Why are safety shoes important?
Safety shoes protect feet from foot injuries and prevent exhaustion. This mainly applies to industrial workers that are on the frontlines of danger.
Therefore, safety shoes are just as important as any other personal protective equipment. Maybe even more so.
Even though employers provide safety shoes for workers following the safety footwear standards, they may not comply. This could be due to the wrong size, discomfort or they do not fit the hazard.
Nonetheless, wearing safety shoes significantly reduce accidents in the workplace. So, provide workers safety shoes that can fully protect them.
How to Prevent Foot Injuries at the Workplace
Accidents will happen but you can always find ways to avoid them.
Both employers and workers must know the function of safety shoes for workers. The use of safety shoes in the workplace is most important before starting any task.
Thus, here are some foot protection safety tips by wearing protective work shoes.
Employers are responsible to provide proper safety shoes
The Malaysian OSH regulations state that all industrial employers must provide DOSH SIRIM certified safety shoes.
Moreover, proper safety footwear is necessary for places where there is a danger of foot injuries. For example, safety shoes for construction workers must be anti-penetration, designed with a steel toe cap and abrasion-resistant.
So for extra protection, ensure workers wear safety boots. After all, failure to do so may lead to legal issues that can harm your company.
Who is at risk of foot injuries?
Safety shoes must be provided based on the risks the worker faces. Is there a risk of falling heavy objects? Sharp material laying around? Is there a possibility of electrical discharge?
Even if you practice good housekeeping, the risk of injuries can still happen if the worker does not wear safety shoes designed for danger.
So, conduct a hazard assessment before bulk purchasing worksite safety shoes. Although protective measures are in place, foot injuries can still happen.
Suggested read: 10 Types of Safety Shoes that Protect your Workers
How serious are foot injuries?
Wearing normal shoes or outworn shoes can lead to serious foot injuries. It is important that workers are prepped with safety boots that fit and are replaced if they are damaged.
If not, it will lead to foot injuries which can cause permanent or temporary disability. This is because the foot area is very sensitive since only very little soft tissue protects the metatarsals.
Thus, if any heavy objects fall or roll over the foot area, worker’s feet will be injured which can take months to heal.
How to prevent foot injuries?
Most industries work around heavy materials and high racking areas. Therefore, the possibility of falling and rolling objects is imminent.
Hence, where there is a possibility of foot injuries, safety shoes are just as important as hard hats.
Boxter safety shoes include work boots that have protective toe caps with durable material which can prevent foot injuries effectively.
Suggested read: How to Prevent Work Hazards with Safety Boots and PPE
Protect your workers from foot injuries
Pick the proper safety shoes for workers for ultimate safety
Workers must be provided with proper footwear to keep them safe from injuries. If not, not only will it harm your employees, but your business too.
Therefore, choose the best lightweight safety shoes perfect for your workers. They will definitely thank you for it by working more productively and safely.
Don’t know which safety shoe is the best? You’ve come to the right place.