Procuring the Right Safety Footwear
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Many potential threats to foot safety exist in most working environments (manufacturing or not). Knowing what those threats are, is critical to keeping employees safe and your company compliant.
Most experts attest that there is more to procuring the proper foot protection than affordability and speedy delivery. Your choice in safety shoe design should consider three important aspects: Compliance, Protection, and Efficiency.
In this article, we summarise how to choose the right safety shoe and meet these considerations while doing it.
The Importance of Safety Shoes
High-quality safety shoes are a vital investment, as they protect employees’ feet from crushes, punctures, or burn injuries. They also provide grip, avert the conduction of electricity, prevent static build-up, and help combat muscle fatigue. Good shoes provide comfort and flexibility, too, so staff performs at their best.
When choosing what footwear you will be purchasing, you first need to consider what threats your work environment might hold.
Long- and short-term foot injuries can be caused by:
For the best protection, it is vital that you choose a shoe designed for the job at hand.
South African Safety Shoe Standards
Ensuring that you buy a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) compliant product is the second step when choosing a safety shoe. Compliant safety footwear will bear the SABS-approved logo on its box or label.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, companies must identify potential hazards in the workplace. Once established, precautionary measures need to be put in place to protect employees from these hazards. The provision of PPE like safety shoes is one of these measures.
Your safety footwear must conform to SANS 20345:2014 and SANS 20347:2014 laid down by the South African Bureau of Standards. These standards originate from the international standards ISO 20345:2011: Safety Footwear and ISO 20347:2012: Occupational Footwear.
The standards lay out essential and optional requirements for safety shoes. They refer to physical risks, slip resistance, thermal risk, and ergonomics, which are all vital for foot protection. Safety shoes must be designed and constructed according to these standards to ensure PPE protects as required.
Uniform safety basics across brands are because of these standards. If your safety shoes are SABS-approved, you are on track to choose the right safety footwear.
All safety shoes and boots supplied by Delta Health and Safety comply with the required standards.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Safety Shoe
By choosing the right safety shoe, you save yourself a lot of stress and save your company money. The correct safety shoe may be more expensive initially, but more durable products mean less spending in the long term. Plus, you protect your employees from injury at work, which can be both traumatic and costly.
Discomfort is one of the leading reasons employees give for not wearing the PPE bought for them by the company. As a result, staff will exchange their safety shoes for everyday footwear that is non-compliant or effective against risk. This is luckily an easily preventable issue once you have considered the below aspects.
Here are the most important factors to consider when you are choosing a safety shoe for your company.
Your Industry
Knowing your industry-specific safety requirements is essential to choose the right safety shoe.
For example, a safety shoe in the construction or mining industry will need steel toecaps and midsoles to protect the wearer from injury. On the other hand, a safety shoe in the pharmaceutical industry will need protection from chemicals is more critical.
Our
product category pageshave “Tags” filters to only display safety shoes in your industry or for your application.
Durability
The longer a safety shoe lasts, the better for your company. However, when deciding on durability, you need to know what the shoe needs to endure. This consideration is linked closely to understanding your industry.
It is a requirement of SANS 20345 that a safety shoe toe cap withstands 1.5 tonnes. Here, you will need to decide between a steel or composite toe cap. A steel toe cap can handle heavier weights than composite toe caps. However, a composite toe cap is better suited when dealing with electricity as it is non-conductive.
Not all safety shoes are anti-static or fuel and oil-resistant; you must determine if this is necessary. Purchasing a shoe with added unnecessary protection can be costly. Know what protective components you need so that you choose the right safety shoe.
Delta Health and Safetyis your first call when selecting a safety shoe. Our knowledgeable team will advise you on the brand and model of shoes that fit your needs and budget.
Alternatively, you can browse our range of
Rebel Safety Shoeswhere we list suggested environments for each shoe.
The Fit
Safety Shoes are unique in how they fit. They must provide enough room for the wearer to wiggle their toes but fit snuggly elsewhere. The heel needs to fit securely into the shoe to provide stability for the ankle. Steel midsoles can provide arch support and protection, which helps to prevent hip and back discomfort.
Discuss the needs of the employees you are supplying so that you choose the right safety shoe. An employee with back problems and on their feet all day may benefit from a larger fit and insoles.
