One of the most common foot health issues that laborers face is the development of plantar fasciitis, which is often a result of excessive muscle use and poor shoe choice.

This is a painful condition that can make both walking and standing for long periods of time difficult to do.

Safety Shoes and Health Issues

Many doctors will recommend a series of stretching exercises to alleviate plantar fasciitis and the associated discomfort. Some individuals will also receive foot massages and other guided therapies for restoring optimal health.

There are even special braces and shoes that can be selected to help offset this condition while the plantar fasciitis sufferer is asleep or in a state of rest. The most important step in getting a long-term resolution for this issue, however, is learning how to select the proper safety shoes when safety footwear must be worn on a regular basis.

Purchasing Safety Shoes

One important thing to remember when plantar fasciitis is or has been an issue, is that heavy-toed shoes such as steel-toed boots and other steel-toed selections will dramatically limit the range of motion for the ball of the foot.

This can exacerbate or even actually lead to the development of plantar fasciitis. This is especially true for those who must wear their safety shoes while walking exceedingly long distances.

To avoid this issue, people should opt for shoes that allow for flexible motion in the ball of the foot. The best safety shoes will ideally provide a slight elevation for the heel while allowing for little to no mobility in the mid-portion of the foot.

This range of features will place the most minimal amount of stress on the most commonly affected part of the foot in plantar fasciitis sufferers. It will also help increase circulation and ensure a healthy, pain-free lifestyle.

To view a wide range of safety footwear available, click through to our online shop below.

After several weeks of experiencing the challenging floor surfaces and labor that your work areas and processes entail, however, these individuals are often forced to purchase an additional pair of safety footwear that more adequately addresses their needs.

By providing your new recruits with the right information during the formative stages of their employment, you can reduce their overall work-related expenses and provide better protection for yourself and your team.

Frictional Challenges and Safety Shoes

In certain work environments the floor surfaces are prone to becoming excessively slippery in specific production areas. These are typically areas in which the floor is exposed to water, oils and oily substances on a regular basis.

Restaurant workers and those working in manufacturing and other plants in which this is an issue will need to select safety shoes that feature a specially designed safety tread, that provides maximum protection against slips and falls.

This feature is essential for minimizing accidents that cause bodily injury or damage or loss of company or client property. Not only will this feature help to reduce loss of manpower and increase procedural effectiveness, but fewer accidents on the job can result in lower premiums for commercial insurance for you.

Avoid Foot Hazards with Safety Shoes

There is simply no beating the measure of foot protection that is afforded by steel-toed safety shoes. This feature is vital for protecting the safety and health of employees in which damage to the foot area has a high potential for occurring.

It is typically the case that wherever hard hats are required, steel toed boots should be required as well. These shoes are even optimal for plumbing professionals, carpet cleaners and others, for whom it will be necessary to lift and carry heavy forms of equipment.

Wherever there is the potential for dropping heavy items on the foot or having the foot strike exceedingly hard surfaces, steel-toed safety shoes are advantageous.

Your employees should also be informed of the proper amount of arch support and shock absorption for jobs in which these features are required. This is especially true for employees who will spend considerable periods standing or walking or who must lift heavy weights or perform relatively high-impact activities.

Providing your new hires with this information will ultimately increase the comfort and productivity of your team while improving the safety of your work environment.

To veiw our range of safety shoes, click through on the link below.

Selecting the Best Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis Sufferers

Whether you are a roofer working on sloped roofs or a meat cutter working in a butcher shop, the type of sole on your safety shoes greatly impacts upon your ability to do your job in a safe manner.

By knowing what your options are, you can make an informed and intelligent choice.

Different Types of Soles on Safety Shoes

One of the softest soles you will come across on safety shoes is a crepe sole. These soles are usually a light cream colour and are fairly soft to the touch.

While you think crepe might not be as durable as other soles, it is this softness that helps keep your feet firmly in place when working on sloped roof surfaces. In comparison, an oil resistant sole might work well if you are working in a mechanic shop.

That same sole however, will be too hard and potentially slippery when worked in sloped rooftops. By opting for crepe soles, you will likely remain much safer as you do your job as a roofer.

