I have a great relationship with my auto mechanic.

I have a great relationship with my auto mechanic. He keeps my 14 year old SAAB going and I pay for his daughter’s education.

On a recent visit to Yuri's shop he needed to put the car up on a hoist. There I was standing under this 2 tonne car with absolutely no protection. It got me thinking safety.

I asked Yuri why his workers don't wear any toe protection and he gave me the usual set of excuses;

- workers come and go
- it gets hot in the shop
- lack of discipline (he wasn’t wearing safety shoes!)
- the mechanics like to wear comfortable shoes
- safety shoes are expensive.

I looked around Yuri's shop and saw hoists, and pump lifts; I saw tyre equipment and heavy tools. Tools were stacked on benches and shelves. Spare parts and used equipment were stored in a mezzanine. It all looked pretty un-balanced to me. There were obvious hazards all around but no toe protection in sight.

So I told Yuri about my 'Slipp-R's. He listened intently but I knew he was mystified. English isn't Yuri's first language and I guessed he was having a problem understanding how 'slippers' would work in his auto repair shop. That's when I went to the trunk of the car and showed him 'Slipp-R' safetytoe overshoes.

They're made of rubber and a steel toecap. The rubber overshoe easily slips on and off an outer shoe and in the front, encased in rubber, is a steel toecap just like the ones used in safety shoes. The ‘Slipp-R’ has a unique all-flat sole that can accommodate most types of heels. The sole of the safetytoe overshoe has a design that helps prevent slip and sheds gunk at the same time. The 'Slipp-R' is easily transferable among workers, with no personal sanitation issues. They can even be used for visitors and customers.

Luckily, Yuri and I are the same shoe size so he was able to pull on my pair of ‘Slipp-R’s. He liked the tight fit and the comfort of his own shoes was not diminished in any way. The overshoe gave him as much grip as the shoes he had on that day. He bought 10 pairs, one for each of his employees and himself with a few of the middle sizes kept as spares. With the offer of toe protection on site, Yuri feels comfortable in his ‘Slipp-R’s and looking forward to the next safety inspection.

Patrick Smyth is CEO of Safetytoes International Inc., makers of the ‘Slipp-R’ brand of safetytoe overshoes. 1-800-441-5481. info@safetytoes.com http://www.safetytoes.com

How to toe the line and help foot the bill for safety costs.

“Toe the line or foot the bill” is OSHA’s motto and few would disagree with it. Economising on safety costs is something few would argue with either. So, here's a safety shoe alternative you should know about. Rubber overshoe safety toe caps - ' shoes with toes' - are getting more attention, for more reasons than simply cost-effectiveness. And not just because of the ever increasing numbers of temporary workers employed in this country. It's the ever increasing cost of providing fully-loaded temporary safety shoes that's bringing the whole matter of toe protection to the attention of senior management. The recent challenge by the United States Postal Service and OSHA's ruling attests to that. Anywhere a safety shoe alternative exists, that sits all right with OSHA in the USA or CCOHS in Canada, it's a win-win situation.

There’s not a thing wrong with generally accepted safety toe cap footwear, but all too often it seems the expensive choice is selected out of fear or a lack of understanding. Although it's true to say safety shoe policies in manufacturing have embraced rubber pull on safety toe cap products for visitors they have been 'missing in action' elsewhere. I know of one particular food processing plant that refuses to use a '”better than those yellow clacker things” solution, but tolerates gunk that might be introduced to the production floor on the soles of visitors' shoes. Their thinking is they had better address the greasy floors than more effectively provide toe protection. Some might argue the greasy floor is a hazard that should not be tolerated.

All employers are subject to statutory requirements and minimum standards that reflect our desire to protect workers. It is up to the employer to implement safety rules and regulations but bodies such as OSHA allows significant latitude in doing so, provided choices are reasonable and done responsibly. Careful attention is required as errors in judgement, as with willful neglect, will be punished under the law. Unfortunately, the tendency in a fear and compliance atmosphere is to avoid failure rather than attempt success. Compliance is commendable but can instill fear. That can stifle creativity which can result in unnecessarily high costs.

Take the whole matter of safety footwear. Company safety policies that lack creativity can result in over-spending far in excess of the typical fine for a safety transgression. It's a bit like this; we know there's always the possibility of rain but do we need to wear a raincoat every day? Or, would a small umbrella, costing a lot less than a raincoat, do the job just as well? Throw in the ability to offer others shelter if the need arises and you get the idea.