Check employees’ safety shoes regularly. As shoes wear, the fit can change and become uncomfortable. Even if the shoes look great on the outside, it is time to replace them when they hit this stage.
Taking the time to get the support and fit right makes the employee more likely to wear their safety shoes.
Comfort
Finding comfortable safety footwear doesn’t have to seem like something out of a fairy tale when buying from us. Delta Health and Safety considers the end-users comfort when selecting our products, making your choice faster and easier.
Comfort is a crucial consideration because uncomfortable shoes are less likely to be worn consistently by your employees. Sole composition affects the comfort level. Polyurethane soles used in most safety shoes have a high comfort level. PVC soles, which have good resistance to chemical agents, tend to be heavy and rate low on comfort.
Uncomfortable safety shoes can cause blisters, calluses, or other minor injuries that may lead to more significant problems. If your employees are cozy in their PPE, they will be more focused on the job at hand.
The Perfect Fit
Choosing the right safety shoe doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task because we are here to help!
Our extensive range of brands and shoes and our many years of experience makes meeting your requirement easy and speedy.
Delta Health and Safety is the perfect fit as your PPE partner.
The right safety footwear is crucial not only for worker safety but also for increasing productivity and cost-effectiveness. But how do you choose the most appropriate safety shoes to protect workers against workplace hazards, keeping them safe, comfortable, and productive?
This article will discuss the latest updates to the safety footwear standards, along with ways to evaluate the risks that workers are exposed to and how to select safety footwear for different industries and workers. Finally, we will list cases and examples to explain what critical criteria needs to be considered to maximize comfort and safety.
Safety shoes must meet the safety footwear standard, EN ISO 20345, for the protective equipment (PPE) in order to be designated as safety shoes. The standard aims to protect users from impact, crushing, slipping, falling objects, water, electric shocks, triggering explosions, stepping onto sharp objects, and extreme heat and cold with certain limits.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of welding face mask. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
EN ISO 20347 governs occupational footwear for low-risk work areas. EN ISO 20347 does not require a toe cap, but the footwear must have at least one protective component.
The revised version of ISO 20345 was published in June 2022. After a transition period, the previous standard will be withdrawn. Harmonization and publication in the Official Journal of the EU Commission are still required for general use as a basis for certification under the PPE Regulation.
EN ISO 20345:2022 is valid from the date of harmonization by the European Commission. A date has not yet been published. Safety shoes already on the market do not have to comply with the new standard until the existing type of examination certificate expires. The EU-type examination (certificate) is valid for 5 years.
Based on the requirements and the application, safety shoes are divided into the following protection classes according to EN ISO 20345:2021:
Choosing the right safety shoes boils down to what workplace hazards your workers encounter. Therefore it is vital to undergo a risk assessment for companies with a large workforce spread across multiple working areas.
During the on-site inspection, the specialists will identify potential hazards in the workplace, Based on the results, the safety specialists will choose the most suitable safety shoes for each worker.
At ERIKS, our PPE application engineers will identify hazard areas alongside the company's safety officers on-site. By investigating all different work areas, our engineers can determine the best safety shoe assortment for each area and worker to ensure that all risks are covered for better standardization. For example, if sharp objects were identified which could penetrate the shoe, then S1 safety shoes are insufficient for nail protection, so safety shoes with midsole protection for penetration resistance are required for that specific work area.
Examples of workplace hazards include:
The work environment must be re-evaluated to identify potential risks because it impacts the requirement for safety shoes after a change is made. For example, if the dry walking surface is replaced with a wet floor with falling metal objects, the safety shoes should have slip-resistant soles with steel toe caps and moisture protection.
“The biggest accident in the workplace is people tripping and falling over their shoes. It often happens because people think they need to wear a bigger size because they have a toe cap. They think the toe cap needs more space.”
Companies with multiple sites often experience ordering process misalignment. ERIKS safety shoe specialists can ensure your safety program is streamlined and up to industry standards, reducing costs and manual labour.
In one example, ERIKS PPE specialists developed a bespoke online portal allowing guided buying through the ERIKS webshop and viewing each site's portfolio and users. As a result, the online portal streamlined the ordering process for cost information, delivery, and invoice verification processes.
