Quick answer: We could find no UK law that says a commercial kitchen must have floor mats. The law requires floors that are not slippery in a way that puts people at risk, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and, under food hygiene law, food premises kept clean and in good repair, with floor surfaces in a sound condition and easy to clean. Where your risk assessment finds a slip risk, suitable mats can be a sensible control. If you use them, the mats must be clean, in good repair and not a trip hazard, and the floor underneath must be cleaned too.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. This guide is written for kitchens in England. It is a plain-English summary, not legal advice; legal points were checked against primary sources on 19 October 2026.
Is there a law that says kitchens must have mats?
Not in the provisions covering kitchen floors. We read the Workplace Regulations 1992, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, HSE's Approved Code of Practice L24 and the floor rules in Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. None of them mentions mats. Calling kitchen matting "a legal requirement" goes further than the text.
The law sets outcomes (safe floors, assessed risks, hygienic premises) and leaves the controls to you. Mats are one option, alongside cleaning, drainage, flooring and footwear.
What regulation 12 actually says
Regulation 12 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 covers the condition of floors and traffic routes:
- Floors must be suitable for their purpose (12(1)).
- A floor must have no hole or slope, or be uneven or slippery, "so as, in each case, to expose any person to a risk to his health or safety" (12(2)(a)).
- Every floor must have "effective means of drainage where necessary" (12(2)(b)).
- So far as is reasonably practicable, floors must be kept free from obstructions and from "any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall" (12(3)).
Two points matter for mats. On a floor that gets wet or greasy, a suitable mat can help reduce the slip risk. But a curled, torn or badly placed mat is itself an article that may cause a trip. L24 adds that floors likely to get wet or have spillages "should be of a type which does not become unduly slippery", and that damaged surfaces that may cause a trip should be made good.
Your risk assessment decides whether mats are needed
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees, including maintaining the place of work in a condition that is safe and without risks to health. Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires a "suitable and sufficient assessment" of the risks to employees and others affected by your work, reviewed when it may no longer be valid or things change significantly. Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings.
HSE's information sheet CAIS6 (Preventing slips and trips in kitchens and food service) says most slip injuries happen on wet floors or floors contaminated with food debris or fluids such as oil. Its controls include "preventing water being walked into the kitchen or service area on people's shoes from outdoors or indoors by providing suitable floor mats", cleaning up spillages immediately and drying floors after cleaning. It also says obstructions and damaged or uneven floor surfaces cause most trip injuries, and that staff should be trained to report "trip hazards from badly maintained floor coverings".
So if your assessment finds wet or greasy zones, such as the wash-up or back door, suitable mats may be a reasonable control. Record that, and how they are cleaned and checked.
Food hygiene: floors kept clean and in good repair
Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 says food premises "are to be kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition" (Chapter I). In rooms where food is prepared, treated or processed, "floor surfaces are to be maintained in a sound condition and be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect", and where appropriate floors are to allow adequate surface drainage (Chapter II).
Annex II does not mention mats. But a mat on a food-room floor is part of what an officer sees, so it needs to be kept clean, and so does the floor beneath it. GOV.UK's food hygiene guidance says "you must be able to prove that you're cleaning effectively", and that your cleaning schedule must cover what needs to be cleaned or disinfected, how often, and which products to use.
Who inspects, and what they look at
HSE lists restaurants, hotels, pubs and shops under the local authority environmental health department, which also handles poor food hygiene. So one environmental health officer (EHO) visit can cover both.
The Food Standards Agency's Food Hygiene Rating Scheme guidance for businesses says the local authority food safety officer checks three elements: how hygienically food is handled; the physical condition of the business, "including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities"; and how you manage food safety (processes, training and systems). The guidance does not single out mats, but they fall within cleanliness and physical condition, and your records show how you manage.
Evidence checklist for your next inspection
| Item | What to have ready | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Risk assessment | Slip and trip risks named by area; mats listed as a control where used | MHSWR reg 3; HSE CAIS6 |
| 2. Cleaning schedule | Mats and the floor under them listed, with frequency and products | GOV.UK cleaning guidance |
| 3. Cleaning records | Signed log: mats lifted, cleaned and dried; floor cleaned | Shows you clean effectively |
| 4. Mat condition | No curling, splits or loose edges; damaged mats removed or replaced | Reg 12(3); CAIS6 |
| 5. Floor under mats | Clean, dry, no grease film; floor in good repair | 852/2004 Annex II |
| 6. Placement | Mats lie flat and do not block drains or channels | Reg 12(2)(b) and 12(3) |
| 7. Training | Staff know to report damaged mats and floor coverings | HSE CAIS6 |
Choosing mats that are easy to keep inspection-ready
Choose by what your risk assessment found, then by how easily the mat cleans. From our product pages:
- Safety Scrape Non Slip Rubber Mats are 100% nitrile rubber, oil and chemical resistant, with a moulded gripper surface.
- Comfort Flow Anti Microbial Rubber Mats are closed-cell nitrile with a flow-through hole design that lets liquid and debris fall away from the standing surface.
- The Red Value Kitchen Mat is solid rubber, oil and grease-proof, with large drainage holes and bevelled edges.
Anti-microbial treatment does not replace cleaning. For a lift, clean, dry and log routine, see our commercial kitchen mat cleaning routine, and check products against our guide to rubber mats and cleaning chemicals.
Frequently asked questions
Are floor mats required by law in restaurant kitchens?
None of the provisions we checked requires mats. The Workplace Regulations 1992 require floors that are not slippery in a way that exposes people to risk. Your risk assessment decides whether mats are a suitable control.
Can an EHO mark us down for dirty mats?
The FSA's rating guidance says the officer checks the physical condition of the business, including cleanliness. Dirty mats, or a dirty floor under them, are part of that, so keep both on your cleaning schedule.
Can kitchen mats be a trip hazard?
Yes. Regulation 12(3) requires floors to be kept free, so far as is reasonably practicable, of articles that may cause a slip, trip or fall. Remove or replace mats that curl, split or will not lie flat.
Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The 1992 and 1999 regulations quoted apply in England, Wales and Scotland. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme runs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, check the health and safety rules that apply there.
Need kitchen mats you can keep inspection-ready?
Browse our kitchen cleaning range, or ask us about mats for wet and greasy kitchen areas. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.