Safety Footwear
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Which hazards necessitate specialist footwear?
Safety footwear, including safety shoes and boots, is an essential component in many industrial and manufacturing sites to adequately protect feet and toes from injury. At Seton, we stock an extensive range of safety footwear to enable you to choose products that are appropriate for your requirements and in sizes to fit all your employees.
When choosing safety footwear, it’s essential to understand what the risks are within your business, such as objects falling from height or sharp implements. This enables you to select footwear that manages these risks effectively, protects your workforce and is comfortable to wear.
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Buying PPE Footwear
With so much choice available when it comes of safety footwear, it can be hard to know which products are best for your requirements. One of the key elements to look out for in most cases is slip-resistance and the type of conditions the specific product is suitable for use in.
However, there are also other factors you need to consider, such as durability, comfort and safety components - for example, toe protection. Above all, once the footwear has been purchased, it’s vital your employees wear it correctly and at all times.
Not all safety footwear is the same - it provides varying levels of protection, so you need to be aware of the potential hazards faced by your employees to ensure they are protected properly.
The risks that could be present include:
Crush injuries from heavy objects
Puncturing of the sole by sharp objects
Absorption of oils, water or other elements
Static electricity build-up
Extremes of temperature
When you’re choosing safety footwear for your employees, you need to ensure it’s compatible with the relevant standards, it’s suitable for outdoor or indoor use as required, whether it’s manufactured from synthetic materials or leather, if it can be used in cold or hot environments, the type of weather it can withstand, such as sunshine, rain or snow, and its resistance to specific hazards, such as chemicals or oils.
Categories of safety footwear
Safety footwear covers more than just general shoes and boots, and there are a range of specialist products for different types of environments.Most businesses use safety boots, which feature toe protection as well as other safety elements, including insulation from cold and heat extremes, penetration resistance and slip resistance.
There are also safety shoes and safety trainers, which, as with boots, can have composite as well as steel toe caps. We also have a range of ladies safety shoes which are in a suitable size for women. Riggers, wellingtons and clogs can be used, depending on the type of conditions in which they are being worn.
Choosing safety footwear
Before specifying and ordering safety footwear for a business, it’s first essential to examine the most current risk assessment to understand the hazards that are present and the level of protection that is necessary.You should also consult the relevant employees to find out their needs with regards to practicality, wearability, fit and comfort, as this will result in greater acceptance of any changes.