ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Safety Footwear?

John Steinke,
What are the reasons behind banning steel toe caps?
The boots that I wear have the cap under the rubber outer scuff plate.
Sure there are better materials around these days, but are they actually as strong as the steel plating that goes into modern safety footwear?
This is just what I'm wondering.

Have to agree with Joey D, Redwings are the boots for me. I have owned nothing else for over 10yrs. Yes they are expensive but good. I put a thick insert in them and were them on concrete shop floor no problems. My wife finally got on me to buy a pair of tennis shoes because she got sick of me always wearing my redwings everywhere we went. I said but honey they are comfortable. I buy a pair every yr or 2 and spend around $200

Mike,

Actually I think I'm more comfortable in my Workboots than anything else, but they don't go well with the clothes I have to wear sometimes.

Maybe John is referring to something about the steel tips being conductive. I've heard in situations where something really heavy fell on your toes it might be better not having steel tips. (crushing vs severing?) Anyone have any info on that?

Bill

Bill, that arguement comes from the same line of logic that says wearing a seat belt is dangerous because you could get trapped. I don't like the odds. Something like 1 time in 10,000 accidents, you might have been better off without hard toes. but you've lost your toes an aweful lot of times before that happens. I read a story just a couple of days ago about a worker who was killed in a forklift accident. He was carring a long piece of pipe on a construction site. The pipe moved and tipped the forklift. He was killed when the boom crushed his skull after he jumped off the machine. If he had been wearing his seatbelt, he would likely only have a couple of bumps and bruises. It is amazing how many people make themselves candidates for the Darwin Award.

Jim,

I agree with that for the most part for most situations we're likely to experience. I have nothing against them at all.

I worked with someone who delighted in the fact that he was able to get excused from wearing the steel tipped boots because of some argument that he put up. It sure didn't help the Company effort that he was a lead man (crew leader). The major complaining about the steel tips was from the younger guys that wanted to wear their $200 Sneakers.

My neighbor is an Ironworker and he said they don't wear steel-tipped boots. From what I remember the argument was that anything likely to fall on their feet would be too heavy for steel tips to be of any benefit. Has anyone heard this?

Bill

I've used Lehigh and Mack steel toes for a while. My boss doesn't require it, but I've dropped the cut ends of enought 2/4"s and sticks on my toes to make me glad I wear 'em.
(BTW-I'm issued Red Wings through the FD, and they're the best by far for weight & comfort)

Bill,
Personally, I'd just do as I'm told here as far as wearing Safety Footwear is concerned.
A worker here quite recently, did not wear the footwear that his Employment Contract required him to and he had an accident losing 3 toes on both of his feet.
To add insult to injury, his Employer denied liability as he was not covered due to the lack of PPE.
Guy had to pay his own Medical bills as well as being off work!.
BTW, the Safety Boots I wear, have the Steel cap under a very heavy layer of rubberised plastic, this would have to bend to allow the steel cap to collapse.

A tidbit for the US based forum susbcribers.... in the REVISED ANSI standard Z41 for protective foot wear is PROPOSING that the "slip-on" protectors NOT meet ANSI standards, regardless of their compression ratings.

I wish they would propose the same for those blasted "slip-on" plastic side shields I see everywear on so called safety glasses.

This revised standard has not been approved as of yet, but it is a strong proposal and it appears that it may make it in the revision.

I was required to wear boots with fiberglass toes while I was in the Air Force.
I have never heard of a similar civilian product.

Up until recently I have worn rigger type boots made by a french company called Jallette, they are extremely comfortable and have a stainless steel plate in the sole to prevent nail ingress etc. I have recently bought a pair of Dewalt boots to see how they shape up. I always feel "naked" if I am working without the protection of the steel toe cap boot maybe it is due to the fact that I have worn them for over 25 years.

I have worked in a lot of establishments that will not let you wear steel toe cap boots if the cap is at all exposed, due either to design or damage to the cap cover, this is on petroleum, ordanance and chemical installations to prevent the chances of a stray spark being generated by the steel contacting another material