Safety boots are shoes made with a protective reinforcement at the front making them quite durable. The reinforcement help protect the toes from falling objects or any kind of compression. They are normally installed with a sole plate in the main sole to prevent against punctures that may come from below. The reinforcement is normally made of steel hence they are sometimes known as steel toe cap boots. Continue reading
Protective work wear in the workplace refers to garments, helmets and goggles. They are designed to protect a worker from airborne matter, chemicals, electrical, heat and biohazards. They are worn for health purposes and job-related occupational safety.
Why protective work wear is important in the workplace, is that it provides for the safety and reduces a workers exposure to hazards, when administrative and engineering controls cannot reduce the risks to acceptable levels. The practice of using protective work wear has a hierarchy of control that provides a framework that ranks the type of hazard for risk reduction. The type of hazard, area of body protected and type of accessory or garment categorize protective work wear. Continue reading
Protective Work Wear – Increasing Work Place Safety
When it comes to the work place, health and safety is top priority. By law, businesses are required to have health and safety measures put in place to ensure employee safety form injury. In saying this, accidents still happen even if safety measures have been implemented. This is where personal protective clothing comes into effect. Clothing such as safety glasses, hard hats, high visibility vests and safety shoes are worn to reduce any risk of injury. Protecting our feet whilst working is something we may overlook at times, but protecting our feet is just as important as protecting anywhere else. So how are our feet protected in the workplace exactly?
Protecting your feet with Protective Work Boots
In harsh weather conditions work boots or safety boots are must. Safety boots will not only protect you from weather but also it will help in keeping your feet warm furthermore they will also protect you from injuries and will provide slip resistance. While purchasing work boots one must take care of various characteristics. Employers may provide safety guidelines, which should include the requirements of safety boots. What are the key points which a worker should keep in mind while buying boots?
Waterproof – The employee may be working either indoor or outdoor but there are chances that he/she may end up in wet environment. Boots must be capable of surviving in any wet condition. Water resistant work boots are offered by various companies, even though the exterior might be taken care of, premium quality alternatives are designed which maintain the wetness outside but it also doesn’t make any discomfort for the foots of wearer. Since many employees might find them selves working out with bad weather or even snowfall from time to time, using waterproof safety boots is vital for efficiency.
Slip Resistant – Even though a liner might maintain the wetness, think about the sole? For providing complete safety from wet as well as greasy conditions, work boots must be designed with a slip-resistant sole. Food producing, medicinal handling, and also outside working conditions are just a few of the places where this type of shoes is important. The dangers of sliding or falling have the probability of taking place in your place of work. Employees have to be prepared, with the help of durable, traction-supported shoes, or even customize their own current footwear using overshoes.
Insulation – Employees, especially all those working outdoors, have to adapt to their environment circumstances, as well as the clothes they are wearing. This includes boots, trousers, jackets and even gloves that aren’t properly insulated, will keep the worker’s hands and fingers cold, minimizing productiveness. Even worse than that, perhaps it may make an employee weaker or too cold. However, correctly insulated boots can be a guard from this. The insulation, for example, will keep the employees’ feet warmer without putting considerable bulk to the shoes.
Steel or Soft Toe – Falling or even moving things does not only risk injuring the employees head, but it can also have painful and dangerous consequences to their feet if they do not have the correct work shoes. Metal toe boots protect from this. Having additional durability at the top of the boot, steel toe capped boots work as a guard from heavy objects, including heavy machinery or large packages, thus reducing the chances of the employee damaging their feet through a sprain or a broken bone. Some specific type of work shoes go one-step further by introducing a metatarsal shield to safeguard the upper area of the feet, including fine bones, from heavy objects.
The thicker the material on the work boot, the more protection the employee will receive as the amount of weight the protective material can withstand depends on the thickness of it. In saying this, it is down to the structure of the work shoe itself. Work shoes with increased protective material thickness are proven to last longer than those with a thinner layer. Additionally, it removes pressure within particular areas that may result in discomfort, dispersing weight equally to the bottom of yours foot.