Are you considering a change to your anti-fatigue mats in 2025 but unsure where to begin? Are your mats making things worse for your people, but you're not sure why?
Here are 10 signs you need new anti-fatigue mats – including hazards to watch out for and how to eliminate them by getting the right mats.
1. Eroded surfaces
Erosion creates an uneven surface, uneven borders, and indicates lost traction. It happens when you have extruded, open cell mats in wet/oily environments. Liquids and chemicals seep into the fabric, causing the mats to bloat, crack and erode across the surface.
Heavy use and constant exposure to liquids have eroded the PVC foam mat below. The erosion has created a slip hazard and clear ergonomic issues due to lost cushion.
This PVC foam mat is an example of the challenges with extruding rubber. Extruding rubber is the easiest and cheapest way to make foam mats, and why so many mat suppliers sell PVC foam mats. However, extruding rubber creates an open cell (porous) construction. As a result, you have a mats that are prone to erosion, cracking, curling, flattening and bloating.
PVC foam, open cell, extruded anti-fatigue mat. The erosion creates an uneven surface, inconsistent edges, and a clear slip hazard.
At AcroMat, our mats are made from a virgin, closed cell, 100% nitrile rubber foam that is molded not extruded. Pure nitrile rubber foam is impervious to liquids and chemicals, and as a result holds up for ~5 years on average in even the harshest 24/7 environments.
Left: PVC foam mats curling at the edges and eroding, 2 years into use. Right (AcroMat): 100% nitrile mat fully intact, 2 years into use. Same facility.
2. Mats flipped upside down
28% of safety leaders say they have noticed mats being flipped upside down in their facilities. Mats are flipped over for two reasons. Either the top is severely damaged or the ergonomic support is long gone and they think the bottom might provide some comfort.
Safety hazards aside, finding mats flipped upside down can signify employees who are unhappy or frustrated with the state of their work environment. 
Flipping your anti-fatigue mats upside down creates a trip hazard and ergonomic inconsistencies. Upside down mats may also be a sign of disengaged employees.
3. The wrong shape and size
35% of our audience says the No. 1 complaint they receive from employees about their mats is that they're too small and/or the wrong shape. Mats that are too small force operators to stand half on/half off the mats or, worse, constantly shift from the mat to a concrete surface.
We asked Certified Ergonomists Mary Plehal and Mike Janak about what happens to the body, ergonomically, when employees are forced to stand on the edge of their mats, or half on/half off, because the mats are too small or the wrong shape.
Mike Janak, ErgoFactor:
"Standing with only half the foot in contact with the mat promotes a non-neutral ankle posture that would be similar to standing on high heels. If the standing postures are static, and the worker stands at the edge of the mat for prolonged periods without moving his/her feet, then the non-neutral ankle posture may result in Musculoskeletal (MSD) injury."
Mary Plehal, Optima EHS:
"It changes the biomechanics of the ankle, increases instability and leg/low back fatigue. We are one long kinetic chain, like the old song: 'The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone's connected to the leg bone, the leg bone's connected to the knee bone...'"
Edge-standing, caused by mats that are too small or the wrong shape for the workspace, increase the risk of tripping, rolled ankles, and MSD injuries.
Custom 100-1 Series AcroMat spotlighting the value of custom mats designed to fit, rather than pieced and piled together causing edge-standing and on/off stepping.
4. Mats keep sliding around
Over 20% of manufacturing facilities are dealing with anti-fatigue mats that slide around – a clear slip and fall hazard. The average slip and fall injury claim is $50,000 and 12 missed days. Potential solutions include:
I. Create a glove-like fit with AcroSketch.
Anti-fatigue mats custom designed to fit the work area like a glove have nowhere to slide; they are anchored in place. This eliminates any threat of sliding. With our custom mat builder, AcroSketch, you can design mats to any shape and size quickly and easily.
II. Add a non-slip backing or coating
AcroMat makes an eco-bio friendly non-slip backing called Grip-R that is compliant with all OSHA regulations. The waterproof coating gets painted on to the bottom of a mat, dries, and creates a higher coefficient of friction to prevent sliding risks.
III. Look for 100% nitrile mats over over PVC foam
Anti-fatigue mats made from open cell PVC foam or a PVC/nitrile blends are not impervious to liquids. Instead, they absorb them. This leads to bloating, bubbling and cracking, which peels the mat (and the grip) away from the floor. This is one of the main culprits of sliding mats.
Pure nitrile is impervious to liquids and chemicals, helping mats adhere to the floor even in wet/oily and dry/dusty environments. It's also important to keep your workspaces clean, as build-up of particles and dust can create a mini-wheel under your mats.
Before: PVC foam mat out on an island and sliding around, creating as slipping risk.
After: 100% nitrile custom AcroMat mat. Glove-like fit eliminates threat of sliding. Designed in minutes with AcroSketch for Nokian Tyres' 24/7 manufacturing plant.
