Slip-and-fall prevention mats are one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to reduce injuries, lower insurance premiums, and protect your business from lawsuits. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits each year, making them the leading cause of ER visits in the United States. In commercial and institutional settings, the majority of these falls happen on wet or contaminated walking surfaces — and the majority of those surfaces are at or near building entrances.
The math is straightforward. The average slip-and-fall claim costs businesses between $20,000 and $50,000 when you factor in medical expenses, legal fees, lost productivity, and workers compensation. A proper commercial matting program for a typical building with 5 to 10 entrances costs $1,500 to $4,000 and lasts 3 to 5 years. That is not an expense. That is insurance you can walk on.
Slip-and-fall prevention mats reduce risk through three mechanisms that work together.
The primary cause of indoor slip-and-fall incidents is water — tracked in from rain, snow, sprinklers, or cleaning activities. Commercial entrance mats like the WaterHog series capture up to 1.5 gallons of water per square yard of mat surface. That moisture gets trapped in the mat instead of spreading across your lobby floor. Our 3-Zone Entrance Matting System uses three mat types in sequence to progressively remove moisture as people walk through an entrance.
Dirt, sand, gravel, and organic debris create unstable walking surfaces even on dry floors. Scraper mats at exterior entrances aggressively remove large debris before it enters the building. Interior carpeted mats capture fine particles. Together, they keep walking surfaces clean and stable.
Commercial mats are engineered with high-traction surfaces and slip-resistant rubber backing. Most M+A Matting products carried by Uncle Mats are NFSI certified for High-Traction under the ANSI/NFSI B101.6 standard. This certification means the mat has been independently tested and verified to provide adequate traction even when wet.
Not every area of your facility carries the same risk. Focus your matting investment on the areas that cause the most incidents.
This is where the vast majority of slip-and-fall incidents occur in commercial buildings. Rain, snow, and tracked-in moisture create hazardous conditions within the first 15 feet of every entrance. The 3-Zone Entrance Matting System is designed specifically for this problem — scraper mat outside, WaterHog at the threshold, carpeted mat inside.
Grease, water, and food debris make kitchen floors perpetually hazardous. Flow-through drainage mats like the Comfort Flow allow liquids to pass through while keeping employees above the wet surface. Anti-fatigue mats with nitrile rubber backing resist grease and oil breakdown. Visit our Restaurant Floor Mats page for specific product recommendations.
Wet restroom floors are a constant liability. CleanShield restroom mats provide both slip resistance and antimicrobial protection, addressing hygiene and safety in one product. Learn more on our Restroom Mats page.
Forklift traffic, spilled fluids, and outdoor exposure create slip hazards in industrial environments. Heavy-duty rubber mats and drainage mats designed for warehouse and industrial settings handle these conditions.
Your insurance carrier cares about slip-and-fall prevention. Many commercial general liability policies factor in your facility’s safety measures when calculating premiums. Documenting a proper matting program — including NFSI certified products, regular maintenance schedules, and photographic evidence of mat placement — can support premium negotiations and strengthen your defense in the event of a claim.
If a visitor or employee does slip in your facility, one of the first questions an attorney will ask is what measures you had in place to prevent it. Having NFSI certified slip-and-fall prevention mats at every entrance, with documentation showing regular inspection and replacement, is a demonstrable answer.
Here is a practical framework for any facility manager.
Step 1 — Audit your entrances. Walk every entrance and identify where moisture and debris enter the building. Note which entrances face weather exposure, which have vestibules, and which get the heaviest traffic.
Step 2 — Size your mats. Follow the 15-foot rule: you want at least 15 feet of matting coverage from each entrance to the interior. For most commercial doors, this means a 4×6 or 4×8 mat at the threshold plus an interior mat.
Step 3 — Choose NFSI certified products. Not all mats are safety-rated. Look for NFSI certification — it is the recognized standard for slip resistance in commercial environments. All entrance mats from M+A Matting meet this standard.
Step 4 — Establish a maintenance schedule. Mats only work if they are maintained. Vacuum daily, deep clean weekly, and inspect for wear monthly. Replace mats when the surface fiber is worn flat or the edges begin to curl. See our Mat Care and Maintenance guide.
Step 5 — Document everything. Keep records of mat purchases, placement locations, maintenance schedules, and replacement dates. This documentation is your best defense in a liability claim.
A proper slip-and-fall prevention mat program is one of the highest-ROI safety investments you can make. It protects your people, your floors, and your bottom line.
Request a free quote and tell us about your facility — we will recommend the right mats for every entrance and high-risk area. Or call us directly at 954-751-9800. We have been helping businesses build safer facilities for over 45 years.
