Comforting Footwear

Comfort Footwear For Work & Play

Why You Need to Wear Safety Boots

By Rehan Iqbal   

If you’ve ever suffered a serious foot injury at work, you know just how painful it can be. Unfortunately, foot injuries are a common occurrence in industries such as construction, manufacturing, and warehousing.

According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, more than 53,000 work-related foot injuries were reported in 2018, leading to missed workdays, lost productivity, and high medical bills.

Safety gloves, boots , yellow hard hat

In some industries and professions, ensuring your employees’ feet are properly protected with safety boots is an essential part of keeping them safe, as well as adhering to federal regulations.

Work safety standards for footwear are regulated by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OHSA), a division of the Bureau of Labor. OSHA sets the standard for safety in the workforce, including the type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) workers must wear. Protective footwear is considered a type of PPE. Failure to properly protect employees can result in stiff fines from OSHA.

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about work boot safety standards, including who needs to wear protective footwear, the different types, and current OSHA regulations regarding their use.

Who’s Required to Wear Protective Footwear?

OSHA’s PPE section details the types of employees and industries that are required to wear safety boots or protective footwear while on the job.

The federal government’s standard, 29 CFR 1910.136(a), is clear: “The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, or when the use of protective footwear will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard, such as a static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures.”

According to OHSA, protective boots are required when the following are present:

  • Falling or rolling objects
  • Static discharge or electrical hazards
  • Molten metal
  • Slippery or hot surfaces
  • Sharp objects

Protective boots and footwear are common in several industries, including construction, manufacturing, machine operation, landscaping, factories and warehouses, renovations, welding, and laboratories.

ASTM Standards Required for Workplace Protective Footwear

ASTM is a non-profit organization that develops the standards for workforce safety boots and footwear, and those standards are adopted by OSHA. ASTM is an international organization that tests products to help improve their quality and safety.

According to 29 CFR 1910.132, PPE safety footwear is required whenever an employer’s workplace hazard assessment determines:

  • Hazards are present that require PPE
  • Hazards are likely to be present that require PPE footwear

Workplace Hazard Assessment

OSHA requires companies to perform a hazard identification and assessment to determine the conditions of a work or job site. The assessment should include any potential dangers to employees, including their feet. The assessment helps discover if threats are present that could result in trips and falls, burns, punctures, or other injuries.

The following potential hazards should be noted in the assessment:

  • Sharp objects: Sharp objects that can puncture a normal shoe include splinters, glass, needles, and nails.
  • Slick surfaces: Slick surfaces that commonly collect water or oils, or certain types of flooring, can lead to slip and fall hazards.
  • Electrical hazards: Some common electrical hazards in the workplace include damaged equipment and tools, overhead power lines, overloaded circuits, improper grounding, and exposed electrical parts.
  • Weather hazards: Workers who are exposed to weather hazards such as ice, snow, and rain should wear protective footwear to protect them against trench foot or frostbite.
  • Chemicals: Any type of chemicals or toxic materials that could come in contact with feet should be noted in the assessment.
  • Burn Hazards: This includes employees who work with molten metal or in other industries that deal with heat, such as roofing and paving.
  • Falling or rolling objects: This can include machinery or other materials such as sheet metal rolls.

How to Choose the Right Type of Safety Work Boot

Choosing the right type of safety work boot depends on the unique hazards of the industry you work in. Here is a list of some of the most common types of safety work boots and what they help protect workers from.

Steel-toe Shoes

Steel-toe shoes are among the most popular types of safety boots. With steel capping over the top of the shoe, they are ideal for protecting against falling items. They are commonly used in industrial sites, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities where large objects and heavy machinery are located. They are not as ideal for workers in extreme temperatures.

Composite-toe Shoes

Instead of using metal to protect the feet, composite-toe shoes are made from non-metal materials such as plastic, Kevlar, and fiberglass. They are much lighter than steel-toe shoes, which makes them more comfortable, especially for those who work in hot temperatures. On the downside, composite-toe shoes are typically more expensive and do not provide the level of protection that steel-toe shoes do.

Alloy-toe Shoes

Alloy-toe shoes are typically the most expensive type of safety toe shoes because they are made of light-year materials such as titanium and aluminum. They are thinner, more comfortable, and up to 50% lighter than steel-toe shoes, offering workers impressive maneuverability. The drawbacks of alloy-toe shoes include a higher price tag. They also aren’t as impact resistant as steel and they do conduct electricity.

Electrical Hazard Shoes

Electrical hazard shoes help keep workers in the electrical industry safe. They are non-conductive shoes and can protect against an electrical shock of up to 18,000 volts.

Moisture Protection Shoes

Moisture protection boots offer superior protection for those who work in wet conditions and come in two types: waterproof work shoes and water-resistant shoes.

Just as their name suggests, waterproof shoes use a special coating that causes water to bead up and slide off of the shoes to keep feet completely dry. They are best suited for harsh conditions with frequent water. Water-resistant shoes, meanwhile, will eventually allow some water inside the shoe, making them ideal for mild wet conditions.

Are Employers Required to Pay for Work Safety Boots?

The answer to this question depends on the type of safety boots that are being used for the job. For example, employers are not required to pay for non-protective steel-toe boots if the employees are also allowed to wear them at home or to other job sites.

If the safety footwear is not allowed to be used off the job site, then the employer is required to pay for the shoes. This might include specialized footwear used to fight fires or worn in chemical labs.

OSHA Fines for PPE Violations

Failure to comply with OSHA’s PPE regulations can result in fines. The maximum and minimum amounts for civil penalties are listed in the table provided by OSHA below.

Table 1: Maximum and Minimum Amounts for Civil Penalties

Type of Violation

Penalty Minimum

Penalty Maximum

Serious

$1,036 per violation

$14,502 per violation

Other-Than-Serious

$0 per violation

$14,502 per violation

Willful or Repeated

$10,360* per violation

$145,027 per violation

Posting Requirements

$0 per violation

$14,502 per violation

Failure to Abate

N/A

$14,502 per day unabated beyond the abatement date [generally limited to 30 days maximum]

Keep Employees Safe With Proper Safety Boots and Footwear

Whether you work in an industry where footwear is regulated by OSHA or not, it’s important to ensure all of your workers are wearing proper PPE, including safety boots. This will help cut down on the number of foot injuries and ensure your company is adhering to OSHA regulations.

Work Boots

Steel Toe Work Boots Women's

Steel Toe Sneakers

Waterproof Hiking Boots

Shoes for Concrete Floors

Work Shoes

Shoes for Flat Feet

Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Shoes For Bunions

.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer

The information on this site is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advise

Comforting Footwear

Green Oaks 444, State Route 27 , Suite 213
Iselin New Jersey

(862) 298-5986

Recent Posts

  • What are the Type of Foot Orthotics and How Do they Help Foot Issues?
  • What is the Difference Between a Podiatrist and an Orthopedist?
  • Are Crocs Good for Nurses?
  • What is a Foot Doctor Called?
  • Goga Mat, Memory Foam, Arch Fit or Gel? Which is the Better Insole?

Affiliate Disclosure

ComfortingFootwear.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

ComfortingFootwear.com participates in various other affiliate programs and we sometimes get a commission for purchases made through our links

Copyright © 2023 ComfortingFootwear.com