Related: Nokian Tyres Eliminates Sliding Anti-Fatigue Mats (Video)
5. Curling borders
Curling is the most common anti-fatigue mat safety hazard. It creates an immediate and unnecessary trip hazard. Curling is also entirely preventable. The durability of your mats – i.e., how they perform in your particular environment – is the most important factor in preventing curling. How your mats are designed or constructed, followed by clear warranty protections, are close behind in terms of prevention and importance.
Left: Highlighting the problem with PVC foam mats and the "waterfall" design. As the porous pad buckles and shrinks in an industrial setting, this pulls the borders of the mat off the ground. Right: Made with an exclusive design, the AcroMat NitriTuf Diamond Series is the only diamond mat guaranteed not to curl. Try a free sample mat.
6. Stacked mats
Employees stack anti-fatigue mats for two reasons. Their mats have gone flat and they’re looking for additional comfort, or the mats are hard and uncomfortable – something we often see with tiles. Either way, it's a sign your people aren't happy with their current flooring situation and deeper evaluation is necessary.
According to Mary:
"The biggest concern from an ergonomic point of view is that stacked mats may seem to have more cushion, but in reality stacking creates postural instability that causes the feet, ankles and upwards to the lower back to have to make constant micro-adjustments to maintain balance. This is similar to working in high heels day after day. It's also common for stacked anti-fatigue mats to be different sizes, heights and products, which creates uneven standing surfaces. This is awkward and exposes employees to a higher risk of slips, trips, falls, and rolled ankles."
Stacking creates postural instability similar to working in high heels for hours at a time. AcroMat anti-fatigue mats, with a medium-soft durometer rating, are guaranteed and warrantied never to sink, flatten, or compress.
According to Darcie Jaremey, Certified Professional Ergonomist and Owner ergonomicsHelp:
"What sets this mat apart is that it is quite robust to stand on; it holds its shape very well. This means that after standing in one location for a while the mat doesn’t flatten and doesn’t require you to relocate your feet to get cushion and relief."
7. Flat or sunken mats
Anti-fatigue mats are designed to prevent slip, trip and fall hazards, and prevent ergonomic or MSD injuries. If they sink or compress where you most often stand, they are likely increasing the risk of both. Sinking creates an uneven surface, putting added pressure on your ankles up to your back, and increases the risk of rolled ankles.
5 simple ways to determine if your anti-fatigue mats are compressing:
- Look for footprints in the mat
- Look for air pockets or bubbles in the mat
- Measure the thickness, compare it to when first bought
- Check for stacked mats (often a sign of lost ergo cushion)
- Avoid mats >3/4" thick, 1+" thick often compensates for poor quality
Sinking creates an uneven surface, putting added pressure on your ankles up to your back, and increases the risk of rolled ankles.
8. Piecing mats together
40% of safety and production leaders say "having to piece together rectangular mats" to cover complex workspaces is a major challenge with anti-fatigue mats. Disconnected mats are ‘out on an island,’ making them likely to slide, and the gaps create trip hazards. Designing one-piece, custom mats to fit 'like a glove' is one way to permanently eliminate this issue.
This aerospace manufacturing facility was previously piecing and piling, and stacking, anti-fatigue mats on top of each other. They eliminated the trip hazards and ergonomic inconsistencies with custom AcroMat mats designed to fit.
This window manufacturer replaced runner mats haphazardly pieced together with a 1,500 sq. ft. custom AcroMat mat precisely designed for the workspace.
9. Tile seams pulling apart
Modular tiles have to be snapped together like a puzzle, meaning they’re not airtight. They’re also made from a PVC material that isn’t impervious to liquids or chemicals. As products embed in the seams, they begin to pull apart – creating trip hazards.
Andersen Windows shifted from "rock hard," tiles that were coming apart at the seams and creating trip hazards, to one-piece custom anti-fatigue mats with AcroMat.
10. Cords and cable hazards
If your anti-fatigue mat workspaces are filled with raised cable covers creating safety issues or slowing down the work of your team members, it may be time for a change.
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, one of the easiest ways to reduce slip, trip and fall hazards is to make sure cables don't cross walkways. Unfortunately, with anti-fatigue mats this is usually impossible. The traditional approach is to add a raised cable cover to the area, which creates an additional trip hazard.
One solution is to replace conventional mats with a custom mat that includes a built-in mat channel or flat cable cover. These lay as flat as the mat, eliminate trip hazards, and accommodate cart traffic without issue. Cable covers can be easily added using our custom mat builder, AcroSketch.
0:10-0:27 shows what a built-in mat channel or flat cable cover looks like in action.
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If demands are high and your workers are missing too much time due to fatigue, injury, or pain, look closely at the mats currently in use in your facility. Are they supporting the people who rely on them every day? Are they sending your people home as safe and healthy as when they arrived? Are they helping you keep the people you have and attracting new hires?
Take the time to inspect your anti-fatigue mats. Start with the clear and preventable warning signs above. Need a hand? Our team is readily available to provide a site inspection at no cost.
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