Common Foot Hazards and How to Prevent Them

A successful safety footwear program is key to preventing common foot hazards. The combination of prevention and proper training can significantly reduce or eliminate foot injuries in the workplace.

Picture This: An employee enters a hazardous work environment and sustains a foot injury. Not only does the employee face painful recovery and lost work time, but the employer also experiences decreased productivity and may be at risk for a costly worker’s compensation claim.

This scenario plays out daily in workplaces across the U.S. However, by implementing a comprehensive safety footwear program and providing proper training, these common foot hazards can be greatly reduced or even eliminated. Read on to explore injury statistics and effective training strategies to prevent these injuries.

Common Foot Hazards – Injury Statistics

The following statistics highlight the importance of preventing foot injuries:

• More than 60,000 foot injuries per year result in lost workdays (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• 75% of injuries occur when workers fail to comply with safety standards (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• The average cost of a work-related foot injury is $9,600 (National Council on Compensation Insurance)
• 80% of footwear injuries are caused by objects weighing no more than 30 pounds

Hazards and Protection Measures

Here are some common workplace foot hazards and the appropriate protective measures to prevent them:

1. Falling and Rolling Objects, Cuts, and Punctures

Injuries can include crushed or broken feet, amputations, and punctures of the feet or toes.

Protection and Prevention:

• Wear steel or composite toe safety footwear.
• Use metatarsal guards and puncture-resistant footwear.
• Ensure shoes or boots are ASTM F2413-05 compliant.

2. Chemicals and Solvents

Injuries may include chemical burns, skin irritation, or exposure.

Protection and Prevention:

• Wear leather safety footwear with synthetic stitching.
• Use boots or overshoes made from rubber, vinyl, plastic, or PVC compounds.

3. Electrical Current and High Voltage

Injuries could include electrical shocks or even fatal electrical exposure.

Protection and Prevention:

• Choose safety footwear with electrical hazard (EH) protection.
• Footwear should provide protection from open circuits of 600 volts or less under dry conditions.
• The footwear should withstand 14,000 volts (rms) at 60Hz for one minute with no leakage exceeding 3.0 milliamperes.

4. Extreme Cold

Injuries can include frostbite, permanent tissue damage, or discomfort.

Protection and Prevention:

• Wear insulated footwear that is waterproof or water-resistant.

5. Slips, Trips, and Falls

Injuries include falls, back sprains, ankle sprains, and other disabling injuries.

Protection and Prevention:

• Wear safety shoes with non-slip rubber, urethane, or crepe soles.
• Footwear should wrap around the ankle and lace tightly to prevent sprains and twisting.

6. Wet Environments

Injuries may include slips, falls, back sprains, ankle sprains, and strains.

Protection and Prevention:

• Wear lined rubber boots with waterproof characteristics and non-slip rubber, urethane, or crepe soles.

Proper Footwear and Workplace Assessment to Minimize Foot Hazards

While proper safety footwear is essential, it is not a complete solution on its own. Conducting a hazard assessment of the workplace, alongside selecting appropriate footwear and implementing training, ensures that potential hazards are minimized and that employees comply with safety policies.

Prevention and training are the cornerstones of a successful safety footwear program. By integrating these elements, employers can protect their workforce and reduce the risk of foot injuries in the workplace.