18 Jul Foot Safety

Foot Safety

Step Into Safety

Foot injuries may receive less attention than many other workplace injuries, but they can result in significant pain, lost work time, and permanent disability. Employees may be exposed to falling or rolling objects, crushing hazards, sharp materials, slippery surfaces, chemicals, electrical hazards, and uneven terrain.

The best time to protect your feet is before the work begins. Footwear must be selected based on the hazards associated with the specific task and work environment.

Guide for Discussion

Common Foot Hazards

Workplace conditions that can cause foot injuries include:

• Heavy objects or tools being dropped.
• Materials or equipment rolling over the feet.
• Nails, screws, metal, glass, and other sharp objects.
• Carts, dollies, forklifts, and material-handling equipment.
• Wet, oily, muddy, icy, or otherwise slippery surfaces.
• Uneven terrain and construction debris.
• Hot materials and surfaces.
• Chemicals and corrosive substances.
• Wet concrete and cement products.
• Electrical hazards.

Selecting the Right Footwear

There is no single type of safety footwear appropriate for every job. The required protection should be determined through the workplace hazard assessment.

Depending on the hazards, employees may need:

• Protective-toe footwear for impact or compression hazards.
• Puncture-resistant footwear where nails, screws, or other sharp objects could penetrate the sole.
• Slip-resistant soles for wet, oily, greasy, or slippery surfaces.
• Waterproof or chemical-resistant boots where liquids or hazardous chemicals may contact the feet.
• Metatarsal protection where the upper foot could be exposed to significant impact hazards.
• Electrical-hazard footwear where specifically required by the electrical hazard assessment.

Protective footwear required for occupational hazards must comply with applicable OSHA requirements and recognized protective-footwear standards, such as ASTM F2412 and ASTM F2413.

Impact and Compression Hazards

Protective-toe footwear should be worn when employees:

• Carry or handle heavy tools, equipment, packages, or materials.
• Work around heavy pipes, lumber, structural materials, or similar objects.
• Move heavy carts, dollies, or material-handling equipment.
• Work where objects could fall or roll onto their feet.
• Perform tasks where crushing or compression injuries are reasonably foreseeable.

Remember that a protective toe primarily protects the toe area. Where the top of the foot is also exposed to significant impact hazards, additional metatarsal protection may be necessary.

Puncture Hazards

Construction sites frequently contain nails, screws, tie wire, metal scraps, and other sharp materials.

Where puncture hazards exist:

• Wear footwear with appropriate puncture-resistant protection.
• Maintain good housekeeping to remove sharp debris.
• Never intentionally step on boards or materials containing nails.
• Dispose of or bend over protruding nails when appropriate.
• Report hazardous debris and remove it when safe to do so.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Proper footwear can also help prevent falls.

• Select soles appropriate for the walking surface.
• Keep soles free of excessive mud, grease, oil, and debris.
• Walk carefully on wet, icy, loose, or uneven surfaces.
• Replace footwear when the tread becomes excessively worn.
• Keep boots properly fitted and securely laced or fastened.

Footwear alone does not eliminate a slipping hazard. Spills, debris, ice, and other hazardous conditions should still be corrected whenever possible.

Inspect Your Footwear

Inspect safety footwear regularly for:

• Worn or damaged soles.
• Cuts, cracks, holes, or separation.
• Damaged protective toes or metatarsal guards.
• Excessively worn tread.
• Damaged stitching or fasteners.
• Chemical or concrete contamination.
• Any damage that could reduce the footwear’s protective capability.

Damaged or excessively worn footwear should be replaced when it no longer provides the protection required for the job.

Additional Discussion Notes

Discuss with the crew:

• What foot hazards are present on today’s job?
• Is protective-toe footwear required?
• Are puncture-resistant soles necessary?
• Are employees exposed to rolling or falling materials?
• Are slippery, wet, muddy, or uneven surfaces present?
• Does anyone need additional chemical, electrical, or metatarsal protection?

Remember

Choose your footwear for the hazard—not simply for comfort or appearance. Properly selected and maintained safety footwear can prevent crushing injuries, punctures, slips, burns, and other serious foot injuries.