rigIf you've ever worked at or been around a construction site, industrial plant or the oil and gas sector, chances are you've been asked to dress up in full PPE (personal protective equipment), complete with some rather large, heavy footwear. These shoes aren't just for style; these heavy-duty boots, or safety shoes, as they're known, are specially made with reinforced toes to protect the feet from hazards such as heavy objects.
Safety shoes don't just include steel-toe boots, which are standard issue on many sites locally. Other types of boots and shoes that can provide traction, arch support and other safety benefits also fall in this category. Most times, the company's HSE or safety head determines what kind of safety shoe the employees need, based on a hazard assessment that determines what kinds of risks—such as slipping and falling or sharp objects—are most prevalent. Whatever the boot of choice, safety shoes have a valuable role to play in employee safety. They offer moderate protection from falling objects, puncture protection, cutting hazards prevention, electrical hazard protection, slips/trips/falls protection, fatigue prevention, burn prevention, and extreme weather protection.
Primitive safety boots date as far back as the end of WWII, where simple, wooden shoes called 'sabots' were shaped and hollowed out from a single block of wood, and protected French and Breton peasants from sharp, falling objects, and kept their toes safe in case a horse or cow stepped on them. Since then, we've come a long way in creating boots that truly keep their user safe. Here are a few basic tests that all safety boots need to pass:
The inner side of the shoe must be straight from the heel to the end of the big toe The shoe must grip the heel firmly The forepart must allow freedom of movement for the toes The shoe must have a fastening across the instep to prevent the foot from slipping when walking The shoe must have a low, wide-based heel; flat shoes are recommended
Safety shoes come in numerous flavours, including metatarsal footwear that contains special guards that run from ankle to toe, protecting the entire foot, reinforced soled shoes that protect the foot from punctures, and latex or rubber shoes that resist chemicals and provide extra traction on slipper surfaces. Still, steel toe footwear is the most common form of safety shoes, because they protect toes from falling objects and from being crushed, which causes roughly 60% of all foot injuries. On sites where there are more electrical than falling hazards, a fibreglass toe should replace the typical steel toe. Safety shoes also include footwear like safety toed shoes, steel insole shoes, metal instep shoes, and come in various styles like boots, trainers, riggers, clogs, and wellingtons.
When choosing a shoe, make sure that the item you're looking to purchase has good traction to protect against slips and falls. Depending on the environment, consider cleats, or a shoe with an abrasive, gritted, grooved, spiked or studded sole. If you need additional chemical protection, pick boots and shoes made of rubber, PVC, or neoprene. Make sure to accurately measure your foot, and never assume that tight shoes will stretch over time and with wear.