A successful trial of Strata anti-fatigue floor matting at Pilkington Automotive in Birmingham has led to the company specifying the flooring as a standard across its whole site.
Pilkington Automotive is the global number one in automotive glass replacement for original equipment and the aftermarket.
At the Birmingham site Strata’s Work Deck ergonomic interlocking 900mm square matting has been specified for all the production cell floor areas to provide an anti-fatigue solution for the company’s production team.
Howard Swaby, a production operative at Pilkington Automotive, commenting before the new flooring was fitted said, “After an eight hour shift, sometimes you could feel a pain in your back, down the back of your leg, even your foot. I was walking with a limp, changed my footwear, but it got to a stage at one point where I literally had a few weeks off due to serious back pain.”
Joe Perry, one of the process engineers at Pilkingtons added, “We actively monitor the amount of lost time we have associated with all processes across the site and we had an average of about 2.5%. A bit of research brought to light the fact that working on hard floors, limits the circulation to your feet and to your lower legs.”
Steve Humphries, another process engineer at Pilkingtons, said, “So we decided to trial the anti-fatigue matting on one of the cells where we had a high lost time rate for lower back pain”.
After six months Joe was able to conclude, “Straight away the operators thought this was an improvement. What we found was a dramatic change in averages for these cells. It showed a whole 1% drop from 2.5% to 1.5% and this is down to the reduction in back pain and leg injuries”. He continues, “We found across the site we had reduced amount of lost time for lower back pain, increased morale and higher productivity. It’s now become part of our standard. If we introduce a new cell or we move a cell or introduce a new model, anti-fatigue matting is a must to put down as part of the process”. Steve adds, “We didn’t believe it would have such an impact” and Howard comments, “It has made my working experience a lot easier”.
According to UK Government research some 30.8 million working days were lost due to muscoskeletal problems in 2016.*
Made from 100% natural rubber, Strata’s Work Deck comprises 15mm thick, 900mm square interlocking floor tiles in black which can be laid to form any length or width of area. They are hardwearing with excellent anti-fatigue properties and can be cleaned with a pressure washer. There are connectors and bevel edges available in black or yellow to complete installations. An anti-static version of the flooring is available too, protecting workers and manufactured components.
Based in Warwickshire, Strata helps to reduce worker fatigue and increase safety in industrial applications by supplying specialist anti-fatigue floor matting and floor safety products.
Strata’s main focus is the comfort and safety of industrial workers. Prolonged standing on hard surfaces can lead to serious health conditions such as varicose veins or circulatory problems. By standing on anti-fatigue matting, muscle movement is increased, which in turn promotes blood flow to the heart. Installing anti-fatigue matting helps to increase productivity, worker concentration and comfort.
With over 20 years’ experience, Strata are the leading experts in anti-fatigue floor matting, providing bespoke solutions to some of the largest blue-chip firms throughout the UK.
Further information is available from Strata Sales on 01926 338547 or by emailing [email protected] or by visiting the company’s website at www.stratasales.com
Strata Sales is supported by Vantage PR