The Severity of Foot Injuries
The situation of occupational hazards in industrial, mining, commercial and trade enterprises is very serious. One of the main injuries is foot injury, which is caused by stepping on objects, bumping into objects, splashing of hot or corrosive substances, and being crushed by falling objects during manual handling.
Slipping and falling are the main causes of industrial accidents in the UK, accounting for about 17% of disabling accidents. The total number of foot injury accidents is as high as 180,000 cases per year. At the same time, foot injuries are also the second leading cause of fatal accidents in the workplace, accounting for about 13%, with a total of 1,037 cases per year.
Foot injuries also include electrical and electrostatic injuries. Electrical injury refers to the current flowing through the feet into the internal organs of the human body, which can damage the heart, lungs, nervous system, etc., causing spasms, respiratory arrest, ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest and even death *43. Electrostatic injury refers to the accumulation of static electricity on the body surface and feet in some workplaces. If the release of static electricity is not handled properly in an environment filled with flammable gases, it will become a source of ignition at any time, causing an explosion accident.
Existing Hazards
See Table 7-1.
Table 7-1 Hazards to the Feet
| Type of Injury | Specific Description |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Injury | Falling objects hitting the toes; Colliding with hard objects; Being injured by a rolling hard object; Piercing, etc. |
| Electrostatic | In a flammable and explosive environment, the accumulation of surface charges on the body can cause an explosion; In a voltage below 220 volts, power frequency capacitive equipment can cause electric shock due to static electricity. |
| Electric Shock | When an electric shock occurs, the current passes through the contact point through the human body to the ground, causing fatal harm to the person. |
| Slipping | Slipping can lead to serious falls, bumps and even death. |
| Chemical | Splashing of chemical liquids may cause burns to the skin tissue of the feet. |
| Others | High and low temperatures, sprains, etc. |
Selection, Use and Maintenance of Foot Protection Products
1. Selection of Foot Protection Products
See Table 7-2.
Table 7-2 Selection of Foot Protection Products
| Protection Project | Meets the Standards | Test Method | Protective Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | GB21148 – 2007 | A 23-kilogram impact hammer freely falls from a height of 90 centimeters to impact the toe cap. The distance from the bottom of the toe cap to the top of the plasticine (simulating the human toe) is tested to be greater than 12.5 – 15 millimeters (depending on the specific shoe size). | The toe cap can withstand an impact force of 200J (joules). |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | GB21148 – 2007 | Under a pressure of 15 kilonewtons (about 1.5 tons) for a duration of 1 minute, the distance from the bottom of the toe cap to the top of the plasticine (simulating the human toe) is tested to be greater than 12.5 – 15 millimeters (depending on the specific shoe size). | The toe cap can withstand a static pressure of about 1.5 tons. |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | GB21148 – 2007 | Piercing tests are conducted at four points on the sole of the safety shoe. The force required to penetrate the sole should not be less than 1100 Newtons (about 110 kilograms). | The sole can protect the sole of the foot and avoid being pierced by sharp objects. |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | GB21148 – 2007 | After adjustment in a dry and humid environment, the resistance value should be between 100K ohms and 1000M ohms. | To prevent combustion and explosion caused by the accumulation of static electricity in a flammable and explosive environment, or to prevent electrostatic damage. |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | GB12011 – 2009 | A power frequency test voltage of 6 kilovolts is used for the test, with a duration of 1 minute, and the leakage current is less than or equal to 1.8 milliamperes. The following tests are conducted in two environments: 1) Soap water on ceramic tiles; | Sensitive electronic components to prevent electric shock injury. |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | ENIS020334: 2004/A1: 2007 | 2) Glycerin on an iron plate; A force of 400 – 500 Newtons is applied to test the friction coefficient of the front sole and the heel respectively. If the friction coefficient in both environments meets the corresponding test standards, the highest European anti-slip standard SRC can be obtained. | To prevent slipping and injuries caused by slipping. |
| Impact Injury, Static Pressure Injury, Piercing Injury, Electrostatic Injury, Electrical Injury, Slipping Injury, Others | Chemical resistance, resistance to high and low temperatures, etc. |
2. Requirements for Wearing Comfort
See Table 7-3.
