When considering safety footwear for an active job site, heavy duty shoes like steel toe boots might come to your mind. These boots come with reinforced toes that protect your feet from dangers like heavy objects and are an essential part of personal protective equipment at many construction and industrial work sites. Many types of shoes are available that can ensure safety in your workplace besides the steel toe boots. These safety shoes and boots can provide arch support, traction, and many other benefits. Here are some of the reasons why you should wear safety footwear in an active job site.
Protection from flying and falling objects
When you or your employees carry heavy materials or work in a dynamic environment where many people, vehicles and machines are operating at the same time, flying and falling objects are popular hazards. Protective shoes such as safety trainers or boots can effectively prevent injuries and crushing to the feet.
Prevent trips, falls and slips
Falls, trips, and slips can happen in any job site and can result in numerous accidents manually. To prevent all these hazards, buy safety shoes that feel comfortable and fit well to improve your balance. These shoes will also provide you with the right traction, which can prevent fractures and sprains caused by these hazards.
Protection from punctures
Workers can get struck by different sharp objects or even step on them. However, shoes made of thick materials and heavy duty soles can offer them the best protection. If you work on a construction site, soft-soled footwear may not provide you with enough protection.
Protection from cutting and electrical hazards
Sharp machinery or those with moving parts can present cutting hazards. Employees in the logging sector, for instance, face risks from chainsaws which can bring catastrophic results. Logging boots made of cut-resistant materials will provide such workers with protection from such cuts. These safety boots are water repellent or waterproof, and they also support the ankles.
Electricity also poses many hazards on the job site. Employees can accumulate static electricity or face possible electric shocks, which can cause electric sparks in some environments. To reduce the occurrences of electrical accidents, workers can wear non-conductive shoes made from rubber, leather or other materials that do not conduct electricity.
Having seen the importance of safety footwear, what are the best shoes to consider when shopping? Should you go for safety boots or trainers?? To get the right footwear for the jobs in your work site, you will need to carry out a hazard evaluation and determine what type of risks pose a danger to your workers’ feet. Then select the boots or shoes that provide the appropriate protection.
Whatever your work environment, your safety and that of your employees should be a priority at all times. It’s important to select the right personal protective equipment and workwear to lower the risk of injuries, and a pair of high-quality safety shoes or boots is a good foundation for a personal safety kit. Go for those shoes that have slip-resistant and impact protection soles and enough ankle padding for excellent foot protection.