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The Latest in Safety Footwear
by Becky Zado
http://www.furlafootwear.com

A broken toe is a painful thing and anyone who has
experienced one knows how incapacitating such an accident
can be. To prevent such injuries on the job, many
employers require that their workers wear safety shoes.
There are standards that safety shoes are required to
conform to. According to the American Apparel & Footwear
Association (AAFA), new international standards for
protective footwear were recently announced in February,
2005. AAFA member companies have provided input to the new
ASTM standards. Two new standards cover the testing and
the construction of safety footwear (F2412-05 "Standard
Test Methods for Foot Protection: and F2413-05 "Standard
Requirements for Protective Footwear" respectively). ASTM
International, headquartered in Pennsylvania, is a
voluntary organization that develops technical standards
for products, material, and services.

Why do workers need these standards? By addressing the
protection of toes from injury, the need for special
provisions such as for those who work with chainsaws and
protection from other sources such as electrical shock,
workers benefit from these standards. Footwear
manufacturers pay attention to these standards and have to
re-examine current inventories for their compliance with new
standards. If those in stock meet the newest standards,
they can be relabeled with a conformance sticker. To
determine if an employer is conforming to state regulations
about protective footwear for workers, the employer can
contact its respective state safety agency.

Even if workers don~t understand the value of wearing safety
shoes, they can greatly benefit from the footwear~s added
protection. There are about 180,000 workplace related
injuries to feet and toes reported every year. This equates
to about $1 billion in worker~s compensation claims. These
reports don~t even account for the related injuries that
happen at work. These figures alone should convince worker
and employers alike that footwear safety is an important
issue. Safety shoes do more than protect toes; they also
protect workers from slipping thanks to their non-skid
bottom. These types of accidents too aren~t included in the
above listed injury reports and statistics.

Before an employer knows which safety footwear is right for
protecting its employees, the company must analyze the work
environment. The picture gets more complicated when a large
manufacturing operation has workers doing several types of
jobs; these unique situations call for special safety
footwear. The food industry is an example of an industry
that truly calls for safety footwear designed against
slipping. A few workplace factors to look for when picking
out a safety shoe are as follows:
~ How much weight could possibly fall on the feet?
~ How much weight on wheels could roll over the feet?
~ Is slipping a danger that needs to be addressed?
~ What hazards are present such as nails that could
penetrate through the bottom of the foot?
~ What about static electricity discharge? Could anyone be
exposed to electricity?
~ Does the worker have to possibly stand in a liquid? If
so, what kind of liquid?

Once the employer has the required information, it is
best to consult safety specialists before selecting
footwear for employees. One company that both provides
consultation for selecting the right footwear and
supplies a variety of safety footwear is Footwear
Specialties, International of Portland, Oregon. For
more information about safety footwear, visit their web
site at http://footwearspecialties.com.

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