SAFETY FOOTWARE INDUSTRY NEWS Boots to protect forest workers By Simon Ash* W
et and cold, hot and sunny, forestry is exposed to every kind of
weather, sometimes all in one day, so forest workers are reliant on weather-proof clothing and footwear that is guaranteed to keep them comfortable and dry. It is so important not to underestimate the power of a reliable, well-made boot. It means you can avoid the distraction of the pain or discomfort that you might experience with poor quality boots.
Essential ingredients Quality, comfort and sustainability are three essential ingredients that combine in HAIX boots to ensure that your feet are protected and, with the addition of Gore technology, you can be sure that your feet are receiving the very best in scientific care.
Founded in 1948, HAIX has made it a priority to provide safety footwear that is both breathable and waterproof. HAIX boots are well-established in the military, police and fire sectors, showing that they are equipped to deal with a multitude of hazardous situations and its practice-based research has ensured customer feedback is implemented to achieve a quality product. From the New York Firefighters to the German GSG 9 Counter- Terrorist Unit, HAIX is a company committed to comfort and this has naturally found its way into the boots provided to the forestry sector.
In any role where being comfortable on your feet is essential, safety footwear can be the difference between an attentive worker and a distracted one when niggling pain from cheap boots
just can’t be ignored. In forestry, the combination of hazardous machinery and working at height makes the need for fewer distractions vital.
Ultimately, HAIX continues to strive to produce quality, comfortable and sustainable boots. Everything from the company’s factories to materials and processes embrace this commitment and this has resulted in the manufacturing facilities being awarded the ISO 14001 environmental management certificate. This includes the use of solar energy and HAIX’s Finishing Divisions in both Mainburg and Croatia work on a 99% solvent- free basis. In addition, the extended service life due to the quality of HAIX boots means that fewer boots are discarded due to basic wear and tear.
Attention to detail It seems obvious, but our entire body weight is supported by our feet. With 49 individual bones and small joints, our feet have 250,000 sweat glands and the average pair gives off about half a pint of perspiration per day.
According to the College of Podiatry, between 75% and 80% of the adult population has some form of foot problem. By basing the design of the boot on the complex anatomy of the foot and orthopaedic requirements, HAIX’s designers are able to ensure that their customers are able to comfortably deal with the excessive strain that comes from a demanding job. Exactly which functions will be carried out by the wearer determine how each element of the boot – the upper, sole, support systems and materials – interacts. This attention to detail protects the wearer from the risk of misalignment of the feet.
In accordance with the UK Health and Safety Executive’s personal protective equipment requirements for chainsaws, safety footwear should have ‘good grip and protective guarding at the front vamp and instep’. As a sector, forestry workers face numerous hazards every day, including the use of machinery and tools, lifting and moving, repetitive movement and loud noise forming just some of the stated causes of non-fatal injuries. The risk of injury from machinery and tools was
present in 80% of workplaces in the forestry sector, while slips, trips and falls are the most common non-fatal injury in the sector with 22% of cases. When choosing the right safety boot, it makes sense to check that you are not investing in unnecessary safety features. If the only hazard that you will encounter is slipping, it’s most unlikely that your boot will need to have a steel toe cap. As part of HAIX’s customer-facing approach, a trial can provide both invaluable insight when choosing the right boot and for HAIX in determining how best to match the wearer’s requirements.
Steve Dresser, health and safety consultant and auditor specialising in forestry and a member of the Forestry Industry Safety Accord, recently trialled HAIX’s Protector Forest boot. He said, “I have worked in the forestry industry for 43 years, serving 25 years as a contractor and 18 in my current position in management and health and safety advising. I visit different sites on a daily basis. Workplace hazards are extensive, with the potential for falling objects, potential punctures, as well as slips trips and falls. Safety boots are vital.
“HAIX’s Protector Forest worked for me as I could go about my everyday duties in comfort, safe in the knowledge that my feet were protected.”
HAIX’s dedicated forestry boot range is all-compliant, with the EN ISO 17249:2007 standard, meaning that each forestry boot from the company possesses resistance to chainsaw cutting. Furthermore, each HAIX forestry boot benefits from metal-free cut protection, ranging from cut level 1 (20m/sec.) to cut level 3 (28m/sec.). This
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