News Anti-fatigue mats

Choosing Anti-Fatigue Mats for Checkout Lanes and Service Counters

Frontline 3 min read

Vitality anti-fatigue floor mat product image

Checkout lanes, service counters and food-prep stations each create a different standing area and floor condition. The right mat depends on the footprint available, the traffic across it, the equipment beside it and whether liquids reach the floor. Frontline supplies general-purpose, high-traffic, register-notched and closed-cell constructions; here is how they differ and where each belongs. Frontline has served grocery and retail operators since 1995.

What OSHA says about standing

OSHA's Guidelines for Retail Grocery Stores (OSHA 3192-05N, 2004) recommends footrests and anti-fatigue mats "in areas where workers stand for prolonged periods" and states that "standing on anti-fatigue mats, as compared to bare floors, provides a noticeable improvement in comfort" (front end, p. 17). It repeats the recommendation for bakery (p. 21). For deli and meat counters it recommends anti-fatigue mats, footrests and sit/stand stools "where workers are required to stand for long periods of time" (p. 24). Its checklist asks whether the cashier has "an anti-fatigue mat and/or footrest" (p. 10). The sections below match a mat to the checkout, deli, meat and bakery positions.

General standing positions: Vitality

The Vitality anti-fatigue floor mat is built for retail, industrial and commercial standing positions used by cashiers, greeters and warehouse managers. It is a dual-layer mat: a 1/8" recycled rubber top surface for traction and stability over a 5/8" shock-absorbing polyurethane foam core, with a non-slip rubber backing that prevents shifting on tile, concrete or other hard flooring. It comes in 18" x 36" for greeter, cashier and point-of-sale stations and 24" x 36" for manager stations, front-of-store areas and general workstations, both 3/4" thick, in black.

Positions that take abuse: Tuff Skin

Where carts and chairs cross the mat, choose Tuff Skin. Its tough surface coating stands up to that traffic, and the shock-absorbing foam underneath does the cushioning. Sizes run from 24" x 36" to 36" x 60", all 3/4" thick with a 2" beveled edge, and Tuff Skin can be custom cut and configured for a layout of any size and shape. It carries a 2-year prorated warranty with an expected life of 5 to 8 years.

Around a cash register: the Notch Mat

A standard rectangular mat can leave a gap around register equipment. The Notch Mat is a 24" x 36" mat with a 6" x 17-1/2" notch cut for the register, so the mat sits around the register base; it uses the same anti-fatigue matting and durable coating as Tuff Skin. For a different register footprint, Frontline quotes a custom notch the same day.

Deli, meat and bakery: Ortho

Deli and meat departments need a mat that does not soak up liquids. Ortho Mats are closed-cell, so they do not absorb liquids, and they are lightweight and easy to clean. They come sized for the auto wrapper, step-saver wrapper, cutting table and band saw stations, with or without drainage holes, and every edge carries a safety bevel so service carts roll over the mats. The manufacturer states that they are National Floor Safety Institute approved and rated 40% higher in non-slip testing than any other sponge mat. They are also non-allergenic and latex- and silicone-free.

For bakery positions, Frontline recommends the same Ortho mats, cut to the size the station needs.

Sizing the mat to the position

Standard sizes are listed on each mat's product page. If none fits the position, Frontline cuts any mat material in its range to any size or shape, from a 6" piece to a 70-foot run; send the dimensions or a sketch to sales@frontline-inc.com for a same-day quote.

A simple rule

General standing position: Vitality. Lane crossed by carts: Tuff Skin. Register base: the Notch Mat. Deli or meat position, or any wet prep area: Ortho. Bakery: Ortho 1. Odd shape: custom.

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