I have been in this situation before. No doctors note to say there is a genuine medical reason they cannot wear safety shoes- then they have to wear them. Get HR involved too, as well as their Line Managers. If push comes to shove this may go down the disciplinary route. Good luck Andy

There is a very good summary of the case Safety Smurf refers to (Lane Group and another v Farmiloe) on the Personnel Today website at http://www.personneltoda...oe-eat-24-november-2003/ The Employment Appeals Tribunal ruled that health & safety law imposes an absolute duty on employers. Hence Mr Farmiloe (who was unable to wear safety shoes because of a genuine medical condition) had to go because if Lane Group had continued to let him work they would have breached their own risk assessment. If memory serves, Mr Farmiloe had offered to sign a waiver to the effect that he understood the safety risks and would take his chances, but the EAT ruled that such a waiver was not appropriate because you cannot "opt out" of a risk assessment.

I see no problem with supplying one pair per person (though I'm sure someone will post that they have three legs and people shouldn't just assume everyone's the same). It just depends on how often they will be able to get replacements - if as you say they are wearing them all day. And also, the quality of the boots

I worked in a distribution centre and we offered one pair of boots or shoes per year, unless damaged then they were ordered and replaced within a day or two

We allow staff to buy their own and the company will refund up to the amount we'd spend (but not more than they spent), but they have to buy compliant footwear. I don't really understand "there's a risk of them buying non-compliant" as an excuse for not doing this - you simply mandate that if they want to supply their own they have to be compliant to a specified standard. If they supply shoes that aren't compliant they don't get the cash and they still need to wear the company-supplied compliant shoes. Shoes are more difficult to get comfortable than much other PPE, so I have sympathy with people that don't like the issued ones. It might not be a medical issue - it might be comfort. For example, I have both particularly bony jutting ankles and very wide feet, and I have the devils job finding any shoes - even safety shoes (which normally are very wide across the toes) nearly invariably take the skin off my ankles within a day where the top of the shoe jabs in. I typically wear either clogs (probably not a good idea in a warehouse) or very high boots (a high combat boot - modern walking boots and most safety 'boots' are too low). I buy my own high-top safety boots and don't wear the company ones. I'd object loudly to a policy that mandated I had to wear company-issued safety shoes instead.

You do not indicate the work rota of your employees. If it was Mon - Fri typically 8 hours per day then one pair could be considered sufficient. If on the other hand they are on some form of 12 hour shifts I would be looking at two pairs worn alternate days giving time for adequate drying before being re-worn. Issuing only a single pair leads to moisture accumulation which not only affects operatives foot health but also tends to make the uppers wear out at the crease points long before the sole has gone.