Selecting the right footwear

The development of safety shoes solution has increased significantly over the past 20 years with the development and utilization of a range of footwear technologies and materials.The result is there has been as many safety shoes solutions to choose from as there are today.
In many ways however , as safety shoes has become more technical and provided a greater range of protection ,comfort and performance,the selection process for the health safety manager or employer has become a potentially more complex and time consuming task.
When previously there were relatively few parameters to consider-size,style,levels of physical protection required ,today there are a wide range of potential safety shoes solutions available.
The end result of this growth in technology is positive-as protection and comfort have been increased.But if we are going to reduce slip ,trip and general foot related accidents in the workpalce, there needs to be commitment to investing more time in solution process.
The challenge in making an impact on slips and trips lies not just in highlighting and understanding the risks and hazards but in finding the right footwear solution to counter those hazards.
Where safety shoes is concerned too many people still think about physical performances and not enough about wider considerations- such as the work place environment ,the substances the feet will come into contact with,the way in which people work and what sole unit designs and materials will provide the most effective grip.
Effective footwear selection is about matching performance needs to the workplace hazards.
The range of hazards include -physical,chemical,thermal,trip,slip,crush, puncture,impact,liquid spilled on a surface.

Enviornment is about if people are working indoors or outdoors,in a wet or dry enviornmnet or a combination of both ?
Ergonomics are people on the feet all day.Does their work involve high flexing ,bending or climbing or constant movement or does their job involve them standing still for long periods?
Only when you combine all these elements together in the identification and selection process will you really find the right safety boots solution.Whilst a mass of industries will have the same physical hazards as a construction worker crush,puncture slip as examples,however the environment in which they work will differ radically as will their most effective safety shoes solution.
So we must look holistically at the wearers needs .It is not good enough to simply undertake a risk assessment and tick the protection box,hoping that that the ergonomics and environmental issues will take care of themselves.
And that’s where the investment in time need to be made:
This approach applies to every element of the selection criteria.I

f there is slip issue the sole unit has to be relevant to the environment in which it will operate.Failure to do this could actually increase the risk of slip and trip taking place. A sole unit that provides excellent slip resistance for the food sector will not be fit for use in the construction sector, despite the fact that the hazard is the same. It will be environment and ergonomic factors that will ultimately drive the selection process.
Business has to asses the risks, environment and ergonomic requirements of their workers,balancing their needs together to come up with the right solution if the threat of slip and trip is to be further reduced.

You can buy safety shoes online at www.safetyshoes.gtim.com