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Posted By NickW
What is your opinion on high heels for people working in an office type environment? Im not talking about 1 or 2 inch but those 4 inch + ones that are fashionable at the moment.
I was with my mrs the other week shopping and she tried some on. Aside from the issue of her towering over me she said she couldnt even walk 50 feet from a taxi to a bar in them and put them back, so how people can wear them all day at work?
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Posted By mikecooper
what colour? are they designer?
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Posted By Jim Walker
I read somewhere recently, that an A&E - I think it was Southampton - were dealing with up to 20 broken or twisted ankles per week due to these.
Multiply that nationally.
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Posted By Kevin Brown
If you happen to have an external fire escape staircase, preferably an expamet one, try running a fire drill. Unannounced of course.
Seriously, are any of the wearers driving on your business wearing them?
Of course, vertically challenged as I am, this may just be sour grapes but I have to suppress a shudder everytime I see a lass in high heels tottering around the office, particularly if they have a hot beverage in hand. (Then of course there is the issue of oxygen starvation at extreme altitudes).
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Posted By ClaireL
In an office environemnt what basis have you got for banning high heels shoes??
I wear high heel shoes when I am in an office environment and I am at no risk more than I would be in everyday life.
If you ban high heels you ban open toed sandals. Then what about dangly earrings or long nails?
In an industrial environment it';s a different matter. But if you told me to stop wearing high heels in an office environment I'd tell you where you could go!!! ;-)
SENSIBLE RISK MANAGEMENT EVERYONE PLEASE!!!!
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Posted By NickW
No, its a standard small office environment with the fire muster point no more 30m from any point in the building. None of them are company vehicle drivers. I may be a 'clueless bloke' but I would have though that driving in heels higher than 3 inches is nigh-on impossible.
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Posted By Richard Beevers
I don't have a problem with hih heels in most office settings, but clearly they're a hazard waiting to happen.
Item in today's telegraph of a student who got £7k compensation after breaking her ankle when her heel broke.........
http://www.telegraph.co....ter-high-heels-snap.html
Off to revise my Office Footwear policy right now....
Al.
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Posted By ClaireL
I drive in high heels no problem!! But then us women are infinitely more talented than men!!
That was faulty heels on those shoes so you can't use that in the argument!
If you seriously want to upset the apple cart then go right ahead and ban shoes.....alternatively if you can't beat them join them...what's your shoe size???? :-)
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Posted By Sally
Strange as it seems it is possible to drive in very hight heels. You just need to push the seat back further than you would normally have it.
I think this is one of the occasions where people have to take responsibility for knowing themselves what is safe and what isn't. If you are used to tall heels walking in flatties can be difficult.
Like most other high heel wearers if i had to go down alot of stairs very quicky eg fire drill I would just take them off, just like you would if evacutating an airplane
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Posted By NickW
Eh? I didnt mention any intention of banning (yet!). I have allready stated that I am clueless about the issues of high-heels, being a (non-transvestite) bloke. Hence the post and request for a bit of feedback from people like you (ClaireL) who are experienced in wearing them.
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Posted By Kevin Brown
In an office environment with access floor boxes, with small cable entry holes.....
In an office environment with concrete screed floors rated at 100 lbs per square inch .... )(just what is the point loading on a stiletto heel, because I know of several instances where screed has been damaged...must be around 1000 lbs per square inch on a quater inch square heel).
In an office environment where people are carrying out manual handling tasks, or using library steps etc ....
I can't comment on jangly earrings, I've never worn them, nor long nails, and in an office environment I see nothing intrinsically hazardous about open-toed sandals (although aesthetics might colour my views), but as far as slips, trips or falls are concerned extreme high heels must increase the risk.
My comment about the external fire escape go back to the late 80s when the workforce raised the issue specifially because heels were caught in the lattice during an evacuation drill. You may well tell me to get off if I even hint that your footwear might be unsuitable, but equally you must accept 'I told you so' if you end up in A & E.
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Posted By ClaireL
In about 25 years of wearing incredibly high heels I have never hurt myself...and that includes all the drunken staggers on nights out and lots of dancing!!
Blokes just don't understand!!!
But most most blokes still appreciate how a 5ft10 slim blonde looks in high heels oddly enough!!!
If I hurt myself when wearing high heels it will be one of those things and I will have a laugh about it. And if I hurt myself and you said 'I told you so' I would look at you very suspiciously like I would at anyone who needs to enjoy life a bit more. My risk to take. Unless you want to take H&S too far and start dictating everything about people's lives. Maybe we should all wear uniforms at work!!!
Next you'll be telling me to stop fell running and mountain biking and kayaking and climbing and parachuting and paragliding ....and yes I have done all those things and more!!
