Page 32 - Occupational Health & Safety, January/February 2020

FOOT PROTECTION
The Perfect Fit: What to Look for in a Footwear Provider
BY JAMES IWANSKI
Employee safety is of the utmost importance on any jobsite, as it affects workers’ quality of life and job satisfaction as well as the bottom line. In fact, according to the National Safety
Council, direct and indirect costs of work-related in- juries and illnesses in the U.S. cost businesses over $160 billion each year.1
Slips, trips, falls and other foot-related injuries are among the most common in the workplace and can have a big impact on worker productivity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of days away from work stemming from foot injuries in 2018 was eight.2
Fortunately, employers don’t have to figure it all out on their own. By selecting the right partners for safety footwear, employers can ensure they are doing everything possible to create a safe, well-functioning, productive work environment. Here are a few things to look for in a safety footwear provider:
Total Foot Protection
A quality provider will offer a comprehensive and customizable assortment of footwear to keep work- ers safe and productive. This means offering products that protect against a wide array of potential hazards including falling objects, electrical hazards, sharp ob- jects and more. Everything from safety toe options to outsoles designed to handle a variety of conditions should be considered. Partnering with a provider that has a broad catalog of products and services will help cut down on the time, money and energy spent searching for additional options.
Important safety footwear technologies to look for include: safety toe options, insulation, waterproofing, lightweight, cooling, slip protection, electrical hazard prograction, puncture resistance, static dissipation, ankle protection and more.
In addition to protection against common work- place hazards such as the aforementioned dangers, it’s important to find a partner that will ensure employees receive gear that fits correctly. Proper fit is a key aspect of safety apparel, particularly for footwear, because it affects the performance of built-in safety features. Not only will wearing poorly fitting footwear be less com- fortable for employees, but they are also at a higher risk of injury. Wearing the proper socks, considering boot width, properly done lacing, heel and toe comfort and more are all aspects of finding the proper fit, and a partner that can help employees navigate this process will improve the effectiveness of the safety footwear.
Protection doesn’t have to mean uncomfortable and ugly. In relation to fit, comfort and style should also be considered. People have grown accustomed
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to wearing stylish, featherweight sneakers in their free time and are starting to expect the same of their work apparel. Look for a manufacturer that stays at the forefront of materials science to meet the demand for more modern and comfortable footwear.
Knowledge of Safety Standards
Safety standards generally change every three to five years and provide a set of minimum requirements that safety footwear must pass during testing. These safety standards vary by country, but all are intended to protect workers on the job. Although all global safe- ty footwear standards include key elements of protec- tion, the testing methods, performance requirements and the certification processes may have significant differences.
The ASTM Safety Footwear Standard, developed by ASTM International, is the most widely recognized standard in the U.S. and was updated in 2018 (ASTM F2413-18). ASTM standards specify performance re- quirements for protective toe-cap footwear, standard test methods for foot protection, and performance requirements for soft-toe protective footwear. The ASTM F2413-18 standard contains basic require- ments to assess footwear, which include:
■ Impact (I) resistance for the toe area
■ Compression (C) resistance for the toe area
■ Metatarsal (Mt) protection for the metatarsal
bones at the top of the foot
■ Conductive (Cd) properties to reduce static
electricity buildup and lower the possibility of igni- tion of explosives, volatile chemicals or fine particu- lates in the air
■ Electric hazard (EH) protection when acciden- tally stepping on live electric wires
■ Static dissipative (SD 10, 35 or 100) properties, allowing for three levels of protection to reduce hazards that result from a buildup of static charge where there is risk of accidental contact with live electrical circuits
■ Puncture resistance (PR) to protect the bottom of the foot from sharp, penetrating objects
Requirements for soft-toe protective footwear are found in the ASTM F2892-18 Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Soft-Toe Protec- tive Footwear (Non-Safety / Non-Protective Toe). Protections covered by ASTM F2892-18 include con- ductive properties, electric hazard protection, static dissipative properties and puncture resistance.
A good partner should have a deep knowledge of these standards and consistently update their offer- ings with the latest up-to-code, lab-tested and field- proven materials. They should also use high-quality leathers, fabrics and components sourced from trust-