Safety Boots

[Reverend Blair]

One of the guys working on my basement just got a nail through his foot. It's cold out so he's wearing regular boots. I know that the common complaint is that steel toed/shanked boots are too cold in the winter, but now he's sitting in the truck, looking woefully at his bare foot, and his co-workers are ridiculing him.

I've seen this time and again. People wearing running shoes (or sandals) in the summer because it's more comfortable. It the winter they wear running shoes or winter boots without the proper protection. Safety boots are too heavy, too clunky, too hot, too cold, too uncomfortable. Mostly I think they just aren't cool or stylish enough for these guys.

There are winter work boots available. I have two pair. Mine are Kevlar instead of steel, which costs more, but so what? I have one pair of summer boots and one pair of shoes. If you to a good retailer, safety footwear come in a variety of styles. There are insoles specifically designed to make them more comfortable.

No, they aren't cheap, but they are less expensive than sitting in the truck while your buddies make fun of you.

 

[Soundguy]

most of the boots I wear have a steel shank, and at least one has a kevlar bottom. I've been wearing boots for so long they feel normal to me.

sure beats a nail in the foot!

soundguy

 

[firedog]

I always wear steel toed boots while working. I've done it so long it just seems natural.

 

[Soundguy]

better than a hurt foot!

soundguy

 

[Jim in ICT]

I used to know a guy that sold safety shoes. He had a customer come in a complain that his toe box on his boot blew out when a drum of solvent fell over on his foot. My buddy just told him "You walked in here didn't you? The boot did it's job!"

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Sometimes u gotta have a little common sense about it too.

A few years ago I was working @ 90 miles out of Barrow in January. 20-30 below most days, some days colder. We were workin outside 12-16 hour days putting an old rig that had been stripped back together. Everything went fine for a week, only a couple light cases of frostbite on faces, etc. Then the safety police flew in from Prudhoe and shut us down, brought everyone in made us all have to put on steel toes(all were wearing bunny boots) and safety glasses. Later that day we were down 3 guys, one with a mangled hand(couldnt see cause of iced safety glasses) and 2 with frostbit feet so bad they couldn't walk or work and all had to be flown out.
Not disagreeing with you guys but things are not always cut and dry, a guy should be left with some freedom to use some common sense.
Rick

 

[doall]

I just don't think we should be regulated on everything we do, wear, say, or want. I'm with the fisherman, use common sense.

 

[Mace Canute]

Common sense is right. Any one with a thimble full of common sense knows you don't wear boots with steel toes and steel sole plate in the winter, you wear boots that have a metal free safety toe and plate LIKE THESE. Notice the "comfort range" rating of-148F to 20F. That's a bit of an exaggeration IMO, but they are still good in very very cold conditions.

Here's an example from Ontario's OHSA regulations. (I chose them because they were the very first Google hit for OHSA). Note they say nothing about steel toes/plate, just "protective footwear" and the standard it must meet.

23. (1) Every worker shall wear protective footwear at all times when on a project. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 23 (1).

(2) Protective footwear shall be a safety shoe or safety boot,

(a) with a box toe that is adequate to protect the wearer's toes against injury due to impact and is capable of resisting at least 125 joules impact; and

(b) with a sole or insole that is adequate to protect the wearer's feet against injury due to puncture and is capable of resisting a penetration load of 1.2 kilonewtons when tested with a DIN standard pin. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 23 (2).

Here's what they say about eye protection.

24. A worker shall use protection appropriate in the circumstances when there is a risk of eye injury to the worker. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 24.

That doesn't read to mean safety glasses must be worn at all time, just when there is a risk of eye injury and even then all it says is protection appropriate in the circumstances .

There is as much danger in blindly following rules that have been written to cover "all" circumstances as there is in having very few or no rules at all simply because it is virtually impossible to put into writing absolutely every situation that can exist.

 

[Willl]

You watch, he'll get on L+I anyway.

 

[Redneck in training]

Correctly sized work boots are way more comfortable than anything else. That is my experince. My favorite brand is Red Wings. They last forever. I have some 15 years old that are all beat up but still holding together. I still use them for dirty work.