Live a little. Don't worry so much. :-)
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Posted By willhiem
interesting issue, i love heels i'm a big jimmy choo fan myself.... ok all joking aside, it does sound a bit petty but as some one pointed out the risk of slip trip and falls definitely increases in relation to high heels, you cant argue with that. On the other hand you do have to keep a certain perspective, where do you stop, bootcut trousers tripping people up, shoe laces etc. I know most offices have a dress policy which covers shoes and i know one or two law firms which have a policy on shoes (heels in particular) not sure of the specifics, i wasnt really that interested when told, it was more a fashion conversation which i dont normally do!!
on an associated shoe topic, those MBT's have also been proven to damage ankles and cause injuries, they certainly look unstable, a recent study on them by a group of physios showed up some intersting facts relating to injuries suffered by wearers.
now back to watching sex and the city on my lunch...
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Posted By Lisa_
Its not just men that think high heels for a normal job are out of place.
Yes I am female, yes I wear heels but work is work. It is not a fashion show. We had 2 office workers in 18 months that had fallen, the one who broke her arm did not have on "appropriate "shoes.
we did enforce no more than 2" with enclosed toe and heel - no it didn't go down well but then again who thanks a GP when they stick a needle in your child's arm for immunisation.
the biggest resistor was a 4'10" safety rep who tried putting in a claim to have all her clothes shortened to compensate.
The offices were on the first floor of a manufacturing site. There were no plush carpets and fancy offices. Just wipe clean surfaces - that never looked wiped!
I now work in a fancy looking office and see everyone coming in, in their designer wear. I still dress like my Nan. They get to work and slip their shoes off under there desk, have open blisters, bunions that will result in time off at a later date, and who knows what sort of fungal diesease. And an obsession with painting toenails to match their outfit.
I know which one I still think is the safer. When I go out socially I like to look like I am not at work - after all the term "working girl" has dubious connotations. Hence the opening comment on "normal" job.
There you go, thats my two pennath
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Posted By ClaireL
Bunions, blisters!!!I have lovely feet that I lovingly look after because otherwise I wouldn't be able to do the sort of sports that I do. Ugly feet indeed!!!
I don't look like a fashion victim, in fact I don't 'do' fashion. I wear maybe a trouser suit and pair of stilleto's. I think I loook smart and professional. I also wear them becuase they are comfortable and make a change from the sports shoes I wear otherwise out of work. Work is one of the few times I get to wear nice shoes. I don't wobble about on them, I don't feel a need to slip them off for comfort and if I'm not in an office environment (or similar) I wear flatter shoes.
Agreed that some girls wear ridiculous shoes that they can't walk in etc. But don't tar all women that wear heels with the same brush!!
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Posted By Nick Sutcliffe
Lisa, did your 4'10" safety rep also want to shorten her heels? she would need 1.5" heels to compensate!!
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Posted By Mitch
I love the subjectiveness of this, I only wear my high heels and suzzies at weekends so work doesn't really have a bearing on it but I would have thought a 'sensible' approach to each set of circumstances would be appropriate as mentioned earlier there is a difference between a tiled floor and a plush office floor, you don't hurt yourself as much tripping over on a plush carpet!
Mitch
Blonde wig and red lipstick tonight
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Posted By AMelrose
At my last place of work they had a metal spiral stairway. In the space of about 3 months there were 3-4 (can't remember exact number) incidents where a female member of staff slipped and fell down these stairs. We looked at the tred width (fine), handrail (fine), covering on the stair (fine). The only common issue was all of them wore high heels.
Solution - we sent an e-mail out saying anyone wearing high heels should use the lift and in the case of emergency, remove shoes or use the back emergency stairwell which wasn't spiral in nature. We also put up a poster at both the bottom and the top of the stairs advising staff to "watch their step"
Sensible risk management given the number of incidents. We didn't ban staff from wearing high heels (personally I prefer flats as I'm one of the few women who find it difficult to drive or walk in high heels..I'm only 5ft 4 so a pair of Jimmy's would probably do me the world of good but I'm more of a boots person anyway!).
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Posted By Lisa_
Mitch - what do you prefer to be called when donning the lipstick and high heels ?
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Posted By Mitch
Sonja, it brings back fond memories when I kick back.
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Posted By Lisa_
He, He, He.
After sitting unit B this morning I needed a laugh. :-)
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Posted By Mike Craven
Its not often that I log onto this site for excitement but, thanks to this thread, I now have a vision of:
"a 5ft 10 slim blonde"
with
"lovely feet"
"wearing incredibly high heels"
People will be asking for pictures next!! LOL (not of you mitch!!)
