force dissipation provided by embodiments described above allows a very thin safety mat in one embodiment the safety mat is approximately 1 inch thick or less an advantage of a thin mat includes further reduction in tripping and further enhancement of ability to used wheeled devices over the safety mat in one embodiment an advantage of having the first outer layer 440 laminated to the layer of deformable material 444 includes structural integrity of the safety mat that reduces tripping and facilitated wheeled motion over the safety mat 400 fig5 shows one example of a method of forming a safety mat as described in embodiments above one operation includes forming a taper on at least one edge of a layer of deformable material from a first planar surface outward to a second planar surface another operation includes laminating the layer of deformable material to a first outer layer in one embodiment another operation includes attaching a second outer layer to the first outer layer along a perimeter to form an enclosed volume that includes the layer of deformable material wherein an area of the second outer layer within the perimeter is substantially unattached to the layer of deformable material in one embodiment the operation of attaching a second outer layer to the first outer layer along a perimeter includes heat sealing the second outer layer to the first outer layer advantages of such a configuration are described above embodiments of safety mat as described above have a number of advantages one advantage includes force dissipation inherent in a layer of deformable material in addition to force dissipation at a substantially unlaminated interface another advantage includes materials choices to.