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Health & Safety
A step in the right direction
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
eet are constantly exposed to a wide variety of hazards in the Question Time
F
workplace, yet their role is often forgotten. Prolonged standing, A footwear product should not be judged on its slip-resistance test
walking, climbing, handling heavy machinery, falling objects, results alone. In a factory, where there may be slippery wet floors in
and slippery or sharp surfaces all pose potential dangers to feet, addition to contamination, a shoe with a soft sole compound with
while slips, trips and falls account for the highest number of work- small cleats on the base may not be suitable, as it could gather
related major injuries in the UK – over a thousand per month – and contamination and be prone to wear quickly due to the soft material
over two million sick days are lost every year through lower limb needed to attain the slip resistance.
disorders. We welcome the fact that our customers are increasingly asking
However, the pain, disability and time off work caused by these questions. To obtain feedback from our users in factories with slip-
accidents could be in the main avoided if practical actions and resistance issues, we visit the area where the product will be used,
precautions are taken, such as keeping floors clean and dry and looking at the different types of contamination and other issues, and
gangways clear of obstructions, fitting special flooring, and providing put forward solutions. We then instigate a trial process, letting the
appropriate safety footwear. 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.
Slippery when wet Comfort is a big factor –
Ironically, the workplaces that appear clean and tidy can often be the eight hours a day in a pair
ones where slip and trips are most likely to happen. Wet floors are a of shoes that are killing
common cause of these, as are the concreted and painted floors of a you is far from ideal.
lot of modern factories. Indeed, sometimes the most dangerous
environments can actually be the safest ones, as people are more What’s new?
aware of potential hazards and will pay more attention to them. We are working on
The HSE’s ongoing Slips and Trips Programme, which aims to cut understanding how the
the number of fatal and major injury accidents caused by slips and foot works, the movement
trips by 10% by 2010, is currently reviewing the role played by slip- of the foot and where slip
resistant footwear in their prevention, to identify what more needs resistance is required, for
to be done by the industry and regulators. At uvex, we have been example where the ball of the foot hits the ground, the movement
working with the HSE to ensure that procurers of safety footwear through the step and where the potential slip issues are. We look at
have access to the best information to help them choose the most new compounds, materials and tread patterns and are developing
suitable products. new products all the time.
We aim to explain which products are the most suitable within the No one type of safety footwear meets all requirements. There are
standards that our customers specify, via our website, brochures and different toecap materials available including steel, aluminium and
catalogues. Each of our products comes with the relevant standard non-metallic toecaps. Plastics were brought in to try to reduce the
and icons indicating the features it includes. However, it is sometimes weight of the product and because they are unlikely to be influenced
frustrating for manufacturers as many companies focus upon the by ambient temperature. Finally, everyone has their own idea of what
price of the product rather than the technical performance such as is fashionable, so it’s always useful to have a selection of safety
impact/slip resistance or other safety related tests that have been footwear, all of which meets the
42821 or cleaning-matters.co.uk/enquiry
performed. relevant standards. Tel: 01252 731200
42
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