Am now going to make a cup of tea and do the weekly fire alarms test - to take my mind off things and calm down a bit.
Regards
Mike
PS: On a more serious note, I really don't have an opinion on this - I've never taken much If any!) notice of the shoes or feet of the women in our offices and, to tell the truth, I'm a bit reluctant to do so. (If any of the "girls" take offence, I suppose I can always blame IOSH!!!!!! LOL)
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Posted By Ron Hunter
ClairL:
You said you've done:
"fell running and mountain biking and kayaking and climbing and parachuting and paragliding ...."
In high heels?
Bloody Hell - don't you get the odd blister?
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Posted By ClaireL
nah!
The heels make for really good grip on steep grassy banks and those pointy ends are fab at getting a foothold on tricky climbing routes!!
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Posted By willhiem
I think wonder woman wore heels too, and nora batty didnt, so thats almost as much proof as i need to show wearing heels probably doesnt matter too much!!
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Posted By Debbie S
For all you men who want to experience the delights/pains and pitfalls of very high heels - I work about 3 miles away from the original 'Kinky Boot' factory in Northamptonshire - I know the owner - a strapping 6'2" who modelled the fetish footwear himself in the catalogue to get the product up and running..........
Any bloke that can walk in 6" thigh boots gets a pat on the back from me!!
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Posted By Darran Jessett
A very brave man looking into this issue, although it may present a health and safety issue I feel the thought police will come back with a human rights issue GOOD LUCK
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Posted By Chris Packham
We once had to ban stilletto heels simply because of the pockmarks these were causing in our wooden floor. Not a health and safety issue, but one of damage to the structure of the building.
From my contacts with the aerospace industry I am given to understand that high heels are a major problem for aircraft designers. Floors in aircraft have to be reinforced to take the point loading. Apparently the extra weight results in an increase in fuel consumption.
So when travelling by air, flat heels are green!
Chris
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Posted By TBC
This is turning into the usual Friday thing. A friend of mine was having trouble changing gear (in her car)and thought the clutch was to blame. So I had a look at it for her - yes her shoes were pushing the rubber mat up under the clutch pedal. I told her it would also only be a matter of time before the brakes wouldn't work if she didn't remove the mat.
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Posted By TBC
Debbie this guy 6'2" with 6" heels - can you reach his back to pat it?
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Posted By Steve Cartwright
A number of female employees approached me to complain that one of the corridors was slippy. Funny thing was they all wore high heeled shoes and no grips on the soles.
They weren't to happy when I pointed out that their shoes might be the problem.
Now thinking of 5'10" Blonde and high heels.
It would take a brave person to ban high heels.
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Posted By Tabs
Okay, humour failure coming up.
ClaireL you wrote "But then us women are infinitely more talented than men!!"
and "Blokes just don't understand!!! "
I am so sick and tired of being carefull about what I say about women that I now find this offensive.
Neither of your statements are true and both are insulting. If I had written it about women, I would have had my message blanked, I'm sure.
Would you care to withdraw them please?
For those of you of either sex who think I am being sensitive, perhaps I am, but this is the straw that broke the back.
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Posted By MP Grayson
Someone needs a hug.
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Posted By Tabs
"Someone needs a hug."
Yes, maybe my friend who took a 25% pay cut after having to move after accusations, or my other friend who lost his promotion after a joke.
Banter is fine if it's allowed both ways, but somehow I think I would be blasted here if I had said something along those lines against the whole of woman-dom.
But hey - someone here tell me I can use the same kind of comments and all will be square. Okay?
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Posted By ClaireL
Tabs
No I won't withdraw those comments that were made in good humour. For the record I wouldn't have complained about similar jokes makes by men.
One of the things I love about the UK is our ability to have a joke about anything, including unpolitically correct jokes that are given and received in the the good faith that it is tongue in cheek.
If my good natured post is censored by people like yourself then it really is time for me to leave the UK.
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Posted By Liz Skelton
Sensible risk management is not about creating a totally risk free society or scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks
I would suggest that you look at the other more significant risks in the office environment and concentrate on those - I think you will find that stress, misuse of computers causing musculoskeletal disorders and fire cause much more suffering than designer heels!
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Posted By Pete Longworth
Tabs chill out mate. We all know this talent that women are so proud of - multi-tasking, really only means that they can do smething else while they are talking.
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Posted By Tabs
Well it's a shame that HR depts don't follow your ethos ClaireL. It's also a shame you can't apologise when your comments offend.
If your only response to being asked to be civil is to leave the country, I wonder who is over reacting.
I'm off to chill (as advised) and to wonder if your comments will come back to haunt you.
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