Following the on-site inspection, the overall shoe stock was significantly reduced from 35 to six styles, easing the administrative burden of the procurement process.
There are very strict standards that must be met in cleanrooms. A cleanroom environment requires close collaboration between the safety officer, the hygiene officer, and the application engineer responsible for personal protective equipment.
Specific and relevant safety shoes can be chosen depending on cleanroom activity. White shoes are often used in a cleanroom. Moreover, special shoes are essential in clean rooms because they protect the product or the premises from contamination.
The main hazard for electricians is probably electric arcing. According to the electrical properties, safety shoes are divided into two requirements:
To have maximum safety, electricians should wear safety shoes manufactured for Electrical Static Discharge (ESD) requirements because they already contain a higher proportion of conductive materials (antistatic agents) in the sole construction in order to comply with the reduced upper limit value even under unfavourable conditions.
S1 to S7 safety shoes are antistatic, but the electrical resistances are highly influenced by temperature, humidity, and the individual wearing situation (sweating, wetness, pressure, bending, soiling). They can fulfill the electrical values of the ESD requirement only under normal climatic situations.
Logistic workers choose safety shoes based on their type of work, which has different requirements. For example, an employee working in goods receiving and palletizing will need different safety shoes than an employee who packs small products in the small parts warehouse.
However, what can be ensured is that with weight-related heel cushioning, back strain is minimized, and employees are thus supported in an ergonomically correct way. In turn, this leads to improved workplace ergonomics, increasing safety and efficiency.
Comfort is an influential factor when choosing safety shoes for your workers. After long hours of physical labour, workers may experience constant wear and tear on their bodies. Safety shoes can still be ill-fitted despite adequate protection due to the wearer's different foot widths and weights.
“Having the options of different widths and weights make a huge difference, especially for companies with 1000 people on the floor with three different areas. This way, workers can easily switch to the right safety shoes when entering different areas and reduce the purchase cost of additional pairs.”
Some wearers often choose one or two shoe sizes larger to fit their feet width. This is not only uncomfortable but also unsafe. Every fit is different, safety shoes should be adapted to wearers’ weight and width for just not comfort but for safety and productivity.
The risk of stumbling and falling increases if the safety shoe does not provide proper support. For instance, too-tight shoes often cause forefoot problems, leading to an unstable stance.
Steitz Secura, a European safety shoe manufacturer, offers safety shoes that can be individually adapted to four different shoe widths, XXB, XB, NS, and S, for all shoe models and shoe lengths.
Safety shoes that fit well allow the wearers to work flexibly for long hours without having to change to different insoles. This can also save time spent switching shoes in different work areas.
Chronic lower back pain is one of the most prevalent workplace-related injuries. Incompatible weight can add to the physical pressure of the wearer, thus impacting the effectiveness of the workers. Safety shoes with cushioning weight modules in the heel area can significantly relieve and protect joints and the musculoskeletal system.
The SECURA VARIO system offers five inter-changeable cushioning weight structures based on body weight from 57 kg to 105 kg.
Safety shoes with added health benefits can also holistically protect workers' musculoskeletal systems, delay fatigue, and promote regeneration. Consequently, employers can benefit from greater trust, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
One good indicator of such safety shoes is to check if they are certified by recognized health organizations, such as Aktion Gesunder Rücken, a research institute devoted to developing and preventing back pain. Safety shoe suppliers that meet their requirements provide safety shoes that target back pain relief.
Certified and tested by Aktion Gesunder Rücken, the European manufacturer of safety shoes, Steitz Secura provides safety shoes that can reduce the heel's pressure load by one-third. In addition, Steitz Secura also offers customized health solutions, including extra-wide protective toe caps, type-tested shoes, orthopaedic inlays, and other medical solutions.
"The difference in price level often is reflected in the added health value of the safety shoes the manufacturers offer."
Protection level, comfort, and health benefits are paramount to selecting optimal safety shoes. Review your safety shoe portfolio with ERIKS experts to ensure it is optimized for workplace hazards and regulations while balancing comfort, safety, and cost.
In the long term, employers can decrease the cost of risks, accidents, and additional costs that stem from unfit safety footwear, resulting in happier, more productive employees.
Tamara Santucci
International Product Director TMS
Tamara.santucci@eriks.com
International Product Director TMS
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