Location: Somerset West, Western Cape
Challenge: Employees were spending prolonged periods standing at production/workstations during the working day.
COBA involvement: The client requested a site visit so the working areas could be assessed.
Solution: Orthomat® Standard Anti-Fatigue Mats were supplied in various sizes to suit the different workstations.
At MSD Animal Health’s facility in Somerset West, Western Cape, some employees spend around eight hours throughout the day standing at their workstations. Over the course of a full working day, that can take its toll on comfort and wellbeing.
With workplace comfort and safety in mind, MSD asked COBA to visit the site and assess the areas where prolonged standing was part of the daily routine.
Understanding the application first
The site visit gave COBA the opportunity to see the workstations in use, understand where employees were spending most of their time standing and assess the different requirements across the facility.
Not every workstation was the same, so the solution needed to suit the individual spaces rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach.
Following the assessment, COBA recommended Orthomat® Standard anti-fatigue mats. The 9.5 mm PVC foam construction provides a cushioned standing surface, helping improve underfoot comfort for employees spending long periods on their feet. Designed for dry, lighter industrial environments and relatively static workstations, Orthomat® Standard was well suited to MSD's application.
To accommodate the different workstation layouts, COBA supplied 600 mm x 900 mm mats for individual standing areas and a longer 3,000 mm x 900 mm mat for one of the larger workstations.
From recommendation to everyday use
Once supplied, the mats were put into use at the workstations where employees were spending long periods standing.
This included both individual standing points and a longer work area, allowing the matting to match the way each space was actually being used.
The installation was straightforward, but the real measure of success would come from the people using the mats every day.
The result: employees noticed the difference
During a follow-up visit, COBA returned to see how the mats were performing in the working environment.
The client was happy with the solution, and the mats were being used consistently at the workstations.
Most importantly, when employees were asked about their experience, they confirmed that the mats made a noticeable difference during the working day.
For employees spending around eight hours on their feet, the right anti-fatigue standing mat can be a relatively simple change, but one that is felt during the working day.
For MSD Animal Health, COBA assessed the application, considered the different workstation requirements and recommended matting suited to each area.
The result was an industrial anti-fatigue mat solution that fitted the workplace and, most importantly, one employees themselves said made a difference.