An employer is required to provide personal protective equipment where the risk assessment indicates as much. Risk assessment is the cornerstone of industrial safety and statutory bodies require employers to undertake one to determine what hazards can reasonably be expected in any particular working environment. There is always the chance of accident but risk assessments are not expected to be clairvoyant. They are expected to review routine operations and recommend the proper Personal Protective Equipment. (The employer is also expected to pay for it.) Risk assessments are expected to be 'reasonable' and the onus is on OSHA to prove otherwise.

There are two important things to remember. Firstly, it is the employer who decides how best to comply with the law. Secondly, organizations like OSHA do not mandate any particular piece of equipment to be used.

In the case of foot safety, OSHA’s occupational foot protection standard is 29 CFR 1910.136. This requires the use of protective footwear when employees are working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects. Once that hazard has been determined, OSHA does not recommend, or approve of, any particular safety footwear. According to OSHA in a recent letter to the United States Postal Service, an employer may comply with the criteria set forth in ANSI Z41-1991, replaced by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2412-05 and ASTM F2413-05, or the employer may opt to demonstrate that other criteria are equally effective. If the employer pursues the second option, then compliance with the consensus standards is not mandatory. This means, the burden lies on the employer to demonstrate that the footwear provided is equally as protective as the footwear that meet the ASTM F2412-05 and the ASTM F2413-05 standards.

In another fairly recent ruling, OSHA declined to comment on the suitability of the now ubiquitous ‘Croc’ clogs. It said, in situations where no hazard exists, the matter of appropriate footwear at work is between the employer and employee. This principle was reiterated when OSHA was asked to comment on rubber over-shoes. OSHA was firm in stating that it does not find rubber overshoes acceptable where they provide no toe protection. However, provided they can demonstrate that they meet minimum standards they are acceptable.

What then would be “acceptable foot protection” where there is a chance of toe injury? The first choice of many employers is ASTM or CSA tagged safety shoes or boots - the so called "approved" footwear we hear so much about in advertising. For sure, a fully loaded safety shoe or boot will provide more than enough legal defence in the event of a challenge from OSHA. What is also true is that such a policy comes at a very high cost. Not every employee requires safety toecap, steel-soled, electricity dissipative footwear. For many work situations only toe protection from falling or rolling heavy objects is required. Is it wise then to incur the full cost of a safety shoe or boot?

For example, an office worker visiting a loading dock to pick up documents will not perform any manufacturing duties while en route. This might imply that the PPE provided to the workers may not be necessary for the office worker. However, since the office worker might be exposed to falling objects, or in close proximity to heavy moving equipment, it would be reasonable to foresee only the need for toe protection against impact and compression.

In another situation a risk assessment for the production area might indicate the need for slip resistant footwear and toe protection. However, it is also reasonable to expect that a visiting office worker might not encounter slippery conditions. Furthermore, such conditions are not supposed to persist and it might be reasonable to expect the office worker to take reasonable evasive action to avoid the risk should it occur.

The danger from sharp objects underfoot requires steel sole protective footwear but where no such risk is anticipated toe protection may be all that is required. A good example would be the paper-making and the newspaper print production industry, where there is little chance of sharp objects but always a chance of rolling stock or heavy moving equipment that can injure toes. Having steel sole shoes or boots that can dissipate electrical shock is just over-kill and costly.

Rubber safetytoe overshoes provide the same protection from impact and compression as safety shoes and boots. The steel toecap meets the same ASTM standards and can easily be verified by test results from the major testing bodies. This is what makes OSHA happy. Rubber has been used for a long time in the safety footwear industry and its slip resistance qualities are well known. The rubber material is flexible but sturdy, in some cases as thick as 6mm resulting in a firm fit and some long wearing characteristics. Rubber safetytoe overshoes are a lot less expensive than safety shoes or boots and they eliminate the hazard of passing along unsanitary footwear. They are especially useful where only occasional toe protection is required, such as with visitors to production facilities, temporary workers and for medical reasons.

Safety personnel looking for budget savings, as in today’s economy, would be well advised to consider them for these reasons and more.



Patrick Smyth aka Mister Safetytoes http://www.safetytoes.com

Forklift fun - safety none

I was doing some research on forklifts for my safetytoes blog when I came across this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onnvYZKSQvs

There are shorter versions too if you find this too horrible to watch.

Mister Safetytoes http://www.safetytoes.com

Visitor shoes – what are they?

Put yourself in visitor shoes. Would you, like most people, hope they were clean and free from germs and bacteria? Even when wearing your own socks, there is a real chance that germs can infiltrate your body. Wearing shoes previously worn by strangers conjures up feelings of human hair in food, and often it doesn’t matter that the hair is one’s own!