Safety Shoes with Oil Resilient Soles

A popular option for individuals working in a variety of fields is an oil resistant sole. These soles tend to have a smoother surface over a slightly soft interior sole.

The harder outer surface helps protect against slips and falls due to wet or oil floors. Great for workers in automotive shops, these work footwear favourites are also popular with employees in other careers.

Employees that are frequently in and out of freezer compartments like those in butcher shops and grocery stores, often opt for a oil resistant sole on their work boots. The freezing temperatures do not impact on the soles so there is less chance of an employee slipping and falling as the exit the freezer compartment.

By being fully aware of the conditions in which they will be working, an employee is in a much better position to purchase safety shoes that will serve their needs well. Chances are they will get much more wear out of their footwear if they purchase the appropriate type of sole for their needs.

An informed consumer is usually a wise consumer. To get more information about safety shoes, or to view our online range, click through on the link below.

Providing the Right Safety Shoes for Your Employees

Individuals who have leg or foot deformities, those who cannot walk without assistance, and those who need special assistance in getting around will need specialized shoes to reduce the incidence of injury.

Fortunately, there are shoes for people with foot problems and injuries, and for people who needing take special care of their feet, such as amputees.

How to Choose the Right Safety Shoes

There are shoe guidelines for people who have specific problems. For example, people who have bunions should wear shoes with soft leather or textile uppers with a straight inside edge.

Those who perspire excessively need safety shoes that have washable insoles which can be removed and washed when needed. Shoes for people who work in cold conditions need shoes made of a warm insulating material with one to two layers of thick socks.

Shoes that have an inner lining of fur are effective at keeping the feet warm.

It is also important to make sure that there is enough room in the shoes for the toes to wriggle around in to keep the circulation going. When choosing safety boots, make sure that they are not too tight.

Very tight boots can cut off circulation and will encourage cold feet.

Get the Right Brand of Safety Shoes

Various manufacturers specialize in making specialized shoes for the disabled. Choose the maker with enough years in the business with a trusted reputation for making sturdy and ergonomic shoes for the disabled.

The industry that makes shoes for the disabled has to meet strict health and safety standards, so make sure that the shoes you buy have passed all safety requirements. Most manufacturers will also provide custom fittings for clients and will design modifications as necessary without any additional costs.

The disabled person needs a specialized form of footwear especially when it comes to safety shoes. People with health problems or injuries also require modifications in their shoes especially for work or school.

It is important to consider comfort, size, and the durability of the materials. To view a range of safety footwear, click through on the link below.

Choose the Right Sole on Your Safety Shoes

Despite the feet propping the rest of the body up on a daily basis, most people rarely take proper care of their feet.

Safety Shoes Help Reduce Foot Problems

Surveys have come out with some interesting facts. 60 percent of the respondents, who happened to be workers, did not know that safety shoes are recommended to have a space of one centimetre between the end of the shoe and the longest toe.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), has it that 80 percent of adults suffer from one form of foot problem or the other. Some of the most common feet problems associated with wearing ill fitting safety shoes or lack of the same include:

•Fungal infections.

•Corns.

•Swellings.

•Serious injuries.

•Aches & pains.

•Varicose veins.

The onus of ensuring that workers get to wear the right safety gear usually lies with the employers. The risk posed to workers feet can be greatly minimised or eliminated if employers took deliberate steps to guarantee safety to their staff.

Trips and slips have been identified as posing the biggest hazard to the feet by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Safety Shoes Protecting You From Hazardous Surfaces

Indeed not all slips or trips are as a result of bad inappropriate footwear. Some are as a direct result of the walking surface. According to the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, employers are required to provide the safest work environment possible to their workers.

They are also required to constantly carry out sufficient and suitable risk assessment exercises as pertains to the safety and health of their employees.

Choosing the right safety shoes should be dictated by occupation, feet size and working environment that a worker deals with on a daily basis. Excellent foot health can only be guaranteed by wearing properly fitting and comfortable footwear.

The right work shoes should not only meet the required standards which deal specifically with workplace shoes but they should also be slip resistant.

