Quick answer: Entrance mats for wet weather only work if someone owns them on the day. Agree a trigger (forecast rain, or water on the floor inside the door), put out extra mats and a spare before the rush, take standing water off with a wet vac rather than a mop, use warning signs only while the floor is actually wet, and lift, dry and check every mat after the rain. Write it down as a one-page reception plan so day staff, cleaners and the facilities team all follow the same steps.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. This plan is built on HSE guidance and the care instructions for the mats we sell. It is written for receptions, offices, hotels, shops and other public-facing entrances.
Why rainy days need their own plan
HSE's leaflet Preventing slips and trips at work (INDG225) says slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work. It gives "using doormats to stop rainwater being tracked in and making the floor slippery" as an example of a sensible control, and lists "use entrance matting" under stopping floors becoming contaminated.
The problem is that a mat sized for a dry Tuesday may not cope with a wet Monday morning. In an HSE case study of a supermarket entrance, the existing matting systems "were not large enough to cope with the amount of water transferred onto the mats". The fix was operational as well as physical: more frequent cleaning in wet weather, scaled to footfall and rainfall; staff watching for water on the floor; a wet vac instead of a mop; and extra matting alongside the existing sunken mats in wet conditions. HSE reports no serious slipping accident in the 18 months after the changes.
Before the rain: mats, spares and kit
Do this at the start of autumn, then check it weekly.
- Outside the door: an outdoor scraper mat takes off mud and grit before it reaches the indoor mat. Brush Hog Heavy Duty Outdoor Entrance Matting has a nylon scraper face and a rubber back that, according to its product page, resists splitting, cracking or curling in all weathers.
- Inside the door: a mat that holds water below shoe level. Mats in our WaterHog collection, such as Waterhog Classic, have a bi-level surface and a water-dam border designed to trap moisture on the mat rather than on the floor beyond it.
- A dry spare of the main indoor size for each busy door, so a saturated mat can be swapped rather than left down.
- Extra mats for wet days, sized to fit the walking line without leaving gaps or overlaps. Tri Grip Heavy-Duty mats have a nitrile rubber backing that the product page says resists curling, with a flat back for hard floors or a gripper back for carpet.
- Kit at reception: a wet vac, a clean dry mop or squeegee, wet-floor signs, gloves and a simple log sheet.
- Somewhere to hang wet mats to dry, away from the walking route.
Set your trigger points
Agree in advance what starts the wet-weather routine, so nobody waits to be told:
- Amber: rain forecast for the opening hours or a busy changeover. Lay the extra mats, check the spare is dry and put the wet vac by reception.
- Red: water visible on the floor beyond the mats, or the indoor mat no longer taking up water. Move to the rain-day rota below.
- Escalate: water still reaching the floor after mats are swapped and the floor is cleared. Tell the facilities manager the same day.
Rain-day rota
Adapt the frequencies to your footfall. The HSE case study scaled cleaning to the number of people coming in and the amount of rain, so busy doors need shorter intervals.
| When | Task | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Before opening | Lay extra mats; check all mats lie flat; spare mat dry and ready; signs and wet vac to hand | Opening cleaner or caretaker |
| Every 30–60 minutes at busy times | Walk the entrance; check the floor beyond the mats; wet vac standing water off the mat surface and the floor | Reception or roving cleaner |
| When the indoor mat is saturated | Swap in the dry spare; hang the wet mat to dry | Roving cleaner |
| Peak arrivals (start of day, lunch, changeovers) | Extra check of the threshold band and first few metres inside | Reception |
| Close of day | Vacuum mats; lift wet mats to dry; dry the floor beneath; remove signs once the floor is dry; complete the log | Closing cleaner |
Wet vac or mop?
Use a wet vac for standing water. In the HSE supermarket case, staff switched from mopping, which left the floor surface wet, to a wet vac, which left the floor dry. HSE's guidance on cleaning and slips adds that a dry mop or squeegee will reduce drying time, "but while the floor is damp it will still be slippery". So clean in sections where you can, leaving a dry path through the entrance.
The floor between the door and the mat
HSE's slips and trips hazard-spotting checklist (CK4) asks whether the floor between the building threshold and the entrance matting is slippery when wet. If it is, the suggested actions include extending the mat or the exterior paving, or improving the grip of the floor. On rain days, include this strip in every check, because it gets wet before any mat can help.
Signage and its limits
A wet-floor sign warns people; it does not dry the floor. HSE's cleaning guidance suggests using warning signs, "but remember to remove them when the area is clean and dry". CK4 says to remove cones and signs as soon as cleaning is completed and the floor is dry. Put them out when the floor is wet, and take them in when it is not.
After the storm: drying, lifting and checking
- Lift wet mats and hang them to dry. M+A Matting, a brand Rawlins sells, says WaterHog mats should be dry before they go back into service.
- Dry the floor under every mat before relaying it.
- Check edges and corners. CK4 lists mats with curled-up edges as a trip hazard: fix down mat edges or replace the mat if necessary.
- Vacuum mats once dry to lift the grit that came in with the rain. Our entrance mat machine guide covers technique, and our WaterHog care routine covers deep cleaning.
- Record what happened in the log: times, swaps, any slips or near misses, and anything that ran out.
When the plan is not enough
If water still reaches the floor on most rainy days, the problem may be the entrance rather than the rota. CK4's suggestions include stopping water entering the building with canopies, improving external drainage and keeping doors closed when you can, and fitting large and absorbent entrance mats. The supermarket in the HSE case later added a canopy over its entrance. Review your risk assessment and matting layout before next winter.
Frequently asked questions
How often should entrance mats be checked in wet weather?
HSE guidance sets no fixed interval. Its supermarket case scaled cleaning to footfall and rainfall, so set shorter intervals for busy doors and add a check at every peak in arrivals.
Should we mop the reception floor when it rains?
Use a wet vac for standing water where you can. In HSE's case study, mopping left the floor wet and a wet vac left it dry. A damp floor is still slippery.
Can we leave wet-floor signs out all day?
No. HSE says to remove signs as soon as cleaning is finished and the floor is dry.
Can we put a wet mat back down?
No. Hang it to dry and swap in a dry spare. M+A says WaterHog mats should be dry before they go back into service, and the floor under the mat should be dry too.
Need extra mats before the weather turns?
Browse our WaterHog collection and outdoor scraper mats, or ask us to help plan matting for a busy reception. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.