Table 7-3 Requirements for Wearing Comfort of Safety Shoes
| Project | Safety Shoes Meeting Comfort Requirements |
|---|---|
| Designed according to the foot shape, with a widened and highly protective toe cap, such as a five-toe design; Ergonomic special sole material, such as TPU material design – can absorb impact energy to ensure the body’s comfort; PuIrlon 44 Reasonable heel design to improve stability and reduce the phenomenon of grinding feet; Antibacterial test Excellent upper, lining and insole material to ensure the appropriate temperature and humidity inside the shoe; Thermal comfort Antibacterial and deodorant, can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria; The lining of ordinary shoes uses Canberra material treated with silver ions; Adaptability To improve breathability through the design of the entire shoe. Use new materials to reduce the weight of the shoe body and make it lightweight and comfortable to wear. | Designed according to the Chinese foot shape, with a widened and highly protective toe cap, such as a five-toe design; Ergonomic special sole material, such as TPU material design – can absorb impact energy to ensure the body’s comfort; PuIrlon 44 Reasonable heel design to improve stability and reduce the phenomenon of grinding feet; Antibacterial test Excellent upper, lining and insole material to ensure the appropriate temperature and humidity inside the shoe; Thermal comfort Antibacterial and deodorant, can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria; The lining of ordinary shoes uses Canberra material treated with silver ions; Adaptability To improve breathability through the design of the entire shoe. Use new materials to reduce the weight of the shoe body and make it lightweight and comfortable to wear. |
3. Selection Methods
- Brand selection:
a) Choose a safety shoe brand that meets or exceeds national standards.
b) Choose a brand with the following logos: LA labor safety logo, QS quality logo, compliant safety standard number, type of safety shoes, shoe size, production date, manufacturer’s trademark and name.
c) Choose a brand with good quality and user reputation.
- Safety shoe selection:
a) Understand the protection needs and select the corresponding protection functions. Protection functions cannot be mutually exclusive. For example, anti-static and electrical insulation are completely opposite functions and cannot be satisfied simultaneously.
b) On the premise of meeting the protection needs, choose a more comfortable safety shoe to improve the enthusiasm of workers to wear safety shoes.
- Safety boot selection:
a) First refer to the selection requirements of safety shoes.
b) If it involves the selection of chemical-resistant boots, you can choose the boot material with the corresponding characteristics according to the type, concentration, contact method, environmental temperature, and usage habits of the chemicals in the application environment.
c) Note: Different Materials is formulated based on the chemical resistance principles of various materials, providing a guide for professional users to select designated protective equipment. The table lists the protective properties of ordinary rubber, chloroprene rubber, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) against the listed chemical substances. The table does not indicate the chemical permeability, so the chemical resistance in the table cannot be equivalent to the chemical permeability of any artificial rubber. The selection and testing of products must depend on the purchaser. Safety products do not assume responsibility for the suitability of products selected by end users for specific purposes. For specific situations, you can consult a professional in safety products.
Foot protection product size comparison table
| American Specifications | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Specifications | 24/24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27/27.5 | 28 | 28.5 |
| European Specifications | 38/39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44/45 | 46 | 47 |
4. Maintenance Methods
Purpose: To ensure the protective effectiveness of safety shoes and maintain the health of the feet.
a) Do not modify the structure of the shoes without authorization, such as drilling holes, digging holes, etc.
b) Regularly check whether all parts of the safety shoes are intact.
c) Wear safety shoes correctly and avoid the following situations:
① Wearing safety shoes barefoot.
② Wearing safety shoes as slippers, damaging the back of the shoes.
③ Wearing safety shoes without tying the shoelaces.
d) After wearing, the safety shoes should be cleaned in a timely manner. Do not directly wash them with water or expose them to the sun.
e) Store in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place.
