Safety Footwear

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• What should I know about safety footwear?
• How is footwear selected?
• What should I know about the fit and care of safety footwear?
• What symbols will be on the footwear?

What should I know about safety footwear?

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If you are at risk for foot injury at your workplace, you should wear the appropriate protective footwear.

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• If foot protection is required, set up a complete foot safety protection program, including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection.
• Safety footwear is designed to protect feet against a wide variety of injuries. Impact, compression, and puncture are the most common types of foot injury.
• Choose footwear according to the hazard. Refer to CSA Standard Z195-14 (R) "Protective footwear" or other standards that are required in your jurisdiction.
• Select CSA-certified footwear (or other certified footwear if permitted in your jurisdiction). Make sure that it has the proper rating for the hazard and the proper sole for the working conditions.
• Use metatarsal protection (top of the foot between the toes and ankle) where there is a potential for injury.

The OSH Answers section on Foot Comfort and Safety at Work has more information on foot care and selection of protective footwear.

How is footwear selected?

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Footwear must be chosen based on the hazards that are present. Assess the workplace and work activities for:

• Materials handled or used by the worker.
• Risk of objects falling onto or striking the feet.
• Any material or equipment that might roll over the feet.
• Any sharp or pointed objects that might cut the top of the feet.
• Objects that may penetrate the bottom or side of the foot.
• Possible exposure to corrosive or irritating substances.
• Possible explosive atmospheres, including the risk of static electrical discharges.
• Risk of damage to sensitive electronic components or equipment due to the discharge of static electricity.
• Risk of coming into contact with energized conductors of low to moderate voltage (e.g., 220 volts or less).
• Type of walking surface and environmental conditions workers may be exposed to (e.g., loose ground cover, smooth surfaces, temperature, wet/oily, chemicals, etc.).

Also, evaluate the following risks:

• Ankle injury from uneven walking surfaces or rough terrain.
• Foot injury due to exposure to extreme hot or cold.
• Slips and falls on slippery walking surfaces.
• Exposure to water or other liquids that may penetrate the footwear causes damage to the foot and the footwear.
• Exposure to rotating or abrasive machinery (e.g., chainsaws or grinders).

What should I know about the fit and care of safety footwear?

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Fit:

• Try on new boots around midday. Feet normally swell during the day.
• Walk in new footwear to ensure it is comfortable.
• Boots should have ample toe room (toes should be about 12.5 mm from the front). Do not expect footwear to stretch with wear.
• Make allowances for extra socks or special arch supports when buying boots. Try on your new boots with the supports or socks you usually wear at work. Check with the manufacturer if adding inserts affects your level of protection.
• Boots should fit snugly around the heel and ankle when laced.
• Lace up boots fully. High-cut boots provide support against ankle injury.

Care:

• Use a protective coating to make footwear water-resistant.
• Inspect footwear regularly for damage (e.g., cracks in soles, breaks in leather, or exposed toe caps).
• Repair or replace worn or defective footwear.
• Electric shock resistance of footwear is greatly reduced by wet conditions and wear.
• Footwear exposed to sole penetration or impact may not have visible signs of damage. Therefore, it is advisable to replace footwear after an event.

What symbols will be on the footwear?

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The following symbols, or markings, will help you determine which footwear is appropriate for the job.

NOTE: Footwear will also be marked to indicate the level of slip resistance. These markings may be on the packaging, the footwear, or on the product sheet.

Note: Certain CSA Group standards are available for online viewing. To access these, you must first create an account with “CSA Communities”.
Go to: https://community.csagroup.org/login.jspa?referer=%252Findex.jspa
Once you are logged in, click on the text below the “OHS Standards / View Access” graphic.
Click on the jurisdiction of your choice to see the CSA Standards as referenced in that legislation. 
Standards may also be purchased from CSA Group: https://store.csagroup.org/
 

• Fact sheet last revised: -02-04

OSHA standards require protective footwear for workers at risk of injury from impacts, punctures or electrical hazards on the job site. OSHA-approved shoes must be certified impact and compression resistant by the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.

Work boot safety standards require that personnel wear safety footwear at all times. Safety shoes or boots must have a leather upper, non-skid soles, oil resistance and impact and compression resistance ratings of 75. The shoes must also have built-in toe caps to meet requirements.

Protective footwear is required for employees at risk of injury from:

• Rolling equipment
• Penetrating or crushing objects
• Hot or corrosive materials
• Poisonous or biohazardous materials
• Electrical hazards

Employers have a responsibility to conduct hazard assessments for the job site and determine the necessary PPE. Where warehouses may require steel toe boots to protect from rolling forklifts, electricians require a composite boot that will not conduct electricity. Less hazardous workplaces like kitchens may require puncture-resistant boots or toe caps to protect from falling knives or hot pans.

Employers must communicate their PPE selection and standards to workers. Some industries, like construction, also have specific standards of safety requirements.

Protective footwear requirements are common for:

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• Manufacturing
• Renovations and remodels
• Auto repair
• Welding
• Construction
• Machine operation
• Landscaping
• Warehouses

OSHA has two specific regulations on PPE—29 CFR .132 and .136. For safety footwear to satisfy these regulations, it must comply with the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

The current safety shoe standard is ASTM -18. Under this rule, toe caps must be built into safety shoes. ASTM-compliant boots also need to pass the ASTM -18a testing standard for impact and compression resistance.

Workers can still wear overshoes, but overshoes do not count as protective equipment. Protective footwear includes steel toe, alloy toe or composite toe shoes and boots.

Work boots must pass impact and compression resistance standards to be ASTM-certified. They may also be tested for puncture resistance, metatarsal protection, static dissipation, electrical hazard resistance or conductive protection.

Protective standards marked on a shoe will include ASTM -11 or ASTM -18.

The number denotes the standard and the year. ASTM -11 signifies that the shoe is compliant with the update to the rule. ASTM -18 marks a shoe compliant with the update.

• M or W – Men’s or women’s
• I – Impact
• C – Compression
• MT – Metatarsal protection
• PR – Puncture resistance
• CD – Conductive protection
• EH – Electrical hazard resistance
• SD – Static dissipative

The ASTM standards replaced the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z41- and ANSI Z41- in .

Composite toe boots meet OSHA and ASTM safety requirements. They are made of non-metallic fibers like Kevlar® and do not conduct electricity. Composite toe boots are preferred by engineers, electricians and some independent contractors.

Composite toe boots do not offer the same protection from impact as steel-toed boots, however.

ALLOY TOE VS. STEEL TOE BOOTS

Alloy toe boots are made of materials like aluminum and titanium, which makes them lighter weight than steel toe boots. The metal plates are thinner, leaving more room in the toe of the boot. Steel toe boots have the advantages of lower costs and greater strength.

Thicker steel plates are heavier to wear and may cut into employee’s feet, but steel toe boots also provide stronger impact protection and sheer resistance. Employers should determine the level of risk at their work site and decide whether alloy or steel is best suited for their work hazards and employee comfort.

Note: Neither alloy toe nor steel toe boots should be used on jobs with electrical hazards. The metal toes conduct electricity. Electricians should use electrical hazard protection work boots.

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