Slip Resistant Footware Basics

Slip Resistant Footwear Basics

Popular brands of athletic shoes, footwear with leather soles, and high heel shoes are typically not designed with the proper sole compounds, tread patterns and other properties that would make them slip-resistant in the work environments. Luckily, there are several footwear vendors that offer a wide range of popular styles, comparable prices with the slip resistant properties needed to reduce the chance of an employee slip & fall injury.

Look for slip resistant footwear designed for work environments. Not all "safety" footwear is slip resistant. To be labeled as slip-resistant footwear, the product must only meet minimal standards. It is to carefully read the footwear's labeling and product description when determining if the footwear meets your needs. Look for protection against specific hazards. Slip resistant footwear can be resistant to petroleum-based oils (auto oil and/or lubricants), solvents, acids or for food-based oils (cooking oil, shortening, and/or animal fat). It is important to pay attention to which protection you need. Also note that the term oil resistant is not the same as slip resistant.

A suitable test that measures footwear slip resistance can be found with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1677-96. This test method covers the operational procedures for using a slip testing device for determining the slip resistance of footwear sole, heel or related materials under dry, wet or greasy (contaminated) conditions. This test utilizes a scale from 0 to 1. With 1 being the most slip-resistant. This test may help establish the best footwear protection for the job.

Having appropriate slip resistant footwear is a great start, but everything gets dirty, worn or acquires residue. Overall cleanliness and condition of footwear before beginning a shift is vital to the effectiveness of the footwear. Imbedded grease on the sole of a shoe negate its slip resistant properties. Much like the tires on a vehicle, once the tread is worn, it's time to obtain new footwear. How long footwear lasts differs from person to person, as does the particular model of shoe. Disposable slip resistant shoe covers are another method of protection. However remember that these covers are designed to last one day of work; if they are worn outside or on very rough surfaces, they may need to be replaced more often.

No footwear is 100% slip resistant. There are several factors that influence slip resistance and slip and fall prevention including: type of flooring materials; floor finish; floor construction and preventative maintenance. The appropriateness and condition of footwear being worn can also affect the risk of accidents. Contamination on the floor such as water or oil can change the need for protection. A person's vision, balance, or speed can have an influence on their footwear needs as well. The safest method of protection is likely a combination of preventative measures. Other measures to consider include: a complete slip and fall floor program; new hire safety orientation; safety training and safety incentive programs.

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3rd Watch Boots 5.11 Tactical Acorn Slippers Adidas Golf Aloe Up Alpenco AO Safety AquaSeal Arborwear Asolo Hiking Boots Atsko Sno Seal Badger Balm Baffin Boots Baretta Bates Boots Bear Grease Benchmade Knives Bianchi Holsters Black Stallion Gloves Blackrock Leather N Rich Body Cushion Bogs Born Shoes Boston Leather BuckWear Bulwark Carhartt Boots Carhartt Clothing Carolina Boots Caterpillar Boots Champion Sports Chef Designs Chippewa Boots Columbia River Converse Corcoran CornerStone Danner Boots Devon & Jones DeWalt Footwear	DeWalt Gloves DeWalt Safety Glasses Dickies Dickies Scrubs Dickies Underwear Doc Martens Double-H Boots DryGuy DryZ Dunham Shoes Duofold Ecco Shoes ESS Goggles Fiebings Filson Florsheim Forge Shield Shoes Fox River Mills Full Blue Jeans Gear Box Boots Georgia Boots Gerber Gildan Golden Retriever Gorgonz Grip-Tite Hanes Harley Davidson Boots Harley Davidson Eyewear Hatch Gloves Headline It Helly Hansen Hero's Pride Hi-Tec Boots Hiatts Hold-Up Suspenders Hush Puppies Slippers Irish Setter Boots Ironclad Gloves	Jackster Jerzees John Deere Boots Justin Boots Justin Workwear Keds Kenyon Kershaw Knives Kingston McKnight Shoes Kodiak Boots Kombi Gloves Kromer Caps Kuhl Clothing K-Swiss LaCrosse Boots Leatherman Lee Lexol Liberty Uniforms Lone Wolf Knives Luminox Maglite Flashlights Magnum Boots Matterhorn Boots Mechanix Gloves Medical Uniform Company Merrell Shoes Milwaukee Boots Minnetonka Muck Boots Native Sunglasses Nautilus New Balance Shoes Nike Golf Nordic Gear Northerner Boots NurseMates Oakley Boots Obenaufs	Ogio OccuNomix Osborn Ozark Mountain Apparel Peerless Handcuffs Peet Boot Dryers Pelican Flashlights Perry Products Petzl Ping Polar Wrap Port Authority Port & Company Psolar Pyramex Quark Radians Safety Glasses Railroad Socks Red House Red Kap Uniforms Red Wing Biker Boots Red Wing Boots and Shoes Red Wing Casual Remington Rhino Tuff Insoles Riggs Workwear Ringers Gloves Rockers Shoes Rockport Works Shoes Rocky Boots Rothco S.W.A.T Boots Safariland Scrusher SealSkinz Servus Boots ShuBee Siskiyou Buckles Skechers Shoes	Slip Guardian Smartwool Smith & Wesson SOG Knives Sorel Spenco Insoles Sport-Tek Spyderco Knives Stormy Kromer Streamlight Flashlights SureFire Swiss Army Knives Terra Teva Shoes The Force Uniforms The Working Person's Store Thorlos Thorogood Boots Timberland Timberland Pro Boots Tuff Toe UASI Under Armour Vasque Welch Suspenders Wesco Boots Whites Boots Wigwam Socks Wiley X Sunglasses Wilkuro Safety Toes Wolverine Boots Wolverine Clothing Wolverine Gloves Wolverine Socks Work One Boots Worx Boots Wrangler Yaktrax Zan Headgear
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Slip Resistant Footware Basics

Slip Resistant Footware Basics