Demolition Site Ground Protection & Safety Mats

Why ground-level controls are a critical safety system, not an afterthought

Ground conditions are one of the most underestimated risk factors on demolition sites. From heavy plant movements to dust migration and pedestrian access, what happens at ground level directly affects safety, compliance, and productivity across the entire project.

At First Mats, we work closely with contractors, site managers, and safety professionals who are dealing with these risks every day. One pattern we see repeatedly is that ground protection, dust control, and walkway matting are often treated as secondary controls, added late, substituted with unsuitable materials, or misunderstood in terms of their technical purpose.

This article explains how ground protection and safety matting should be used correctly on demolition sites, with reference to current HSE guidance and UK legislation. We look at three critical areas; heavy plant access, dust migration, and pedestrian safety, and clarify where different matting systems are appropriate, where they are not, and the risks created when the wrong solution is used.

Heavy Plant & Temporary Access: Preventing ground failure and bogging

(The Active Demolition Zone)

The problem: Demolition routinely involves heavy plant (e.g., 30–50 tonne excavators, crushers, dumpers) operating over compromised ground: stripped foundations, infilled basements, made ground, or saturated clay. The result is predictable. Rutting, sinkage, instability, and increased risk to buried services.

The solution: Use specially designed ground protection mats, such as the First Mats Ground Protection Tiles, to create trackways for plant and equipment. This supports compliant traffic management by providing safe, predictable surfaces for vehicles in line with CDM traffic route duties (HSE L153 (CDM 2015)).

Key technical point: load distribution (not just traction). These mats are not “for grip” alone. Their primary job is load distribution, spreading point loads from tracks, outriggers, and tyre contact patches over a wider area to reduce ground pressure. This helps prevent:

• Plant sinking or “bogging” in soft ground
• Differential settlement that destabilises the machine during slewing/tracking
• Damage to buried services from crushing loads

Visual demarcation matters. Site walkway mats can also act as a visual control measure, signalling safe operating zones for plant. On well-managed sites, if a machine is off the mat, work stops until the route/pad is reinstated.

Don’t use plywood as a substitute on vehicle routes. At First Mats, we often see that clients have tried using Plywood in the past, but it is not suitable for repeated heavy loads: it can snap/delaminate, becomes dangerously slippery when wet. Plywood also degrades quickly in ground contact.

Dust Migration: Controlling the “Invisible Hazard”

(The Transition & Decontamination Zone)

The problem: Demolition generates fine particulate hazards that travel easily: respirable crystalline silica (RCS), asbestos fibres (where present), and general dust/debris. These contaminants migrate into welfare units, offices, vehicles, and sometimes off-site, creating health risk and compliance exposure under COSHH.

The regulatory baseline: HSE identifies construction dust as a major, preventable health risk. See HSE CIS36 (Construction dust) and HSE: Silica dust in construction. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) requires exposure to hazardous substances to be prevented or adequately controlled. (For the legislation text, see COSHH Regulations 2002.)

The solution: use contamination control mats (sticky/tacky peel-off mats) at clean-zone entry points as part of a layered dust control strategy aligned with HSE guidance.

Key technical point: the peel-off mechanism. Sticky mats use multiple adhesive layers. When the top layer is contaminated, you peel it away to expose a clean sheet, restoring performance quickly without replacing the whole unit.

Placement rule (non-negotiable): The exprts at First Mats say that Tacky Mats must be installed after boot wash/scraper stations. They do not work on wet mud, only on fine dust/silica. If mud is present, the adhesive surface is blocked and becomes ineffective.

Pedestrian Safety: Managing slip risks in welfare and transition zones

The problem: Wet mud and water tracked into drying rooms, canteens and site offices creates predictable slip risk, especially at entrances and corridor transitions. HSE guidance on slips and trips highlights contamination (e.g., wet/mud) as a primary contributor and supports using entrance matting to reduce the hazard (HSE INDG225: Preventing slips and trips at work).

The solution: use robust scraper mats and site walkway matting designed for wet, external environments.

Key technical point: permeability. Demolition sites are wet. Standard textile/carpet mats quickly become saturated, heavy, and unstable. Permeable matting allows water to drain through, maintaining traction and reducing standing water at entrances.

Don’t do this: don’t use indoor carpet mats outdoors. They become sodden, curl at the edges, and frequently turn into trip hazards, exactly the scenario HSE slip guidance aims to prevent.

HSO Quick Check: Daily Matting Inspection Log

The team of experts at First Mats have created a simple checklist that you can use for your Daily Matting Inspection log.

Reference links (HSE & legislation)

• HSE L153: Managing health and safety in construction (CDM 2015) (see Regulation 27 – Traffic routes)
• HSE CIS36: Construction dust
• HSE: Silica dust in construction
• HSE INDG225: Preventing slips and trips at work
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (legislation)
• COSHH Regulations 2002 (legislation)