Property managers are busy professionals with a lot of responsibilities to look after, which is why some important things get inadvertently overlooked. Here’s four quick reasons why you should take a minute to make sure your building’s entrance matting is up to snuff:
1. Reduce Janitorial Costs
Studies have shown that over 80% of the dirt and debris contaminating a building are tracked in via shoe bottoms – and that it costs (on average) over $500 to remove one pound of distributed dirt! With typical commercial traffic, just 16 feet of performance matting like Grizzly FX stops 75% of dirt, dust and moisture from going beyond your building’s entrance.
2. Reduce Wear & Tear on Flooring
Dirt, grit, sand, and dust all come in on shoes…and all can’t wait to scratch up your floors. Trapping that dirt before it can do damage with proper entrance matting keeps your floors looking better, longer – and many commercial flooring manufacturers actually require entrance matting to be installed to maintain warranty coverage! A quality entrance mat can make your floors last twice as long as they otherwise would.
3. Avoid Slip & Fall Accident Liability
Under the Occupier’s Liability Act in British Columbia, the “occupier” of a building has a responsibility to maintain the premises to a reasonable level of safety – and in the law, the “occupier” of the building includes those who are “in physical possession of premises”, or “has responsibility for, and control over, the condition of premises, the activities conducted on those premises and the persons allowed to enter those premises”. That means building operators and property managers, like you! You can help reduce your liability for these sorts of injuries by implementing a system of regular maintenance and inspections (along with a written logbook), and taking precautions to make your floors as clean and dry as reasonably possible. The easiest way to do this is with a proper entrance matting system of sufficient size and performance to handle the amount of foot traffic your building sees.
4. Improve Tenant Retention
With working-from-home becoming the new norm, vacancy rates in office towers and commercial buildings are on the rise. Sanitization is top-of-mind for people these days, and the perceived cleanliness of a building goes a long way with making tenants feel comfortable to enter and work in your spaces. Having quality matting at your entrances to keep your floors clean and tidy can make your building stand apart from the crowd and give your tenants confidence that you’re taking care of the important details.