It might seem like a rhetorical question, but there are many reasons why you might choose or need to wear safety shoes or boots. Primarily a staple of your workwear wardrobe, they’re a practical and affordable way to prevent injury as well as maintain foot health when working in harsh conditions.
Due to health and safety regulations, many industries these days encourage or insist that their staff wear suitably protective footwear, without this, their workforce could be compromised.
Regardless of what other preventative measures are taken within the workplace, injury to your feet can be debilitating and no one wants to live with an injury that could have been prevented!
Here we’re going to take a look at why you might need to wear safety shoes and the type of working conditions that require protective footwear.
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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. If you’re unsure of the type of work boots you should be wearing, check out our guide to different types of safety shoes or see our safety shoes rule and regulations to check the symbols you need to look out for when buying.
There are also different styles of safety boots and shoes you can choose from. Much like the features they offer, there is no “one style suits all” rule when it comes to safety footwear.
You might wonder... why lace up safety boots? 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. If you do a job where you’re working at height or you do a lot of walking, they can be particularly useful in this situation… The last thing you want is a lost boot! Also, because they’re more secure, they’re less likely to be a trip hazard.
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. Also, if you’re in a situation where your foot gets stuck, it should make it easier to get out of them.
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.
If the work environment is particularly hot such as in a foundry or metal shop, safety shoes can protect the feet against burns and ongoing heat damage which can cause swelling and poor foot health due to excess sweating. Safety work boots can also help protect against burns caused by harmful chemicals.
If you work with heavy cutting machinery and tools such as chainsaws, specific safety footwear can help protect your feet if something should go wrong. Chainsaw boots should be worn along side other protective clothing when operating cutting machinery.
Many warehouses are busy places and often products can be stacked high in a bid to maximise space. With this comes added risk, and oftentimes machinery such as forklift and pallet trucks are used to maneuver products around.
Various hazards can cause foot injuries in a warehouse and when these dangers aren’t fully protected against, the results can be catastrophic with potential for crushed or broken bones and even amputation in some cases. Safety boots can offer much needed protection against falling or rolling objects, cuts and punctures from debris as well as protection and grip when operating machinery.
If the products stored in the warehouse are of a hazardous nature such as chemicals, specialist men's safety boots can protect against skin damage and burns caused by spillages. Spillages can also mean a greater risk of slips and falls, protective work boots can help prevent this happening.
A working kitchen can be very busy, especially at peak times. With that comes a heightened risk of accident so protective clothing and footwear is a must.
There are no laws stating that chefs should wear safety shoes but slips and trips are a particular problem in catering so suitable footwear can go along way to helping prevent injury.
Selecting the right safety shoes for the job is very important too as not all are slip resistant, for example a rubber sole offers more resistance against spills than polyurethane soles would, particularly on a tiled floor which can be found in most kitchens.
Spillages of hot food or boiling water can also cause burns, so safety footwear can also help protect against this.
A chef will spend most of their working day on their feet, it’s paramount that the shoes worn are suitably supportive too. Most safety shoes have structured insoles to assist and support the feet on a day to day basis, the last thing you want is a nasty case of heel spurs or Plantar Fascia issues because the shoes aren’t supporting you correctly.
The type of footwear worn at work can have a huge impact on day to day life, especially if something was to go horribly wrong. Taking preventative measures whilst working in a hazardous environment could be the difference between severe injury and being able to continue as normal. If you don’t wear safety shoes but you think you should, it could be the best investment you ever make!
Find the perfect work shoes for you, in our fantastic safety footwear collection!