Page 106 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2017

FOOT PROTECTION
ing to the National Institutes of Health, balance disorders are one reason that older people fall, which can lead to serious injuries. Good balance is key for helping people safely move and remain still, and stay independent as they age. Organizations should look for ways to support employees’ balance to help prevent the falls that nearly one-third of adults aged 65 and older experience each year.4
While back disorders make up nearly half of all work-related injuries, a large portion can be avoided. Feet are the foundation of the body, carrying the burden of weight while supporting the knees, back, and hips. If feet are not properly cared for, this can result in pain, fatigue and damage to the body. If left untreated, this pain can escalate over time and cause issues such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and more MSDs.
Ignoring the issue of foot care can also escalate the impact of shock waves. If feet experience poor shock absorption, it can jolt knees, the back, and hips with each step. The result is joint and muscle pain throughout the body. Hard surfaces, which are com- mon in many workplaces both indoors and outdoors, are especially unforgiving when there is a lack of foot support.
When employees are suffering from pain and fatigue, they are less energetic and productive and morale can take a hit; pain may also lead to lost-time injuries. Thankfully, solutions exist today that can reduce the negative impact of the environment on employees’ feet.
Insoles vs. Matting
Organizations usually consider two options to reduce employee pain and fatigue: insoles and floor matting. Personal insoles offer numerous advantages and flexibility to both employees and organi- zations, making them an attractive solution. These benefits include:
■ Ability to wear anywhere. Insoles can be implemented in- stantly without training and go wherever the worker goes. This makes them an ideal solution for both stationary and mobile work- ers who work both indoors and outdoors.
■ Personalized comfort. Employees can select the type of insole that best matches their needs, allowing for personalized comfort for workers based on their foot size and arch type.
■ Direct contact with the body. As insoles are placed inside the footwear, they have 100 percent surface contact with the feet and body 100 percent of the time, providing an ergonomic solution.
■ Reduced risk. Insoles reduce the risks of slips, trips, and falls, making the workplace safer and lowering expenses related to work- ers’ compensation claims. With matting, the edges could curl up and create tripping hazards.
■ Easy to implement. Insole programs are simple to imple- ment, particularly if you have conducted a wear trial with a key group of employees first.
■ Cost effective. Insoles are more affordable than floor matting. Quality insoles can also stand the test of time, resulting in infre- quent replacement.
Consider this example: Imagine a facility that employs 250 workers and is considering the addition of insoles or floor mat- ting. It would cost approximately $25 to provide a pair of personal anti-fatigue insoles for one employee. Multiplied by 250, the total cost to protect every worker is roughly $6,250 per year. In compari- son, a brand-name anti-fatigue floor mat for a 3x5 foot workstation would cost roughly $180. In total, for all employees to have matting in their work area, the business would have to invest more than
$45,000. The cost savings with insoles is $38,750, and this does not include the time and cost associated with maintaining floor mats, which can become soiled, ripped, and warped. If you decided to provide the workers two insoles per year, you would still be saving more than $32,500 per year.
Choosing the Correct Insole for Each Individual
To select the right insole for each employee, it’s essential to de- termine what is needed most—shock absorption, support, or ad- dressing a pre-existing foot condition. Finding an insole provider that offers numerous customizable and comfortable options allows companies and employees to explore a range of solutions for both plant/warehouse and office workers.
Insoles that provide shock absorption can be used to prevent health and pain issues, while others provide more support to align the foot into the proper neutral position. Insoles that are designed to properly support and comfort feet are not the same as insoles that form or are molded to the exact shape of one’s foot. According to a study done by the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research,5 heat- molding orthotic devices do not have a measurable effect on the biomechanical variables compared to the non-molded condition. Heat-molding insoles lack in providing corrective support because they’re not firm enough to provide support. Most importantly, these types of insoles reinforce the incorrect arch that’s already causing foot pain and don’t offer pronation control, which would correctively put the foot in a neutral position, and realign it with other body parts.
How to Implement an Insole Program
Organizations looking to implement an insole program should consider the following:
1. Set up a wear test trial. Consider replacing existing anti-fa- tigue matting with an insole wear test trial program. This program can help establish feedback from employees who are trialing the insoles for a few weeks. This will also increase your acceptance rate of the new program and enable employees to try specific insoles that relate to their needs.
2. Include insoles in a health and wellness program. Include in- soles as part of an employee’s health benefits to show that your or- ganization is proactive and cares about its employees’ wellness and comfort, boosting employee morale.
3. Consider multiple budgets for funding. Various budgets can be used to cover insoles, such as a company’s PPE, safety, floor mat- ting, uniforms, wellness or footwear programs already in place.
4. Include insoles as part of a PPE and footwear program. Just as gloves might be part of the PPE that you wear to protect your hands at work, so should protective footwear and insoles protect your feet. Replacing insoles on a regular basis may extend the life of protective footwear.
5. Get insoles for everyone. Workers may be stationary for most their shift while others are mobile. Some may only work inside, while others need to complete outdoor tasks. Thus, it’s important to get insoles that meet the needs of all workers.
A Step Ahead
Considering the contemporary workforce, organizations want to stay a step ahead in retaining and attracting employees. A perfect
94 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2017
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