Which mats are wheelchair friendly?

Any business that has a premises open to the public, including customers, visitors and staff, need to be familiarised with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA 2005) and part M of the Building Regulations. It is unlawful for a business to treat a disabled customer, visitor or member of staff less favourably. This means that a business has to follow these regulations when it comes to furnishing, designing and building their premises.

When it comes to choosing your matting, you need to consider whether they are wheelchair friendly. If there was ever an emergency in your premises, you need to make it as easy as possible for everybody to evacuate. For wheelchair users this means making it easy for them to turn around or change direction quickly. Some types of matting can make this difficult and acts as an obstacle.

Let's talk about the types of matting that are not wheelchair friendly:

Coir Matting
Avoid coir matting, also known as coconut matting. Coir has a deep pile and will wear down quickly, which can make wheelchair passage difficult. The pile of coir matting impedes the movement of the wheels and can cause them to get stuck.

Ribbed & Metal Matting
Ribbed and metal entrance matting systems can also cause a similar problem. The ribs or slats make it difficult for a wheelchair user to change direction and the wheels can get caught in the gaps. These mats will not effectively mop up dirt and water from wheels.

Non-bevelled Matting
Matting without a bevelled edge will be difficult for any wheelchair user entering or leaving your premises. Without bevelled edges, the mat will have a ridge which will be difficult for wheelchair users to roll over. Low profile matting with bevelled edges is much easier for wheelchairs to pass over and does not make entering and leaving your building difficult.

Well Matting
If your entrance matting sits inside a well, you must ensure that the mat is completely flush with the adjacent floor finish. If the mat is not the same depth as the well, or has been crushed down, this will create a ridge and make the smooth passage of wheelchair traffic difficult.

So, what characteristics must a mat have, to ensure that you don't fall foul of regulations?

1. Crush Proof
   Ensure that your mat is crush proof. This is particularly important if your mat is placed in a well, as if the mat starts to crush down, it will not be flush with the floor surface. Mats with rubber-reinforced face nubs are best for this as they prevent pile from crushing to maintain high performance and extend product life. This also means you won’t have the unsightly ‘worn path’ appearance through the centre of the mat.

2. Bevelled
   The edging of your mats should be bevelled, to allow wheeled traffic to pass over the mat smoothly. This will also prevent trip accidents from traffic on foot.

3. Mop up water & dirt
   Like any other entrance mat, you need to ensure that it does the job intended, to mop up the dirt and water. Read our article here about what a good entrance mat should do. In this case, the mat needs to be able to remove dirt and water from the bottom of wheels, as well as shoes, in order to prevent slip and fall hazards.

   

   Waterhog entrance matting is crush proof, has bevelled edges and is the best in the industry for removing water and dirt

What about ramps?

Another important issue that needs to be considered is wheelchair access ramps, which are a necessity for providing step free access into buildings. Outdoor access ramps can become very slippery and dangerous in inclement weather. It may therefore be necessary to place a non slip, weather proof mat on your ramps to create traction for both wheeled and foot traffic, to prevent slips and falls. These mats should also be drainable to allow rain water to flow through and not sit on the surface of the mat. Read our complete blog here about how to prevent slippery ramps and slopes.

Need further advice on wheelchair friendly matting?

We are always happy to help! Simply pick up the phone and call us on 0121 313 6748 during normal office hours and we will be happy to pass on our knowledge.