Page 49 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2018

beled as I/75/C/75. Beyond compression and impact resistance, shoes required for different types of jobs will reflect their own specific list of standards. For example, a shoe buyer might find an ASTM-certified product with the following designation:
ASTM F2413-17
M/I/75/C/75
Mt/75
What does this mean? The first line communicates that the shoe
meets the ASTM F2413-17 standard. In the next line, the M stands for male, the I/75 stands for the impact rating, and the C/75 is the compression rating. The third line, Mt/75, indicates metatarsal protection of 75 ft-lbs of force. Refer to the following list of rating abbreviations:
■ C/75 = Compression rating
■ I/75 = Impact rating
■ Mt/75 = Metatarsal rating
■ CD = Conductive properties
■ EH = Electrical hazard properties
■ SD 100 = Static dissipative (1-100 megohms)
■ SD 35 = Static dissipative (1-35 megohms)
■ SD 10 = Static dissipative (1-10 megohms)
■ PR = Puncture resistant
■ M = Footwear designated for a male
■ F = Footwear designated for a female
Safety and health experts recommend employers require em-
ployees to wear ASTM-compliant shoes because add-on protective devices, such as strap-on toe caps, often fit awkwardly over street shoes and can make walking difficult, even hazardous in certain conditions.
Employees also can forget to put them on. When toe protection is needed, a safer approach for everyone in an industrial setting is to wear ASTM F2413-17 conforming shoes.
Select the Right Shoe for the Job
Each industry requires safety shoes designed to confront specific dangers. For example, safety toe shoes are needed for jobs in the construction industry where the danger of heavy objects dropping on workers’ feet is a daily concern. Heat-resistant soles protect feet against hot surfaces in paving, roofing, and hot metal industries. Electrically conductive shoes protect against the buildup of static electricity to reduce the risk of a spark causing a fire or explosion (and should not be worn with nylon, wool, or silk socks). Electric hazard shoes prevent a wearer from completing a circuit with the ground. They are meant as a secondary source of electric hazard protection to the wearer against the hazards of stepping on live electrical circuits, electrically energized conductors, parts, or ap- paratus. The shoes are capable of withstanding the application of 18,000 V at 60 Hz for 1 minute, with no current flow or leakage current in excess of 1.0 mA under dry conditions. Electrical hazard protection is severely deteriorated in wet conditions.
It is important to understand the unique hazards of what your job entails and wear the appropriate footwear. Safety is rarely a one- size-fits-all endeavor. Fortunately, shoe manufacturers and retailers can guide workers to the appropriate pair of shoes for their jobs. The more dangerous the position, the more likely the shoe will be created for a narrower range of challenges.
Additional Recommendations
Check safety shoes at regular intervals to determine whether they should be replaced or, at a minimum, cleaned. Any time a heavy object hits a safety toe, it could be compromised and needs to be replaced. Pieces of metal or other contaminants embedded in shoe soles should be removed immediately. Shoes should be regularly cleaned and maintained for both safety and increased longevity.
For employers who want to ensure that they comply with ap- plicable regulations, OSHA offers training opportunities and guid- ance through grants, strategic partnership programs within trade unions and associations, voluntary protection programs, and free consultation assistance for small employers. These resources are detailed on OSHA’s website (www.osha.gov).
As with so many things in life, safety first. The cost of a pair of safety shoes is small compared to a foot injury that can put an employee out of work for days or weeks, as well as cause permanent disability or worse. Protective footwear provides a vital layer of pro- tection for a company’s most valuable asset, its employees.
Lori Hyllengren is the laboratory manager for Red Wing Shoe Com- pany and S.B. Foot Tanning Company. She represents Red Wing on the ASTM D31 Leather committee, DoDe Footwear committee, ASTM Safety Footwear committee F13.30, and CSA Protective Foot- wear committee Z195.
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