Page 50 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2017

FOOT PROTECTION
Taking Strides Toward Safety
You can use 100 percent dual layer memory foam insoles to alleviate pain and fa- tigue. Utilizing insoles in your shoes also prolongs the life of protective footwear. BY KEVAN ORVITZ
Like most people, you probably spend more time standing on your feet than thinking about them. Whether you work for long hours on your feet, stand on your feet all day, or even
if you work at a desk, if you’re not wearing proper footwear and have appropriate foot support and shock absorption, you can have a horrible day. Even worse, continually lacking adequate foot support and cush- ioning can lead to debilitating lower body pain.
Without proper footwear or arch support, you can develop bunions, corns, sprains, and fungal in- fections. Unfortunately, these uncomfortable foot problems can happen at home or at work. However, your working conditions can exacerbate or accelerate these issues because spending large amounts of time on your feet, standing for hours on end, can increase your risk for inflammation.
Additionally, it can cause serious permanent dam- age. However, this can all be prevented with proper foot protection or support. You may already wear protective footwear, such as heavy-duty or steel-toe boots. If you work in construction, mining, in a ware- house, or in any field that requires the use of heavy machinery or equipment, then you know the im- portance of keeping your feet safe. However, simply wearing work boots isn’t always enough to guarantee safety or reduce back pain. There are numerous types of footwear and insoles that can prevent health prob-
lems and injury to your feet. As well, being mindful of ergonomics in the workplace, providing your em- ployees with the proper footwear that will provide better foot support and help prevent musculoskeletal diseases and injuries is a key consideration and addi- tion to your PPE program.
As a first step, you need to evaluate your workplace for safety hazards. This should be an ongoing process. Continually analyzing your work site will help you se- lect the best footwear program that both protects and supports your workers.
Analyzing Your Workplace
Workplace safety is a major topic with tremendous impact and importance. There are so many compo- nents, and each one must work together to create a safe environment. It’s critical to you and your team’s safety that your workplace is evaluated on a weekly basis. If that sounds like a lot, take a moment and think about everything that happens in one week at your workplace.
How many people move in and out of the office? What do they carry? What equipment are they using? Chances are, your workplace and personal work space change daily and weekly. There might be new machin- ery, walkways, pathways, and hazards, and it’s impor- tant to know how they affect you and your team.
As you evaluate your workplace, pay close atten-
44 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL 2017
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