Safety footwear is an essential component in personal protective equipment. Industrial safety footwear must have anti-slip properties, in addition to fulfilling other functions.
PPE consists of safety elements that every person involved in the work area must wear. Generally, PPE consists of special boots, safety gloves, belts and suitable work clothes.
When working at heights, personal protective equipment is essential, and even other specific elements not so common are required to avoid and prevent falls, slips and all kinds of hazards as the work involves significant risk.
Types of work at height
Taking into account the type of area in which the work is carried out, these are the different types of work at height that we can find:
- Vertical or suspended work, such as that carried out for the reconstruction and cleaning of facades or the restoration of buildings.
- Work on platforms at heights, very common in the construction sector.
- Work with pillars, poles or towers.
- Work on roofs or sloping areas.
- Work on scaffolding and ladders.
What are the most frequent risks?
In these jobs, the most frequent hazards that can cause an accident at work are mainly due to:
- Detachment or impact of objects from heights.
- Friction with electrical appliances, which can cause burns or electrical accidents, particularly in the telecommunications installation and maintenance sector.
- Falls due to a lack of grip on the floor/corner/wall, either because it is an unstable area or because of adverse weather conditions. Weather factors such as wind, rain and cold are the great adversaries of working at height, as they can cause unwanted falls, slips or slides.
- Muscular damage caused by repeated movements and, above all, by the continuous overexertion of holding an unsafe posture.
Industrial safety footwear for scaffolding work
When working at heights, footwear is one of the most important safety components, as it is the one that maintains contact with the work area and protects the foot from possible impacts.
First of all, in order to properly protect the foot and thus ensure that it is perfectly secured, the first tip is to choose a safety boot, since, being a specific type of footwear, there are different types to protect different areas of the foot for certain risks or others.
For this reason, the common characteristics that appropriate footwear must have in order to reduce as far as possible the accidents that may occur in a work environment at heights are as follows:
- Footwear must be non-slip. This type of sole is indispensable in any area of construction, but it is even more important in work at heights. The aim is to prevent slipping, which can lead to very dangerous falls, even endangering the life of the worker.
- The toe cap must be reinforced. There are many reasons for wearing boots with reinforced safety toecaps, from falling objects to impacts on the front part of the foot, so if we use safety toecaps the physical results in case of mishaps will not be so serious.
- Having an insulating sole for potential electrical contacts is also essential. Working with electrical devices contains several risks if not carried out safely. Insulating soles prevent more serious consequences in the event of an accidental electric shock. If you work in places with a high electrical risk, it is advisable to opt for a non-conductive material that reduces electrical risks.
- Finally, the last feature that safety footwear for heights must have is an anti-puncture sole. It must be sufficiently resistant so as not to be punctured if the worker steps on a nail or any other similar sharp object.
Have you found these tips on what properties safety footwear for working at heights should have for your work team useful and helpful? Leave us a comment
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