Safety Shoes: For Protecting Your Feet
A safety shoe is also known as a steel-toe boot
, safety boot or steel-capped boot. Safety shoes are protective footwear made from steel, grain leather, aluminum and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). These protective shoes feature heat-resistant soles and impact-resistant toes. These shoes primarily cover the front part of the wearer's feet. These footwear are designed to protect the feet of the workers from on-the-job injuries. They protect the feet from falling objects, sharp objects, heavy crushing objects, abrasion, excessive heat, burns, chemical spills, molten metal, corrosive materials, poisonous materials, electric shocks, wet or slippery surfaces and other work related hazards.
These sturdy
safety shoes are highly comfortable and puncture resistant. They do not get punctured easily by sharp penetrating materials, such as spikes and nails. The U.S Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration stipulates that individuals in certain vocations must wear safety footwear. These shoes are widely worn by construction workers, firefighters and chemical laboratory employees.
The workers are at a high risk of getting their feet injured due to heavy objects, excessive heat or toxic chemical spills.
In the United States of America, the applicable standard for safety shoes is ASTM standards F 2412-05.
ASTM International ( the American Society for Testing and Materials) is a globally recognized body that develops standards for products, materials, systems and services used in transportation and construction. At present, nearly 12000 ASTM standards are applicable across the globe to enhance product quality, improve safety and build consumer confidence. The protective footwear usually feature symbols. These markings or symbols indicate which footwear is appropriate for which job. Some of the markings featured on the safety footwear are:
Green Triangle: A shoe featuring green colored triangle features a puncture resistant sole.
Yellow Triangle: A footwear featuring yellow triangle also features a puncture resistant sole.
White Square: A shoe with a white square symbol offers protection from electric shock.
Yellow Square: A shoe with a symbol of yellow square offers anti-static protection.
Fir Tree: A footwear with fir tree offers protection against chain-saws.
The advanced safety shoes are very comfortable, flexible, durable, light weight and cost effective. These footwear are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 6 to 10. The shoes must be selected on the basis of the following factors:
Materials handled by the worker.
Risk of objects striking or falling on the feet.
Equipment or materials that are likely to roll over the feet.
Pointed or sharp objects that might cut or penetrate the feet.
Possible exposure to toxic, irritating or corrosive substances.
Possible exposure to explosives and static electricity.
Other factors to consider while purchasing safety shoes are the condition of the shoes, material and size. The shoes should fit the wearer appropriately. Ill-fitted shoes can result in painful bruises or tripping hazards.
by:Emma Heuton
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