| ~ Footwear Protection ~ |
| * Construction Safety Training * |
Protective Footwear
Today’s talk is about protective footwear. You may or may not have given this much thought. Dressing right for work is similar to dressing right for sports no professional football player would take the field wearing dress shoes. Wearing the right shoes will help you do a better job; and do it more safely. The first thing to think about is the type of foot protection you are going to need.
Job site work requires a you to walk, stand, bend, stoop and climb; therefore it is imperative that you wear sturdy, comfortable footwear. Leather shoes and boots provide the best protection. Tennis shoes, sandals and flip-flops are not acceptable footwear on a construction site. Remember, your feet and toes are made up of many small bones, and just one object dropped on your foot can cause a serious, painful injury.
Another potential jobsite injury can occur by stepping on a nail or other sharp object. A protruding nail will puncture the top, side or sole of your boot in a split second if you are not careful. Safety boots come equipped with steel toes, heavy duty leather uppers and steel shanks to help prevent puncture wounds. Your footwear should fit your feet snugly and give your ankles adequate support. Good support will help prevent you from turning or twisting an ankle while moving around the job site.
Take a look at your feet right now. Are you wearing the right footwear for the job you are doing today? If you are working around protruding nails or other sharp objects, you should be wearing leather work boots with good soles.
Are you working in concrete? If so, you need to be wearing rubber boots. Wet concrete on your feet will cause concrete burns. Make sure you wash your feet and put on a pair of clean socks if your feet come in contact with wet concrete. In cold weather it is important to keep your feet warm. Wear a comfortable pair of warm socks and keep a second pair available in case your feet get wet during the day. Get the message? Your feet take a beating every day. Make their job a little easier by wearing the right footwear.
SAFETY REMINDERS
Safety Footwear Helps You at Work,
Don’t Forget to Protect Your Feet off the Job as Well.
* Get a Foot Up on Safety *