Why wear protective footwear

Each department is responsible for procuring safety shoes from outside vendors for staff members required to wear safety shoes. Shoes may be purchased with a departmental procurement card Pcard or purchase order, or the department may reimburse the staff member for shoes purchased directly.

Each department is responsible for determining the amount they will spend on safety shoes for their employees depending on their departmental budgets and is responsible for procuring safety shoes with outside vendors for its employees.

Skip to main content. The University of Iowa Search. You are here Home. Purpose Safety shoes are required where the potential for serious injury to the foot may result from an employee's daily job duties.

Use of Safety Shoes In general, the need for safety shoes is indicated if work involves: Hand carrying rigid equipment or objects weighing 20 lbs. Use of wheeled carts or dollies that have a load of 50 lbs. We've got the boots for the job, find them here! Shop Now. Prevention is better than cure, right? When working in an environment where day to day tasks could cause injury if something went wrong, no one wants to be put in a compromising position. From a physiological point of view there are a number of reasons for wearing safety boots.

You may question why safety shoes are required, safety footwear can help protect your feet against burns, cuts, punctures and impact. They can also prevent slips and falls which can lead to more serious problems such as broken bones and head injuries. There are also different styles of safety boots and shoes you can choose from. You might wonder Lace up work boots can be a good option as they allow for greater adjustment, meaning a better fit which is more secure when on your feet.

On the other hand, slip on safety boots can also be a good option, especially for convenience as they can be taken off and put on with ease.

Wearing safety shoes in the workplace is quite commonplace these days, especially if there are a number of health and safety hazards. Many factories will insist that staff members wear protective footwear when on the factory floor, this will help prevent any injury from dropped or falling items, as well as any sharp objects that could be trodden on. If a factory manufactures food products, in the interest of hygiene the company may also insist that safety boots are worn to prevent cross contamination, usually slip on safety boots will be provided in this situation so they can be put on and taken off easily in a designated area.

Well-fitting safety footwear will cushion and support the arch of the foot, which means that both your feet and ankles are fully supported — in turn, this ensures proper alignment of your leg, which will improve your overall posture.

And of course, good posture can prevent and alleviate back pain. Which is exactly why comfort should never be underrated! The second most common accident caused from wearing the wrong footwear in the workplace has to be trips, slips or falls.

Something that can quite easily be avoided by providing employees with safety footwear in the workplace, as most safety boots and shoes are designed with an anti-slip sole.

If your staff are required to work outside, then appropriate footwear is essential. In the right pair of safety boots, your staff will be prepared and ready for working in all types of weathers, whether that might be heavy downpours or freezing temperatures. Inappropriate footwear in cold temperatures can be quite dangerous, and can even lead to frostbite if your staff are exposed to low temps for a long period of time. Now you understand why safety footwear can be so beneficial for both your staff and your business.

But before you start looking for the right brand or shoe, we want to leave you with some useful information to help you on your search. Safety footwear is categorised into different groups depending on the level of protection that is offered. By assessing the main risks in your workplace, you should easily be able to match these up against these codes and decide which would be the best fit for your employees. Remember, although it may seem like a big investment, providing your employees with the right workwear and PPE will save you money in the long run.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Importance of Safety Footwear in the Workplace Providing your staff members with the correct workwear or PPE, can make a huge difference in their safety, general happiness and even their productivity.

Do I need to provide safety footwear to my employees? Preventing Injuries The number one reason for providing safety footwear in the workplace is to protect your team from injuries. Improving Posture Not only will the right pair of safety shoes protect you from injury, but they can also make a surprising amount of difference to your posture.