How To Choose Footwear That Will Keep You Safe

Safety starts with what you wear, and many jobs will mandate trade workwear that is accredited and deemed suitably safe for the role depending on the risks identified in the job’s risk assessment.

For many people, this starts with your feet, and safety footwear is a critical part of personal protective equipment, and most orders for safety equipment begin with a strong pair of shoes.

However, with so many specialised pieces of footwear out there, and a wide range of potential hazards they are designed to protect against, the level of choice can at times be overwhelming.

With that in mind, here are some top tips for choosing the best footwear for the job.

Know Your Risk Assessment

Most job roles will have a safety risk assessment in place for identifying potential hazards and ways to mitigate risks of injury, illness or death.

Typically this is a two-step process of identification and mitigation, with many, if not most threats having some form of safety boots that can help reduce the risk or intensity of an injury.

Here are some examples of potential hazards and qualities that can help reduce them:

• Risk of falling objects – steel/composite toe cap to protect the toes and front foot from traumatic injury.
• Sharp objects – midsole protection; in some cases such as chainsaw operation, dedicated anti-cut boots are needed.
• Slips and falls – Non-slip sole to retain traction when walkways cannot be kept completely safe.

As well as this, consider risks linked to an individual user, such as plantar fasciitis or diabetes, which would require special insoles, or where someone is walking or on their feet for long hours and would need additional support and comfort.

Finally, consider environmental conditions and whether that would affect safety, such as regular work at night, which may necessitate high-visibility strips, waterproofing or heat, the latter of which may require a compromise towards safety trainers instead of bulky boots.