Hi,

has anyone any experience of using safety over shoes for workers in an warehouse environment?

My understanding was that these type of safety over shoe was for visitors.  I have been asked if we can use these for workers that have to sometimes/occasionally have handle heavy goods or equipment.  Most of the working day they would not be needed.

Example I have been given:

I have never had any experience - can anyone else let me know what they are like?  Are they any good?

Originally Posted by: Fletcher38595

................................  I have been asked if we can use these for workers that have to sometimes/occasionally have handle heavy goods or equipment.  Most of the working day they would not be needed.

My concerns would be - how do you ensure that they are worn [if they are indeed suitable] at the required times?  If they are needed some time each/most working day, I would insist on proper safety boots/shoes

We also call them 'clown shoes' and people have complained they are dangerous because they tend to trip over in them.  Also, the ones we have only have a 100 J rating for the toe protection whereas normal safety shoes have 200 J.  In short, I don't recommend them.

We have used these temp safety shoes but moved away from their use due to comfort, durability, fit for purpose etc. We moved to a selection of visitors safety shoes with a small disposal socks (hygiene purposes) for those who wish to use them. Unfortunatley we were alawys having to tidy up the safety shoes location , finding safey shoes in other offices and occassionly replace safety shoes. We eventually said any visitor who wshes or we require them to visit our manufacturing area must bring their own clean safety shoes - full stop!

We also retain an even cheaper plastic throwaway overshoe for visitors who are not doing any manual handling and only in the manuafacturing area for a short time - max about 30 mins use.  Not suitable for high heel shoes.

Now nearly all visitors bring their own safety shoes. We have a small cache of proper safety shoes for "emergency situtations".

I looked at this post and then it clicked. Why do you need to wear safety shoes in warehouse? To protect your feet if you drop something you are carrying. If you are just a visitor to a warehouse; having a noisy and not actually carrying anything, you can’t drop anything and so you don’t need any safety shoes at all let alone these monstrosities. Or have I missed something?

You forgot the blanket PPE policy and the mandatory safety foot wear sign at the door

I have even been at sites where the written policy was office staff could follow designated routes through the warehouse without toe caps BUT any visitor MUST wear safety shoes? even though they follow the same designated path!

PPE is to control residual risk.

Love to see someone pitching these on dragons den!