When it comes to safety footwear, one size does not fit all. Many work circumstances and risks, like other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), need specific types of footwear.
So, how does a worker put his best foot forward while wearing safety shoes? To begin, a business should do a workplace hazard study to determine when and how employees are exposed to foot injury hazards, as well as how to protect them. The assessment is an important component of a PPE program because it provides you with the knowledge you need to select the appropriate footwear. These are the different categories of safety shoes that are trusted by most customers.
1. A steel or nonmetallic toe cap: protects against falling objects or crushing from heavy, rolling objects in impact and compression-resistant footwear. Steel-toed shoes are required for almost all industrial jobs.
2. When the metatarsal (upper foot): and toe areas are subjected to "drop" hazards, metatarsal shoes are designed to prevent or lessen injuries. Internal or external metatarsal protectors are available. When working with a forklift or carrying big goods that could fall on their feet, such as in the steel sector, this sort of footwear should be worn.
3. Puncture-resistant footwear: should fulfill ANSI standards, which reduce the risk of puncture wounds to the soles of the feet caused by piercing objects such as nails, glass, or sharp metal. The footwear should have reinforced, flexible metal soles or inside shoes if there is no risk of electrical contact.
4. Electrical hazard (EH) shoes: are non - conducting and designed to limit the risk of electric shock when the soles are exposed to 600 volt or less open circuits in dry conditions. The presence of live electrical cables and construction sites are examples of work environments where this footwear is appropriate.
5. Electrostatic dissipative: (ED) shoes decreases static electricity by transferring a charge from the body to the ground while maintaining an electrical resistance of 106 to 109 ohms during testing methods. Due to their extraordinarily low footwear resistance, these shoes protect the wearer from electrical risks. When working with flammable or explosive materials or sensitive electrical equipment, this sort of shoe should be worn.
