5 reasons why it is worth wearing occupational health and safety footwear

Take care of your safety at work

Wearing protective equipment at work is a safety issue. Research clearly shows that ¼ of all accidents that occur at work are related to foot injuries. Regardless of whether you are an employer or an employee, you certainly want to avoid such a scenario. Fortunately, safety shoes are designed to keep you protected in the workplace. In this article, we have collected all the most important reasons why you should wear them. Let's do it!

#1 Prevent falls and injuries

Regardless of where you work, unexpected trips, accidental falls and unforeseen slips occur in every profession. To ensure adequate protection against accidents, it is worth using appropriate safety shoes with a grippy sole and properly designed tread. Thanks to this, the floor is no longer slippery and the workplace becomes safer.

Occupational health and safety shoes provide protection against cuts, burns, strong impacts, and falls that could result in bone fractures or other serious injuries.

#2 Provide protection against electric shock

Electricity in the workplace poses many risks. To reduce exposure to potential electric shock or the effects of accumulated static electricity, it is a good idea to wear footwear made of non-conductive materials, e.g. leather or rubber.

#3 Provide protection against burns

Safety footwear can provide effective protection not only against electric shock, but also against serious burns caused by chemicals or other dangerous substances that could damage the skin of the feet. Choose safety shoes made of solid, durable materials that will prevent such scenarios.

#4 Take care of your performance

Fatigue caused by standing on your feet for long periods of time can be a serious problem in any workplace. Overworked leg and foot muscles are additionally affected when an employee is not wearing comfortable occupational health and safety shoes. Properly designed safety footwear will provide adequate cushioning and provide arch support. Thanks to this, the employee will feel more comfortable and the muscles will no longer be overloaded. This will undoubtedly make work more efficient and increase safety.

#5 Work within the rules

Safety in the workplace should be a priority for every employer. If you want to minimize the risk of accidents, simply follow the applicable Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Pursuant to the law, the employer is obliged to provide work shoes to employees directly operating machines and technical devices. Occupational health and safety shoes are also required in places that cause intense dirt or contamination of shoes due to the influence of radioactive agents, chemicals and biological material. 

Different types of safety shoes

Work environments can vary significantly. If you want to take advantage of all the benefits of using occupational health and safety shoes, it is important to properly match your pair to the place where you work.

According to the EN ISO 2035 standard, occupational health and safety shoes can be divided into two basic types related to potential threats. Therefore, a distinction is made between professional (so-called work) footwear marked with the symbol "O" and safety footwear marked with the symbol "S". The first one is dedicated to everyday use in places where additional protection of toes is not required. The second ones are characterized by the so-called toecaps that are resistant to impacts and crushing. Thanks to this, they provide protection against crushing fingers by falling, heavy objects or materials.

Additionally, there are two categories of occupational health and safety shoes. The first category includes shoes made of leather or other materials not included in the second category. This, in turn, is made up of all-rubber and all-plastic shoes, i.e. fully vulcanized and fully molded, respectively.

Also worth mentioning are shoes with a steel insert, which are useful in places where there is a risk of stepping on sharp obstacles. The insole designed in this way additionally reduces foot and leg fatigue. There are also shoes with a more flexible, connected midsole, which works well, for example, when working as a plumber, maintaining the possibility of comfortable work and at the same time providing protection against sharp objects.

Don't underestimate safety

Specially designed occupational health and safety shoes are the key to safe and effective work. It is worth remembering that in many cases, ordinary footwear worn every day is not able to meet all the challenges and dangers that await an employee in the work environment. Unfortunately, accidents happen and they cannot always be avoided. However, when they do occur, wearing appropriate safety shoes will help prevent serious injuries and dangerous injuries.