Personal Protective Equipment

1
Personal Protective Equipment

• Foot Protection
• by
• Eric Robinson
• Safety Manager
• Interbake Foods Inc.

2
Who Needs Foot PPE ?

• For protection of feet from falling or rolling
  objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot
  surfaces, and wet slippery surfaces workers
  should use appropriate safety shoes, or boots.

3
Causes of Foot Problems

• Foot Problems
• Severely aching feet blisters, calluses, corns,
  hard flooring, rheumatism, arthritis,
  malformations of toes, fallen arches (flat feet),
  bunions, sprains

• Common Causes
• Long periods of standing, hard flooring, and
  poorly fitted footwear
• high heals, pointed shoes, lack of arch support,
  too loose or too tight footwear

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Causes of Foot Problems ?

• Foot Problems
• Sweaty feet, fungal infections (Athletes Foot)

• Common Causes
• Hot and humid environment, strenuous work,
  footwear with synthetic (non-porous) uppers

5
How Does the Working Position Contribute to the
Foot Problem ?

• Since the human foot is designed for mobility,
  maintaining an upright stance is extremely
  tiring.
• Continuos standing can cause the joints of the
  feet to become mis-aligned (flat feet) and cause
  inflammation that can later lead to rheumatism
  and arthritis.

6
The Human Foot
7
How Does the Flooring Contribute to the Foot
Problems ?

• The type of flooring used in the work place has
  an important influence on comfort.
• Hard unyielding floors like concrete are the
  least comfortable surfaces to work on.
• Working on a hard floor has the impact of a
  hammer, pounding the heel at every step.
• Slippery floors are hazardous for slips and falls
  that can result in sprains or broken bones.

8
How Does the Foot Wear Contribute to the Foot
Problems?

• Foot wear that fits poorly or is in of repair
  contributes heavily to foot discomfort

9
Specific Examples of Workplace Foot Injuries

• Injuries
• Crushed or broken feet, amputation of toes or
  feet
• Punctures of the sole of the foot

• Common Causes
• Feet trapped between objects or caught in a
  crack, falls of heavy objects, moving vehicles
  (lift trucks)
• Loose nails, sharp metal or glass objects

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Specific Examples of Workplace Foot Injures

• Injuries
• Cuts or severed feet or toes
• Lacerations
• Electric shocks

• Common Causes
• Chain saws, rotary mowers
• Unguarded machinery
• Static electricity, contact with sources of
  electricity

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Specific Examples of Workplace Foot Injuries

• Injuries
• Burns

• Common Causes
• Molten metal splashes, chemical splashes,
  contact with fire, flammable or explosive
  atmospheres

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Specific Examples of Workplace Foot Injuries

• Injuries
• Sprained or twisted ankles, fractured or broken
  bones because of slips, trips, or falls

• Common Causes
• Slippery floors, littered walkways, incorrect
  footwear, poor lighting

13
How can foot injuries be prevented ?

• The first step in developing a strategy to reduce
  foot problems is to identify the relevant hazards
  at the workplace.

14
How Can the Job Design Improve Foot Safety ?

• Aching, flat or tired feet are common among
  workers who spend most of their working time
  standing.
• The most important goal of job design is to avoid
  fixed positions especially fixed standing
  positions.

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How Can the Job Design Improve Foot Safety ?

• Job rotation moves workers from one job to
  another
• Job enlargement includes more and different tasks
  in a workers duties
• Rest breaks, frequent short breaks are preferable
  to fewer long breaks

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How Can the Workplace Design Improve Foot Safety ?

• For standing jobs, an adjustable work surface is
  best
• Work station design should allow the worker room
  to change body position
• A foot rail or footrest enables workers to shift
  weight from one leg to another
• Where possible a worker should be allowed to work
  sitting or standing at will

17
How Can the Kind of Floor Improve Foot Comfort ?

• Where resilient floors are not practical, foot
  wear with thick, insulating soles and shock
  absorbing insoles can alleviate discomfort
• Anti-fatigue matting

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What should I Know About Footwear ?

• Proper footwear is important, not only for foot
  comfort but also for ones general well being.
  Improper footwear can cause or aggravate existing
  foot problems.

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What Should I Know When I Buy Footwear for Work ?

• The inner side of the shoe must be straight from
  the heel to the end of the big toe
• The shoe must grip the heel firmly
• the forepart must allow freedom of movement for
  the toes
• The shoe must have a fastening across the instep
  to prevent the foot from slipping when walking

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What Should I Know When I Buy Footwear for Work ?

• Do not expect that footwear which is too tight
  will stretch with wear
• have both feet measured. Feet normally differ in
  size
• Buy shoes to fit the bigger foot
• Buy shoes late in the afternoon when feet are
  likely to be swollen to their maximum size

21
What Should I Know About Protective Footwear ?

• The role of Personal Protective Equipment is to
  minimize exposure to specific occupational
  hazards, not to eliminate them. Protective
  Footwear does not guarantee total protection

22
Safety Shoes and Boots

• Steel Toe footwear protects your toes from
  falling objects and from being crushed.
• Metatarsal footwear have special guards that run
  from your ankle to your toes and protect the
  entire foot

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Safety Shoes and Boots

• Reinforced sole footwear have metal reinforcement
  that protects your foot from punctures.
• Latex/Rubber footwear resists chemicals and
  provides extra traction on slippery surfaces.

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Safety Shoes and Boots

• PVC footwear protects your feet against moisture
  and improves traction.
• Butyl footwear protects against most ketones,
  aldehydes, alcohol's, acids, salts, and alkalis.
• Vinyl footwear resists solvents, acids, alkalis,
  salts, water, grease, and blood.

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Safety Shoes and Boots

• Nitrile footwear resists animal fats, oils and
  chemicals.
• Electrostatic Dissipating footwear conducts
  static electricity to floors that are grounded.
• Electrical Hazard footwear are insulated with
  tough rubber to prevent shocks and burns from
  electricity.

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Wearing and Using Safety Footwear

• Select and use the right kind of footwear for the
  job you are going to be performing. Footwear
  should meet or exceed the standards set by ANSI
  (ANSI Z41-1991)
• Avoid footwear made of leather or cloth if you
  work around acids or caustics. These chemicals
  quickly eat through the leather or cloth,and can
  injure your feet.

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Wearing and Using Safety Footwear

• Select footwear that fits.
• Inspect your footwear before you use them. Look
  for holes and cracks that might leak.
• Replace footwear that is worn or torn.
• After working with chemicals, hose your footwear
  with water to rinse away any chemicals or dirt
  before removing your footwear.

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Wearing and Using Safety Footwear

• Avoid borrowing footwear. Footwear is personal
  protective equipment.
• Store footwear in a clean, cool, dry, ventilated
  area.

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Remember

• Your Feet are one of your greatest assets.
• Protect them!