Safety Boots
on Construction Site
If your worker falls and breaks his legs while working for you because you delayed providing proper shoes, you could land in court and be made to pay heavy fines or compensation to him. Which is cheaper?
Construction sites are quite peculiar places. This is because the work done is just…well, down to earth! It is a free area so to speak and handles dangerous equipment, risky heights in case of buildings, workers face unpredictable weather and have to endure long hours in areas only accessible to them, almost far away from normal life. Their life might be compared to a large extent to that of long distance lorry drivers.
There are many risks associated with this kind of job due to its roughness. For a worker to perform efficiently and do their level best, they need to feel comfortable, and especially if they have to work for long hours. When we say comfortable in construction work environment, we don’t mean having any kind of fun. This is a place with such dangers as protruding sharp objects like nails, pieces of metal left lying about, oily substances spilt on the floor with high potential to cause slips and falls, as well as being exposed to various corrosive chemicals.
You no doubt now understand that having proper feet and toe protection for your workers is not a choice but a necessity. That is why the government through its agencies came up with Work Health and Safety regulations that every company of this nature must abide by. If your worker falls and breaks his legs while working for you because you delayed providing proper shoes, you could land in court and be made to pay heavy fines or compensation to him. Which is cheaper? Buying the employee those shoes, or compensating him in complying with the law?
SAFETY BOOTS
In areas where mining is carried out on a wider scale, safety boots are a normal feature. Research has enabled a number of companies to come up with much improved boots both in quality and design, to make sure that your workers are well taken care of. You may wonder, why safety boots are so special compared to other shoes, especially when you consider the cost. Without having proper information, it will be a challenge to buy the right ones. The special marks of a good pair of safety boots are:
- Meets Regulation (EU) 2016/425 footwear standards
- Should have toe cap that is made of steel (should be the first consideration)
- Should allow the feet to breathe
- Have a firm grip on the floor
- Be resistant to water
- Protect against pricking by sharp objects
- Should not cause stress to the feet
- Have padding for the ankles
Why the Emphasis on Toe Protection?
They are very small and have many small bones that can be broken. It is also very easy for the toes to face a different direction if they are hit so hard as to dislocate. Toes are the foremost part of the body and have high chances of getting into contact with falling objects (impact). Being so fragile, the toe bones known as metatarsals can easily get fractured and the pain is excruciating. Don’t forget that toes help us get balance when walking and have a proper gait. They seems too small and we might view them as none entities when everything is fine. When they get injured and we feel like fainting as a result, then we think differently. Boots for toe protection are of different kinds. We have some whose toe caps are made of aluminum in combination with titanium which makes them lighter. They also allow more toe space. A second kind of toe protection is the boots made of steel. This is very handy in the construction industry. The last kind to consider today is boots with what is known as composite toe cap.
SAFETY BOOTS REQUIREMENTS
Boots for the construction industry must meet the UK personal protection standard, that is, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 (as incorporated into UK law) personal protection equipment safety footwear (ISO 20345:2011, MOD). This regulation requires that new safety boots be tested for features they claim to have, so as to make sure every batch meets the criteria for quality protective boots. They are tested to assess whether they are resistant to high impact, have insulation against electrical shocks, have proper strength for outer soles, and if they can withstand great compression.
In addition to having proven features, certain items ought to be indicated on the shoes. These are:
- Safety Boots Requirements
- Which industry it is to be used for
- Regulation (EU) 2016/425 mark
- Identity of the company that made them
- The size of the shoe
- The type of protection offered such as SB (SB stands for Safety Basic)
- CIM (CertMark International) certification
Conclusion
Induct For Work is a Learning Management System that is cloud-based. It was developed more than 15 years ago to cater to companies that need to induct their workers, including those in the construction industry, regularly. To keep up with emerging trends, we continue to update the software while adding new features and this saves you from regular upgrades. Being cloud-based has the advantage that whenever we make changes to the system or add new features, the change is instantaneously reflected on your end.
Our software is developed for the workplace. It has all the features you need to carry out your inductions without stress. These are a friendly user interface, report generation, course creation or modification ability, notification system, and are flexible in the brand and report customization. All training processes are automated.
Send us any questions or great tips to share? – Contact us here.
Induct for Work – the only system you need to create and manage online inductions in UK.