The standard clause in workplace safety procedures includes reference to OSHA regulations. Risk assessments must be made and it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the proper Personal Protective Equipment is worn by employees. If the risk assessment determines the need for safety shoes or boots to be worn at all times then even occasional trips through the designated safety zones require full protective safety footwear. The regulations require this of office personnel who do not frequent the production floor on a regular basis. Regulations also require where employers provide safety footwear for occasional use that it must be fully cleaned and sanitized inside and out before it is given to the next wearer. Many companies provide safety footwear for occasional use but how can one be sure that the footwear has been sanitized?

The visitor shoes market has been benefiting from advances in the safetytoe overshoe sector. Manufacturers of safetytoe overshoes have been educating employers and helping them reduce their overall safety costs. Visitors are not employees but they are deserving of the same minimum standard of safety when entering industrial environments. The production floor may well have a requirement for employees to wear full safety shoes or boots. Perhaps employees are subjected to sharp objects underfoot as well as the threat of falling objects. This would require them to wear toe protected and steel soled safety shoes or boots. However, where visitors are chaperoned and guided along safe passageways there is no need to impose full safety footwear upon them or incur the cost and hassle of it.

Rubber safetytoe overshoes provide the same level of toe protection as required by OSHA for workers in industrial settings. The same levels of impact and compression are provided for in the steel toecaps used in safetytoe overshoes. OSHA does not approve PPE but it does impose minimum standards where protective equipment is required. These minimum standards must be ASTM / ANSI “or equivalent”. So much so that a steel toecap with a strap or elastic retainer was the norm before safetytoe overshoes first came on the market. Today these are frowned upon, due to the loose straps and buckles themselves becoming a safety hazard. Often referred to as “those yellow clackers”, for varying reasons visitors dislike wearing them and plant managers cringe at the noise they make on factory floors. Items of PPE that make the wearer feel uncomfortable are less likely to be worn consistently. Likewise, an item of PPE that gives rise to derisory comment is less likely to be embraced.

Rubber safetytoe overshoes are now available with the steel toecaps completely encased in the rubber material. They are stylish and comfortable. Design enhancements have much improved their appearance and safety features. The rubber material itself affords greater slip resistance. There are no straps or buckles to contend with and in some cases the overshoe can be put on and taken off with only one hand. Rubber safetytoe overshoes can be transferred from person to person with no hygiene issues and outer shoes completely enclosed in a rubber overshoe are less likely to contaminate food production and clean room settings. These innovative and versatile items of PPE are a lot less expensive than full safety footwear and the rubber material will not harden, stiffen or crack, even in cold temperatures.

All in all, safetytoe overshoes, for all the right reasons, have in effect become visitor shoes

http://www.safetytoes.com

Scuff marks on floors.

One of the most common questions asked by potential customers is, "will the Slipp-R mark our floors?" Apparently, this is a big issue for facilities managers. They are charged with keeping a "clean floor" and scuff marks are impossible to remove.

Visitors with poorly fitting safetytoe overshoes are the worst offenders. Walking on a tiled floor wearing an overshoe that has the propensity to scuff will in itself not cause marks. The scuff mark is caused by wearing an overshoe that doesn't accomodate the various heel types on outer shoes, especially flat-soled outer shoes that do not require provision for a heel. The excess material under foot makes the wearer unstable causing mis-steps and unnatural walking. In these situations the excess material skids along the floor surface leaving a scuff mark. The resulting layer of material is so thin and ingrained into the floor surface that it is often impossible to remove.

The Slipp-R safetytoe overshoe is made of sturdy rubber material that will not leave scuff marks.

This was only one of the issues dealt with in the design phase of the product. Other considerations were, PVC-Free, flexibility, cut resistance and long-lasting wearability.

The Slipp-R is the most stylish of all safetytoe overshoes on the market today. The unique all-flat sole of the Slipp-R can handle all the usual types of outer shoe. Wearing and walking using a Slipp-R safetytoe overshoe is seamless. using only one hand, they are easy to pull on and take off. The sole is designed to shed gunk and the overshoe completely encases the outer shoe isolating contaminants brought in from outside. The steel toecap is compeletely covered in the rubber material resulting in a one-colour fashionable look.

Apart from the cost-effectiveness of the Slipp-R for the visitor overshoes market, the Slipp-R is so hard-wearing that it can be used in any industrial work setting that requires occasional toe protection. The steel toecaps used in the Slipp-R are the same as used in safety boots and shoes and meet the standards required by all the world safety bodies such as OSHA, CSA and CE.

http://www.safetytoes.com