Safety really is job number one. From protecting our employees to protecting our customers, the food industry does so much to assure the welfare of all involved, from the farm to the table. As safety goes though, there is always room for improvement and innovation to combat accidents of all kinds. On the production side, you may be surprised to find out a very simple safety concern is still one of the top threats to worker safety: slips, trips, and falls. The United States Department of Labor cites slips, trips, and falls as the cause of “the majority of general industry accidents,” accounting for “15% of all accidental deaths,” and overall, generally: “are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities.”
As slips, trips, and falls continue to be a major issue both inside and outside of food industry operations, any complete operational safety survey should include a look down at the floor. What kinds of hazards might there be, and what kind of footwear is being worn? As part of a larger safety program, the use of slip-resistant boots can protect workers in slippery environments.
Depending on the producer, foot protection materials and designs can differ, and the choices may, at first, seem overwhelming. The footwear may be composed of certain materials like Neoprene. rubber, etc. They also might feature different kinds of slip-resistant designs or technologies, including Safety-Loc, Neo-Grip, etc. To learn more about these different terms, check out our "Safety and Personnel Terminology" page. For information on protecting your employees on the floor, check out OSHA’s website concerning “Walking/Working Surfaces”. Though impossible to completely prevent all slips, trips, and falls, it is possible to enact preventative measures, like requiring proper footwear, that can significantly reduce the possibility of this all-too-common workplace injury.
If you need help choosing the correct boot for your floor surface or potential hazard, feel free to contact Carol Blakey, Safety & Personnel Products Manager at 800-826-8302.
For more information on our footwear selection, click here.
