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Posted By Simonh
Good morning all,
my industry deals with print fulfillment in mailing and having just reviewed my risk assessments for movement through the workplace I am looking for opinions of others in case I have missed anything. The question I have is 'should safety footwear be mandatory?' Palletised goods arrive in our warehouses (pallets weigh up to several hundred Kg) prior to being taken through to the shop floor. The warehouses are controlled access areas where safety footwear is mandatory (as well as other PPE. The machine operators on the shop floor at present do not have to where safety footwear. They may collect up to 5/6 pallets (using hand pallet trucks)from the warehouse bay per shift and locate them by their machines.
There are marked routes along which they travel and there are safe systems of work and training in place detailing how to use pallet trucks etc. We offer safety footwear to those that wish at present, but it is not mandatory. The production floor at present is access controlled, but there are regular visits from admin staff, IT staff, contractors and visitors. I welcome the thoughts of others who have the same issues. PPE is the final protection, we have many other control measures in place prior to reaching this decision.
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Posted By Kevin Drum
I am currently experiencing a similar problem where pallets of finished goods are occassionaly moved by operators using hand pallet trucks. The material handlers who do the job fulltime all wear safety footwear but as per the RA packing operators who occassionaly move the pallets do not.
Like you there are SSoW in place and risk assessment completed for all operations in the area but the question of all packers being made to wear safety shoes often arises, more from operators in other areas whose job does mean that safety shoes are mandatory.
Perhaps we could find a solution to meet both our needs.
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Posted By Chris G
I work in a metals foundry, and like the previous responder footwear is only mandatory as PPE in certain areas. This should (in my view) be changed. I have yet to work anywhere where the staff stay strictly in their own work area. People are forever moving between work areas for a variety of reasons (some of them are even legitimately about work) Trying to ensure that the footwear PPE is applied is a nightmare. Mandatory safety footwear would get rid of the excuse "I'm only visiting the area". It's not as if there is a big cost implication. In the general shceme of things safety shoes are quite cheap. Also, most of the complaints about comfort of safety shoes disapear once the shoes have been broken in. So if in doubt to the need for foot PPE get them on.
Chris G
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Posted By Merv Newman
The vast majority of factories where I work require safety shoes as minimum ppe for ALL persons present in the production/warehouse areas. And this has been largely the case for years.
Contractors are required to conform.
Some sites do allow guided tours so long as the visitors (clients, suppliers, schools ...) remain within marked pathways.
Employees, including administrative services and those from other sites are also required to conform.
At reception or guardhouse you can expect to be asked if you will be visiting production areas and if so do you have your own safety shoes. If you don't then they will lend you a pair. (sterilising is by same system used by ski-boot hire shops)
One company will loan you the shoes and GIVE you a new pair of socks to keep. (they just happen to bear the company logo (Dim))
I feel that such "blanket" rules in a manufacturing environment are quite sensible and realistic. There are so many ways of injuring your feet that even Risk Assessments tend to skim over them.
Having dropped a full bottle of wine on my left foot (force of less than 1kg/m) and subsequently demonstrated the one-legged Hopi "get-well-soon" dance to admiring guests I know of what I speak. (both participants survived the encounter without permanent injury)(though the bottle was later pronounced "dead")
I do have on this computer a photo of a safety shoe stuck under a pallet truck. Leather toe-cap ripped off, toe cap intact. No injury.
Copies can be sent to those applying by e-mail. I don't do "me-toos"
Merv
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