You’ll be glad you wore the right shoes if a heavy pipe rolls over your toe or a package drops on your foot. If you’re a veteran of hard work, chances are you’re well-versed in the ABCs of protective footwear for these types of hazards from the groups who set the standards – the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA). Everyone who steps onto a job site with potential hazards needs foot protection – not just the boot-wearing laborers. It’s also crucial for men and women like salesmen, clerical staff, and others to wear gear that will protect their feet.
ASTM F 2413-11 – Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective Safety Toe Cap Footwear – is the most current standard for protective toe cap footwear and outlines all the specifications that this gear should include. According to the standard, safety shoes or boots with impact protection are suggested for handling materials that could be dropped or where objects might fall onto your feet. Boots with compression protection are suggested for work that involves skid trucks, heavy pipes, or objects that could potentially roll over your feet (ouch).
Impact ratings come in three different classes – 75, 50, and 30 – and indicate the weight amount that the toe cap can withstand. Compression resistance ratings also come in three classes: 75, 50, or 30. In this case, the classes correlate to 2500 pounds, 1750 pounds, and 1000 pounds of compression respectively. Simply put – if you’re wearing gear with a 30 compression rating, it’s designed to protect you from an object of up to 1000 pounds rolling onto your toes.
You and your employees likely have boots and shoes that meet the standards for impact and compression protection. (If not, you need to make sure to get on that.) But what happens when people need to enter a hazardous environment who aren’t equipped with protective boots or shoes? The Working Person’s Store carries Osborn Pro-Tec Toe Unisex American-Made Safety Toe Caps that are a perfect temporary alternative for visitors of a worksite that don’t have proper footwear or for anyone who needs to be protected while in a hazardous zone.
Plant visitors, maintenance workers, salesmen and others need protection, even if it’s just for a short period of time. Designed with 30-pound impact and 1000-pound compression-resistance ratings, the Osborn Safety Toe caps provide a high level of protection. Men and women can fit these caps over their own shoes with ease using the adjustable straps.
Visit workingperson.com for all of your protective footwear needs.