For more information or to have a look at our range please click below.

Safety Shoes for Disabled Individuals

From the enclosed safety toecap to the type of sole, each element of a safety shoe contributes to its overall usefulness.

By paying attention to all of the different components of work footwear, you can purchase safety shoes that best suit your needs.

Safety Shoes: Construction Of The Sole

One of the first elements to investigate is the construction of the sole. If you work in an industry that exposes you to numerous slippery surfaces, then opting for work footwear with non-slip soles is crucial. A dent-proof toecap is not going to help you much if you end up on your backside after falling due to the wrong type of sole.

Some soles can be a great option for roofers, but they might not be the sole of choice if you regularly enter a freezer compartment at work. Choose the right type of material for the right occupation and you will be well on your way to finding the perfect footwear for your needs.

Another element to consider is what sort of safety features are in the shoe or boot you are considering purchasing. Some styles have an enclosed metal toecap while others have the metal toecap as well as a steel shank within the sole. The enclosed steel shank can be a real foot saver if you unexpectedly step on a protruding nail. Depending upon what type of industry you work in, the enclosed steel shank could save you from lost work due to a workplace injury.

Some Things To Consider When Looking At Safety Shoes

If you are especially hard on your shoes, then opting for footwear with additional exterior protection might be another factor to consider. If the leather on the toe of your boot is the first thing to go, then purchasing work boots with options like a Kevlar toecap might suit your needs perfectly. The Kevlar keeps the leather from ripping and offers an additional layer of protection against falling objects hitting your foot.

By considering each of these elements when purchasing your work footwear, you can be sure you will find just the perfect safety shoes for your requirements.

For more information or to have a look at our range please click on the button below.

Importance Of Safety Shoes In The Workplace And Regulations

It is true that safety shoes can and do protect you from serious injury.

But when the certified safe shoe is painfully uncomfortable, it can affect your concentration, work and productivity. One contribution to uncomfortable safety shoes is improper fit. Take the time to try shoes from different manufacturers.

Safety Shoes: Safety and Comfort

Try on different styles and different brands. Each style has different fit characteristics. Some are cut wide, while some run narrow. The toe box from different companies bends at slightly different places on the toe. Making sure that the fit is good is an essential step in finding a comfortable shoe.

Safety shoes work because they are rigid. In the past the rigidity often caused foot pain. Fortunately today’s manufacturers are giving more attention to comfort as well as protection. The design has definitely improved. For example, you can find shoes that are more adjustable, that have more cushioning in the insole, or that have more flex in the sole.

Comfort is critical when you have to wear the shoes at all times, especially in the workplace. Some foot doctors recommend that you buy two pairs of work shoes so that you can rotate them, never wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row.

Safety Shoes: Light as Well as Safe

An issue many wearers complain about with work shoes is their weight. Heavy metal plates in the foot bed and toe box and thicker than usual leather traditionally resulted in relatively heavy shoes.

Until your legs got used to the weight, they could cramp and ache. The metal also made the shoes stiff, giving the wearer a zombie-like gait. New lightweight, composite materials are replacing the metal plates.

The advanced carbon fiber is much lighter while retaining the strength and safety you look for in work shoes. If heavy shoes are uncomfortable for you, the additional cost of these new lightweight shoes will be well worth it. You’ll be safe and more productive at work and much less tired when you get home at the end of your shift.

For more information or to have a look at our range of safety shoes, please click on the button below.

Understanding The Different Components Of Safety Shoes

No one ever plans to have an accident, but there are times that they do occur, particularly in the work environment.

Safety Shoes: Reduce Slips and Trips

One of the most common accidents in the workplace involves either slipping or tripping, which accounts for the highest percentage of sick days per year throughout all industrial sectors.

Safety shoes will protect your feet from being crushed, lacerations, punctures, slipping and more.  Most countries have strict occupational safety and health policies regarding safety within the various industrial divisions.

Wearing approved footwear is a mandatory policy in all industries.  In some countries this is not only policy but written into law.

