Tag Archives: protective footwear

Protect Your Legs and Work Efficiently Wearing the Best Safety Boots

Protect Your Legs and Work Efficiently Wearing the Best Safety Boots

If you or your workers are carrying out their job which requires a high physical safety, they should wear the right kind of gears to protect themselves from any bodily harm. Like the helmet that is worn in areas to save the head or the harness around the waist to save oneself if accidentally slipped or the high visibility jackets to get identified at the muskiest places, safety boots are another essential workwear that needs to be worn by the workers to save their feet.  Do you know almost 25% of the disability that occurs in the workplace is due to feet injury? Wearing safety boots can reduce your chance of feet injury and save you from fatal accidents. However, the right kind of boots is to be chosen and used.
 

Mistakes That Needs to Be Avoided

Many people make mistakes while choosing and purchasing the safety boots and ultimately, they serve no purpose.  One should avoid the most common mistakes and buy the best boots.
⦁ Using the Safety Boots for Other Purposes That Are Not Intended to Use: This is one of the significant issues, and people select the wrong pair of shoes for some particular work.  The environment where the safety boots are to be used should be given priority, and the quality of the shoes should be bought accordingly. A safety boot that is required in a steel plant does not mean that it will be required by a firefighter or a road construction worker.
⦁ Confusing the Safety Standards: Every risky job has defined safety standards that are to be maintained and followed by a worker. So, may need steel plates below and some may need rubber or some fire and heat resistant material. The safety boots are to be bought as per the safety guidelines mentioned against each type of industry.  However, all shoes should be waterproof or at least water resistant.
⦁ Never to Choose the Boots Looking at The Price Tags: As everyone is looking for value for money, it is a common tendency to save and buy the shoes only looking at the cheap price tag and compromising with the quality and forgetting the purpose. A sturdy, long-lasting and work specific boot should be bought without looking for the cheaper ones that compromise with the safety standards.
⦁ Going for The Style Overshadowing the Purpose: Many people select and buy these boots giving priority to the style rather than the intent that it needs to serve. It should be avoided, and the priority should always be the safety of the feet. There are safety boots that people wear when they work in mines and in heavy industries and furnaces. Depending on the type of floor surface that they walk on, users need to choose these safety boots.
⦁ Choosing Incorrect Size: The shoes should be of the correct size. A tight shoe can cause the boots to wear out in quick time, and a loose boot makes the movement on the dangerous zone more dangerous. One should buy the correct size of safety boots to feel comfortable in them.
 
When it comes to the safety of your life while in the workplace, proper precautions are to be taken. Safety boots are not worn to carry a style statement but to protect the feet from the feet injuries in the place of work.  One should not compromise with the quality and avoid the most common mistakes discussed above. Prevention is always better than cure. You can now choose the leather or suede safety boots to add glamour to your dressing style and also to keep your feet warm and comfortable during winters.

THEME FOR NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH – JUNE 19 – 25: PREVENTING SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS

Slips, trips, and falls represent the most common cause of workplace injuries, behind  motor vehicle accidents.  Slips, trips, and falls can result in head, back, and neck injuries, as well as broken bones, cuts and bruises.  According to the National Safety Councils’ 2008 injury facts, the average workers’ comp costs for slips, trips, and falls, was $21,500.  So we’re not talking about minor incidents. 

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety reports that 60% of falls happen at the same floor level.  The other 40% are falls from heights.  Even the slightest change in elevation surface (1/4” to ½”) can cause a trip or fall.  Caution signs should be placed in obvious areas to avert falls.  Those who work at heights should wear some form of personal fall arrest system – harness, lanyards, tie-off slings, etc. – one that fits the particular job best.  Falls from ladders, roofs, stairs, or jumping to a lower level causes many injuries.  Each of these risks demand different considerations in a fall arrest program.   Many homes have areas with lower-level family rooms, which are hazardous for visitors.  Homeowners should warn them to “watch their step” while visiting.  

Good housekeeping in a business is vital.  If these practices are not enforced, other administrative control measures implemented will never be fully effective.  Safety and housekeeping go hand in hand.  This is extremely true, especially when addressing the serious issue of slips, trips and falls.  If the facility’s housekeeping habits are poor, the result may well be employee injuries, rising insurance costs, and regulatory citations.  If the facilities are noticeably clean and well organized, it is a good sign that its overall safety program is effective as well.  Disorderly work environments can negatively impact the morale of employees who must function in a job site that is dirty, hazardous, and poorly managed.  Because slips, trips, and falls occur more than any other occupational injury, it makes good sense for the company to ensure that employees comply with a good housekeeping program.  This is a plan that should be part of each worker’s daily performance.  If each individual does his/her part to keep work areas clean, the housekeeping program will be a success.  The same rule applies to our homes.  If we don’t place things in their right place, someone is going to come along and trip over something that shouldn’t have been there.  Nightlights are good for preventing falls (or running into a wall) for overnight visitors who could get lost in the darkness in your home. 

Most falls can be prevented.  All we should do is follow this simple rule: watch where we are going!  We take walking for granted, so we pay little attention to potential hazards.  Here are some common fall hazards cited by the National Safety Council that we should watch for:

  • Hidden steps;
  • Wet spots;
  • Smooth surfaces;
  • Loose, irregular surfaces;
  • Oil and grease.
  • Obstacles in walkways;
  • Electrical cords in walkways;
  • Aisles that have boxes stacked and left in the way;
  • File cabinet drawers left open;
  • Tools left out. 

Many workers are required to wear protective footwear on the job.  Shoes that have slip-resistant soles help prevent  injuries.  Safety footwear is designed to protect feet against the most common types of injuries, impact, compression and puncture.  It is important to choose footwear according to the hazards present, but also be sure it is comfortable enough to wear for several hours.  

Tomorrow we will delve into this serious subject a little bit more.  Until then, stay safe, and remain upright!

 

SOURCES: CCOHS, SORM (Sstate Office of Risk Management, Texas), OSHA