Occupational health and safety legislation makes it mandatory for employers and supervisors to eliminate hazards at their source, and, if this is neither possible nor practical, to require their workers to wear the appropriate protective equipment. In the case of foot injury protection, selection of the type of footwear adequate to the existing hazards is of a critical importance
From time to time, and as new footwear styles become available, it is prudent to review your workplace's safety policies to ensure that workers continue to be protected from any possible hazards.
Yes, there can be. At minimum, a hazard assessment should be done to ensure that workers are protected from any present or possible hazards. In addition, workplaces may choose to require certain styles of footwear, shoes or clothing for various reasons. These choices may (or may not) be related to safety concerns.
This chart is meant to be a sample only -- when conducting your hazard assessment, please modify to meet your workplace's specific needs. In all cases, remember to ask yourself "Is this a hazard for my workplace?" and "Will the footwear provide protection from this hazard?"
| Hazard | Is this an issue for the workplace/ specific job or task? (Yes / No) | Is the worker protected by the style of footwear under review? (Yes / No) |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a risk of injuries from punctures, crushing, cuts, lacerations, needles, or falling objects? | ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| Slips, trips and falls (does the footwear contribute to this risk?) | ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| Is there need to provide support to heels and ankles to help reduce twists and sprains? | ||
| ||
| ||
| Is there risk of contact with fluids or molten material? | ||
| ||
| ||
| Is there risk of contact with bodily fluids or other biohazards? | ||
| ||
| ||
| Is there risk of electrical conduction or shock? | ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| Is the shoe comfortable to wear? | ||
| ||
| ||
|
If there is a risk for foot injury at your workplace, be sure you recommend all employees wear the appropriate footwear.
Please see the OSH Answers on Safety Footwear for more information about footwear and the CSA "Protective Footwear" standards.
It is also good practice to allow for several styles of footwear to be worn when ever possible to allow for the differences in foot sizes, comfort and individual preferences. The OSH Answers Foot Comfort and Safety at Work has more details.
Document last updated on October 17, 2007
Copyright ©1997-2013 Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety