Today’s modern Entrance Mats have come a long way from the ones used by our ancestors who placed straws, sawdust, and old rags in the doorway to keep the floors clean. They also didn’t have to worry about wheeled traffic bringing dirt into the building and damaging the internal flooring. Modern day technology and materials have made the construction of Entrance Matting far more robust and yet aesthetic, from the inserts to the frame every aspect is carefully thought off. Today’s Entrance Matting plays the same role for wheeled traffic as it does for foot traffic; preventing the ingress of soil and moisture. It is therefore imperative that we understand whether wheeled traffic can be used on Entrance Matting.

Firstly, different sectors have different types of wheeled traffic, healthcare institutions will mainly deal with hospital beds and wheelchairs. Shopping centres will deal with shopping trolleys, airports will deal with luggage cases etc. There is also industrial wheeled traffic which is more heavy duty and ranges from fork lifts, to pallet trucks to motor vehicles. Lastly, large shopping centres and commercial premises use MEWP’s (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms) for maintenance and cleaning in the building. Wheeled traffic is all around us.

Intrasystems entrance matting is suitable for most wheeled traffic; however, we recommend a few precautionary actions one should take before wheeling any traffic over the entrance matting system. The following section will take you through the types of traffic and the precautions to take.

Wheeled traffic can generally be broken down into three following segments;

Wheelchairs etc. – All entrances must adhere to the Equality Act 2010, specifically the Disabled Equality Duty in the DDA. The Disability Right Commission provides advice as to how buildings should be altered or designed to ensure compliance with the Disabled Discrimination Act of 2004; this means checking that entrance mats are flush. This can help prevent a potential tripping hazard to customers. Intrasystems INTRAform product is perfect as it has a closed frame construction and is simple to clean and easy to maintain. It is also exceptionally hard wearing. INTRAform comes with a range of inserts which are fully DDA compliant, making it suitable for Wheelchair access. When specifying entrance matting for this type of traffic, ensuring the above will mean wheeled traffic can still function perfectly.

Trolleys etc. – As mentioned above the most common type of wheeled traffic seen in shopping centres, airports or supermarkets are shopping trolley, strollers, and luggage cases. The wheels of this type of traffic are roughly the same, they are small and can easily cross entrances whilst bringing outside dirt into the building. This is where a heavy-duty system made from aluminium or PVC can stop the ingress of wheeled dirt and moisture and be resistant to mat distortion. With the number of trolleys ever increasing, it is important that you wheel proof your entrances and avoid any damages. When specifying for this type of traffic, understanding the construction of the matting will be beneficial.

Cars/MEWP’s etc. – Entering the industrial space, we need to consider other types of wheeled traffic such as fork lifts, pallet trucks and motor vehicles. Wheels on pallet trucks, and fork lifts are designed to carry heavy loads and have deep grooves that attract a lot of dirt and moisture, dragging this weight over an entrance matting system can damage the mat rendering it ineffective at doing its job. That’s why it is always crucial that you check with the manufacturer as only some systems can bear this traffic such as INTRAform FR or INTRAtech, these are robust and can resist wear and tear from heavy-duty wheeled traffic, this not only presents a valuable proposition for car showrooms but also add value to commercial buildings and shopping centres where the traffic from MEWP’s needs to be catered for. We however advise that the matting is boarded over before wheeling heavy wheeled traffic over it to avoid further damage. This not only reduces damage but increase the longevity of the mat.

In conclusion, the construction of the matting and a few precautionary steps make all our entrance matting systems suitable for wheeled traffic. INTRAmatting entrance matting is specifically designed to combat the ingress of dirt and moisture from all types of traffic. The flagship design of our matting is adding value to every entrance it is installed in.