One set of regulations (Personal Protective Equipment Regulations), which are defined as “all equipment (including clothing affording protection against weather)” continues on to include safety shoes or boots (footwear), etc; stipulating the importance of protecting all the body, including the feet.

It stipulates protection for the feet against hazards such as wet surfaces, cuts and punctures, abrasion, electrostatic build-up, falling objects, slipping, tripping and metal and chemical splash.

It lists the options as gaiters and spats (shoe accessories to protect against debris, hot metals etc from getting in shoes), safety shoes or boots with protective toes caps and penetration-resistant mid-sole.

Safety Shoes: For Men and Women

The styles and colours available are diverse enough to suit anyone’s taste, whether male or female.  Materials used could include leather and breathable textfibre synthetics.

The majority of footwear include features such as steel midsole for underfoot protection, grip-sole that is resistant to oils, acids and alkalis protective composite (steel) toe cap, and other fine features.

When deciding upon style, color and design, there is an impressive selection available on the market to choose from.  The importance of purchasing footwear that fits properly and comfortably must be stressed, along with the significance of wearing protective safety shoes and boots in the workplace; however, today’s styles and colours make it a pleasant experience as well.

For more information or to check out our range of safety shoes please click on the button below.

Comfortable Safety Shoes Are Now Widely Available

When it comes to wearing a safety boot as fashion footwear the most common choice is just about any style in black. You may want to steer away from something with an exposed Kevlar toe but a rich black leather lace up number looks great when worn with a pair of crisp denims.

Depending upon your style aesthetic you can even consider tucking skinny jeans inside your boot in sort of a military brat gone bravado type of style. Pay close attention to heel height as well as sole composition. If you are going to wear work footwear as fashion footwear, you want to ensure that a lightweight sole is part and parcel of the look.

It is somewhat hard to two-step around the dance floor when you are dragging your thick heavy oil resistant soles behind you. Opt for a crepe sole instead and you are likely to be able to trip the light fantastic in a much easier manner.

Safety Boots or Shoes?

If boots are not your footwear item of choice, you can always opt for safety shoes instead. The styles have changed so drastically over the years that the safety shoes of today look much more like a hiking running shoe than a steel toed protector for your tootsies. It is completely possible to wear a steel toed running shoe as your everyday footwear nowadays.

Make sure that you try on your shoe of choice with the right thickness of sock though as you will normally be wearing your new everyday fashion shoes with a thinner sock.

Just because you may be shopping for protective gear does not mean that you cannot look at your choices from a fashion stand point too. If you want to get double duty from your work gear purchases wearing them outside of the workplace is definitely one way to do it.

Shop online today in NZ for safety boots from Safety Gear Online.

More and more industries are requiring the usage of safety footwear to prevent harm to their employees.

Safety in the workplace

The next time you go to your local supermarket, check the footwear of the behind the scenes staff. From the staff that stock the fruits and vegetables to the staff that sell you your fish and meat.

If you look closely, chances are that you will see each of them wearing safety shoes. These workers are constantly in and out of walk in freezers requiring them to wear footwear that does not slip and slide in the cold temperatures.

They often have to transport product from the warehouse to the selling floor, which usually requires them to be able to move heavy product in a safe and efficient manner. By having their feet protected in safety shoes, they not only keep themselves protected but they reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents.

Even employees that work in big box discount stores will often wear safety boots. For any employee that is responsible for moving stock from the warehouse to the sales floor, safety boots are often required by many employers.

Whether they are using pallet jacks or are simply moving stock on trolleys and carts, the need to keep their feet protected is crucial to them being able to complete their tasks safely and efficiently.

Productivity in the workplace

If an employer has to retrain a new employee each time an existing employee gets injured on the job, the employer soon realizes that having staff that wear safety boots is a fundamental necessity in a successfully run business.

Of course, construction workers as well as any other industrial workers will almost always wear safety boots. They can not complete their jobs without them. Many worksites will not even allow visitors on the site if they are not wearing safety footwear.

Keeping staff protected just makes smart business sense and more and more employers are realizing this. If you would like to look at all our safety products please click on the button below.

Safety Boots and Fashion