Thursday 10 February 2011

Choosing your Safety Footwear

Often people are unhappy with wearing Safety Footwear because they have a perception of inadequate comfort, little cushioning abilities or high and weight.

Granite Workwear have a large range of different types of Safety Footwear for every eventuality and we believe that you will be able to find comfortable and practical footwear that will serve you well and keep you safe.

There are three levels of protection in footwear depending on the risk.

1) Occupational footwear (EN ISO 20347) doesn’t need a toe cap; there are no requirements for any impact and compression tests.
2) Protective footwear (EN ISO 20346) is equipped with a toe cap and has to pass impact and compression tests of the toe region when tested with the lower loads. Impact protection of 100 Joules is mandatory.
3) Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345) is equipped with a toe cap and has to pass impact and compression tests of the toe region with higher loads. Impact protection of 200 Joules is mandatory.

There are special standards required for Chainsaw Protection EN ISO 17249.

In buying your safety footwear, you might deal with making a choice between a shoe and a boot. But no matter which type of safety footwear you plan to buy and irrespective of the amount of money you are willing to spend, the most important factor in choosing your safety footwear, is the manner in which your feet fits inside them. Unlike ordinary footwear they should last for a long time and you will be wearing them for lengthy periods. Therefore you have to choose what you think is the best and most comfortable pair for you.

The problem with safety shoes is that they are harder and they may seem inflexible unlike ordinary leather shoes. This is generally overcome with the use of a flexible midsole as opposed to a steel midsole. So some people tend to buy safety shoes that are a little oversized to give more room for the feet. Oversized shoes can cause injuries like sprains and even bone fractures. You may find the need to wear a pair of thick socks to ensure the best comfort.
It is generally good advice to pay a little more for a pair of good quality safety boots / shoes. Generally worn for at least eight hours a day a pair of uncomfortable or inflexible safety boots can cause excessive tiredness which in itself leads to accidents.

Also ensure that the footwear is maintained in a good condition a regular application of Chelsea leather food available from our website is recommended.

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