It
is important to look after your feet, so they can look after
you by walking you through every day of your life. However
feet are often neglected, as people are unaware of the damage
that can be caused to them in day-to-day life.
Being in a working environment where you are on your feet
all day is a major cause of foot problems, as the feet have
little time to recuperate before the next working day commences.
Therefore it is important to help your feet protect themselves
by wearing appropriate footwear for work.
People may suffer from pain in their back, legs and knees
but may not associate the pain with problems concerning
their feet. By raising awareness about work footwear it
is hoped that unnecessary pain can be eradicated. So here
is some general advice for choosing the correct footwear
for your working conditions.
There are 2 main factors to consider when buying footwear
for work. Protection from hazards and comfort. Steel toecaps
are often worn in environments where there is a risk of
heavy objects falling or rolling on to the foot. However
the preconception that steel toe caps will and should be
uncomfortable is a complete myth, as if the shoes are padded
and fitted correctly, the wearer should not be able to feel
the toe caps at all.
Electrical hazards can be avoided by wearing footwear with
special soles that protect workers from electric shocks
from 600v or less (in dry conditions) as is conductive footwear,
which prevents the build up of static electricity. Shoes
with puncture resistant soles are also an important factor
in protecting the foot against injury, where there is a
danger such as nails or other sharp object on the floor.
Slips and falls are also a major hazard in the workplace
and account for 15% of all accidental deaths, second only
to automobile fatalities, and slippery surfaces are a major
cause of this. Slip resistant shoes can help to prevent
these mishaps. However many people assume that rugged soles
(such as those seen on hiking boots) equate to slip-resistant
shoes, but many of these styles are discovered to have little
traction when walking on smooth, slippery surfaces.
There is an ingenious product available that can be bought
additionally to cover any boots or shoes to make them slip
resistant, called SPIKYS.
Slip resistant shoes can be expensive and need to be replaced
immediately when the tread pattern of the shoe begins to
fade at the rear two-thirds of the heel. Luckily, the actual
spikes on SPIKYS
are made from hardwearing widia steel, and tests have shown
that after six years of constant use the spikes have only
worn down to less than a millimetre, so SPIKYS provide safer
footing and reassurance time after time.
It is recommended that if purchasing occupational health
& safety footwear, the boots or shoes should be fitted
professionally, so as not to damage the feet, whilst protecting
them from environmental factors.
It is important to have both feet measured, as one foot
is often bigger than the other. Feet should be measured
in 3 ways: toe to heel, ball of foot to heel and width.
Walk around in the shoes and at the very least make sure
you try them on. It is often advised that shoe shopping
of any kind should be done in the afternoon, when the feet
are usually at their largest, to ensure that the shoes will
not rub or aggravate the feet n any way. Wear the same type
of socks that you wear you wear for work to ensure the right
size.
Remember that occupational health and safety shoes are
designed with the purpose of preventing injury to the foot.
So if you are experiencing any pain or aggravation with
your feet, then consider looking in to different types of
safety footwear and consider seeing a Podiatrist/Chiropodist
to treat any foot problems to prevent permanent damage.
For more information regarding SPIKYS
and how they can help your workforce please call
us on 0151 280 4555 (UK) or e mail us at sales@foothealthcare.com
