The Right Safety Work Boots For The Job

So where do you start and what do you need to consider?

Workplace Hazards & Safety Footwear

Every work environment is different. Even if you have a specific trade, you may still encounter various work conditions from jobsite to jobsite, building to building, or room to room. So it's important to think about all the areas you and your employees will face when doing required work. Footwear manufacturers are constantly striving to provide products that meet the need of specific work conditions or industry. A great example of this is the Rocky Elements collection - trade specific boots with distinct features and benefits to accommodate demanding job conditions and duties. In general, safety footwear is designed to help protect a worker from at least one of the following hazards:

• Falling, rolling and flying
• Punctures
• Cutting Hazards
• Slips, Trips and Falls
• Burns
• Electrical Harm
• Fatigue
• Extreme temperatures / weather

The above workplace hazards are pretty basic and probably didn't surprise you. Why? Cause they're common sense. But since accidents are still happening workers must be thinking it's not going to happen to them - and that's probably cause it hasn't happened YET. But bad practices eventually lead to injury so it's best to learn, instruct and enforce wearing the right boot for the job. Below is a handy chart of some of the more common features available in safety footwear and the benefit of each as well as how it applies to the above hazards and what job or work environment might require it. Certain safety features can be offered in more then one way. For example, current options of safety toe materials are steel, composite, alloy or fiber. For the differences between Steel and Composite Toe see our article Steel Toe vs. Composite Toe. Waterproofing and Insulation can be provided by different branded systems as well. Check out our Product Features and Technologies page for a great comparison list.

Below is a handy chart of some of the more common features available in safety footwear and the benefit of each as well as how it applies to the above hazards and what job or work environment might require it.

Feature	Benefit	Hazard Protection	Work Environment
Protective Toe - steel, composite, etc.	Protects toes from impact and compression	Dropped, falling and rolling objects	Most industrial jobs with heavy pipes, bulk rolls, tires, heavy tools or parts, etc.
Steel Plate	Puncture resistant - protects sole of foot from sharp objects penetrating outsole	Punctures from nails, glass, scrap metal, needles, etc	Construction site, glass factory, mechanic, landfills, recycling center
Metatarsal Guard	Protects the metatarsal bones of the foot from impact	Dropped, falling and rolling objects	Forklift Driver, Steel Industry, Miner, Railroad
Electrical Hazard (EH)	Reduces flow of electricity through shoe when exposed to open circuits of 600 volts or less under dry conditions	Electrical shock and Electrocution	Construction site, Electrician, Lineman, Maintenance, jobs around live electrical conductors
Static Dissipative (SD)	Reduces (dissipates) static electricity build-up on body by allowing charge to pass from the body through the shoe to the ground	Static shock discharge when touching metal or sensitive electronic equipment	Computer technician, manufacturing process that creates static charge, clean rooms, hospitals
Conductive (CD)	Conducts static electricity through shoes to the ground eliminating static build-up. Like SD but a faster and more complete discharge for highly sensitive areas	Ignition when using or around highly flammable and explosive or volatile materials and vapors	Gunpowder Factory, Printing Plant, Blasting Zone, working near exposed and energized circuits
Slip-Resistant Outsole	Outsole compound and tread design that repels oils and liquids to help maintain more surface contact	Slips and Falls	Plumber, water treatment plant, oil and gas industry, construction site, Machinist, Mechanic
Slip-Resistant Outsole	Outsole compound and tread design that repels oils, grease and liquids to help maintain more surface contact	Slips and Falls	Plumber, water treatment plant, oil and gas industry, construction site, Machinist, Mechanic, healthcare, restaurant worker
Chemical-Resistant	Materials resist damage when exposed to chemicals	Chemical burns, penetration, permeation	Engineer, Landscaping, hazardous waste, chemical plants, farming
Oil-Resistant Outsole	Outsole compound that repels oil to help maintain more surface contact	Slips and Falls	Oil and gas industry, construction site, Machinist, Mechanic
Comfort Insoles and Footbeds	Provides shock absorption, cushion, support & breathability	Fatigue	All jobs
Insulation	Provides warmth	Frostbite, hypothermia, trench foot, chilblains, numbness	All outdoor jobs
Waterproof	Provides protection from wet feet	Hypothermia, trench foot, decreased skin resistance increases chance of electric shock	All jobs around a water source, outdoor jobs, rainy days
Ladder-Friendly Outsole	Provides rung-ripping traction, rigid arch for support and comfort, debris-releasing design, anti-slip compound	Falls from a height	All jobs that require ladder usage, large trucks with multiple steps
Shank	Provides arch support	Fatigue, Arch Pain	Working with ladders, on railroad ballasts
Abrasion-Resistant	Materials resists wear from continued contact with another surface or tool	Machine wear, cutting hazards, quick excessive wear	Machine worker, Jackhammer user, Assembly line worker
Non-Metallic Materials	Provides easy passage through metal detectors	Metal Detector delay	Airport worker, security guard
Flame-Resistant Materials	Materials hold up under high heat conditions	Flash fires, burns	Bureau of Land Management, Oil and gas operations
Dirt-Releasing Outsole	No clogging of outsole which reduces traction	Falls due to loss of traction	All Outdoor workers

In Summary - Get CustomFit

Buying the right safety footwear for the job can be overwhelming - especially if you are responsible for doing it for a large number of employees or making sure they purchase on their own. A comprehensive Safety Footwear Program like CustomFit can help alleviate that stress. If you have any questions or would like help figuring out the best safety boots for your specific work environments, please contact us today through one of our many service options.