Buying proper footwear isn’t just about purchasing a pair of boots, it’s an investment in your safety and comfort. OSHA standards for safety footwear are based on the possible risk of injury from work-related accidents, such as cutting, crushing, chemical or electrical exposure, slipping and punctures. If your work environment presents risk of injury to your feet, you will be required by your employer to wear proper work boots every day to ensure your safety. Knowing what your employer requires will make shopping for work boots much easier. When shopping for safety toe boots also keep in mind the design and construction.
Safety Toe Boots
Safety toe boots are constructed with toe caps made out of steel, aluminum, or composite materials. The purpose of these toe caps is to keep your toes safe from being crushed or severed if something is dropped or rolls over your feet. The caps allow the shoe to absorb any impact force instead of your toes.
Here are three types of safety toe boots you should be considering:
Steel Toe Boots
Construction workers often require the maximum safety possible, which is why they often wear steel toe boots. The steel toe caps provided the best protection and are designed to keep your feet from being crushed, even under heavy weight. Some also come with steel plates, making them puncture resistant. Steel toe boots are heavier than Aluminum or Composite toe boots, and they can get very cold or hot with weather exposure.
Aluminum Toe Boots
Aluminum toe boots meet or exceed ASTM standards for compression and impact testing of I-75/C-75. These type of safety toe boots help protect feet from heavy or sharp objects that may fall onto your feet while working. In comparison to steel toe boots, aluminum toe boots are lighter and provide more comfort, while still meeting minimumsafety standards.
Composite Toe Boots
Composite toe boots have toe caps that are made out of composite material, which include, but are not limited to, plastic, Kevlar, or carbon fiber. These boots are designed to help keep your toes protected, however, they do not provide the same level of protection as steel toe or aluminum toe boots, which is why they are not ideal for heavy construction sites. Composite toe boots provide better electrical resistance, although if you work with electricity you should make sure your work boots are EH rated. These type of boots offer better insulation for cold and hot weather.
Regularly Inspect Your Boots
It’s important to regularly inspect your safety toe boots so that you can replace them when necessary. Safety toe boots will be compromised if they show wear and tear or have suffered an impact. By regularly inspecting your boots you’ll be able to ensure your safety while working. If your boots have suffered an impact or are showing wear and tear it's time to replaced them.
Shopping for safety toe boots isn’t so difficult when you know exactly what you’re looking for.
We at Coastal Boot have a wide selection of affordable safety toe boots including steel toe boots, aluminum toe boots, and composite toe boots. Give us a call today at 1 (800) 972-7627 to place an order over the phone or go to our website, and place your order online.
Get Social With Us...