile). Although there are many new flooring systems being introduced, these 2 are the most common that require floor finish. Most common finishes are water based with an acrylic polymer that is applied wet. The water evaporates and the acrylic polymer film remains to protect the floor. Depending on your needs and expectations a few or several coats can be applied. More coats typically results in a deeper shine. This is a relatively simple process, but many aspects should be taken into consideration.

Solid Content – This is the film that remains on the floor after drying.

High or Low Gloss – Finishes have different gloss levels.

Hard or Soft – Hard or soft will determine the amount of maintenance required.

Cleaning Chemicals – Consider using finishes and cleaning chemical made by the same manufacturer.

Number of Coats – How many coats do you need?

Humidity – Humidity levels are crucial when applying floor finish. They will impact cure time.

Daily Maintenance – The amount of maintenance will directly impact your labor costs.

For the best results contact your local representative. They can make recommendations on the type of finish best suited for your staff, facility and budget requirements.


Do You Have Ice Melt Residue In Your Entryway?

/in ,

It’s just about that time of year; the snow will soon be melting and temperatures will begin to rise in the coming weeks. While I know the winter may still seem far from over now is the time to begin planning for your spring cleaning. Over the next several weeks I will be discussing various areas of facility maintenance that certainly need attention after a long winter. Today I will begin with entryway cleanup, specifically ice melt residue. I will discuss cleanup as it pertains to solid flooring and will address carpet cleanup in a later post.

Step 1: Sweep or vacuum up any debris that may have accumulated on the surface

Step 2: Mop surface with a chemical that can remove the residue

It is important to use a new mop head as buildup and grime that have accumulated in an old one will inhibit the effectiveness of your cleaning efforts. We recommend a microfiber mop head because it does a better job picking up dirt off the floor, but more importantly the dirt rinses out of them better than a cotton mop head. What we personally recommend for the chemical component is R-65. It is a soap film remover, but also does an excellent job at cleaning up ice melt. I am always curious as to how these products work so to answer this question we put in a call to the chemist responsible for R-65. He explained that it is the amount of chelating agents (also known as sequestering agents) that allows R-65 to work well on ice melt. It is these chelating agents that bond with minerals such as calcium, magnesium and sodium (common ice melt ingredients) and allow other ingredients in the product to clean surfaces easier. Without the chelating agents the calcium, magnesium and sodium would reduce the cleaning effectiveness of the product by bonding with the surfactants (a class of cleaning agent).

Step 3 (optional): Burnish your floor

Burnishing your floor can restore shine and gloss. While not all businesses need to have their floor look like this, some rely on that elegant look to increase appeal.


The Value of Clean

/in ,

Workplace absenteeism costs our country hundreds of billions of dollars annually. This number, however, does not need to be this high if proper cleaning and maintenance processes are exercised. The question remains, what can an investment in cleaning actually do for your organization? Our friends at ISSA have decided to tackle this important issue head on with their “Value of Clean” study. Take a look at the Value of Clean infographic to begin to get an idea of how an investment in clean can save your organization money.
The Value of Clean
© ISSA

 

Discover the Value of Clean Today!

5 Tips For A Healthier Workplace

/in ,

Stuffy nose, runny nose, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches—sound familiar? We have all had the flu and experienced the discomfort of the common cold. With cold and flu season upon us employers need to ensure that the necessary precautions are taken to prevent the spread of these uncomfortable illnesses. Due to the average employee missing 7.7 days per year from sickness an estimated $225.8 billion is lost in our economy. With that being said you can certainly realize the importance of proper cold and flu prevention. So I wanted to take a moment to give some tips to help curb unplanned absences in your workplace or office.

Promote Healthy Hand Washing Habits

While somewhat of a cliché, encouraging proper hand washing habits is a very easy way to prevent an office outbreak. According to the CDC you should first wet your hands and apply soap and then later them with the soap; ensure you thoroughly cover your hands. Next you should scrub your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. Rinse off the soap and dry your hands.

Have Hand Sanitizer Available

While hand sanitizer is not the first choice, it is useful in situations where running water is not available. It should be noted that hand sanitizer will not kill all types of germs. The CDC recommends applying the directed amount to your palms and then rubbing over all parts of your hands until dry.

Clean Commonly Touched Surfaces

These surfaces include computer mice, keyboards, desk phones, break room sink faucet handles, microwave door handles, refrigerator door handles, water fountain buttons, and vending machine buttons. If you think about how many of these surfaces you touch in a day it should not only help you remember to clean these surfaces, but also to wash your hands.

Encourage Employees to Maintain Healthy Fitness Levels

Part of maintaining overall health is certainly a healthy amount of exercise. Web MD cites aerobic exercise to aid the body in fighting off potential viruses. Consider starting a workplace exercise program and incent good physical health.

Use the Proper Cleaning Chemicals

Ensure you are using a disinfectant that has the ability to kill cold and flu viruses. Some examples would include quaternary ammonia, phenolic, or chlorine based cleaning products. It is also a good idea to have these products available to employees so they can keep their work stations clean and sanitary.

Some may seem so simple, but not enough businesses adhere to these best practices. I hope that you find these tips helpful and can use them to not only to reduce that $225.8 billion, but to create a happy and healthy work environment.