A step in the right direction
December 1st 2009

When it comes to Health and Safety, it's good to start at the bottom – with the feet.

Make sure every step you take is safe, says Graham Abbott,uvex sales and marketing director

Feet are constantly exposed to a wide variety of hazards in the workplace, yet their role is often forgotten. Prolonged standing, walking, climbing, handling heavy machinery, falling objects, and slippery or sharp surfaces all pose potential dangers to feet, while slips, trips and falls account for the highest number of workrelated major injuries in the UK – over a thousand per month – and over two million sick days are lost every year through lower limb disorders.

However, the pain, disability and time off work caused by these accidents could be in the main avoided if practical actions and precautions are taken, such as keeping floors clean and dry and gangways clear of obstructions, fitting special flooring, and providing appropriate safety footwear.

Slippery when wet Ironically, the workplaces that appear clean and tidy can often be the ones where slip and trips are most likely to happen.Wet floors are a common cause of these, as are the concreted and painted floors of a lot of modern factories. Indeed, sometimes the most dangerous environments can actually be the safest ones, as people are more aware of potential hazards and will pay more attention to them.

The HSE's ongoing Slips and Trips Programme, which aims to cut the number of fatal and major injury accidents caused by slips and trips by 10% by 2010, is currently reviewing the role played by slipresistant footwear in their prevention, to identify what more needs to be done by the industry and regulators.At uvex,we have been working with the HSE to ensure that procurers of safety footwear have access to the best information to help them choose the most suitable products.

We aim to explain which products are the most suitable within the standards that our customers specify, via our website, brochures and catalogues. Each of our products comes with the relevant standard and icons indicating the features it includes. However, it is sometimes frustrating for manufacturers as many companies focus upon the price of the product rather than the technical performance such as impact/slip resistance or other safety related tests that have been performed.

Question Time A footwear product should not be judged on its slip-resistance test results alone. In a factory, where there may be slippery wet floors in addition to contamination, a shoe with a soft sole compound with small cleats on the base may not be suitable, as it could gather contamination and be prone to wear quickly due to the soft material needed to attain the slip resistance.

We welcome the fact that our customers are increasingly asking questions.To obtain feedback from our users in factories with slipresistance issues,we visit the area where the product will be used, looking at the different types of contamination and other issues, and put forward solutions.We then instigate a trial process, letting the individual try the product we think is appropriate for four to six weeks before buying it.

Safety footwear is not only about the impact on the toecap, it fulfils a multitude of roles.The tread pattern can protect against slipping, the type of material under the foot can protect from heat and cuts, and good safety footwear that incorporates shock absorbing elements can help prevent/reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

The foot produces a lot of moisture, so breathability and hygiene are important, especially if an individual is working for long periods of time, so the product needs to keep the foot dry.

To maximise safety and efficiency, safety footwear has to be worn, so the wearer must be willing to wear it. It sounds obvious, but the company involved should provide the people who must wear safety footwear with an appropriate product.

Comfort is a big factor – eight hours a day in a pair of shoes that are killing you is far from ideal.

What's new? We are working on understanding how the foot works, the movement of the foot and where slip resistance is required, for example where the ball of the foot hits the ground, the movement through the step and where the potential slip issues are.We look at new compounds,materials and tread patterns and are developing new products all the time.

No one type of safety footwear meets all requirements.There are different toecap materials available including steel, aluminium and non-metallic toecaps. Plastics were brought in to try to reduce the weight of the product and because they are unlikely to be influenced by ambient temperature. Finally, everyone has their own idea of what is fashionable, so it's always useful to have a selection of safety footwear, all of which meets the relevant standards.

More articles from UVEX UK Ltd: