Four Key Steps When Selecting Slip-Resistant Footwear

A Dunlop Protective Footwear Product Development Engineer prepares a slip resistance test sample in Dunlop’s Slip, Trip and Fall innovation center.

By Nick Larkins, Contributor

Designing a safety footwear program and selecting appropriate safety footwear to reduce accidents can seem overwhelming. You may be asking yourself, ‘Why should footwear be prioritized as part of my safety program?’ The answer: nearly one third of all non-fatal workplace accidents are slip, trip or fall related. Introducing or revising a footwear solution as part of your safety program may be your single best opportunity to reduce total accident rates.

We know how important it is to design workplaces to enable workers to complete their daily work in a safe and healthy environment. We know that we need to keep workspaces free from clutter and debris and to quickly identify and remediate any liquid or material spills. However, one of the most common and important control measures for reducing slips, trips and falls has nothing to do with the design of the workplace. It is the footwear workers walk around in. A footwear program tailored to the working environment and tasks to be performed is one of the best tools to reduce slips, trips and falls. Standardizing the safety features your employees need to get the job done safely and setting these features as requirements for approved footwear will help you to keep employees safe and productive. This will also help you compare different footwear options that will meet your needs.

Identify and Remove Hazards

The first task is to identify and remove hazards. This is done through a process known as ‘hazard assessment.’ The hazard assessment begins with a walkthrough and survey of your facility to develop a list of potential hazards.

First, note the basic layout of the facility and note any history of occupational illnesses or injuries. Potential hazards are sources of electricity, harmful dust and extreme temperatures; sources of movement from machines or processes where impact is possible, chemicals, sources of light radiation like welding areas, the potential for falling objects, areas with sharp objects and biologic hazards. It is best to group any identified hazards into categories, such as impact, penetration, compression (roll-over), chemical, heat/cold, harmful dust, light (optical) radiation, biologic.

Once you have identified potential hazards, the next step is to eliminate or mitigate all hazards to the greatest extent possible. Remember: OSHA regulations require employers to ensure each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is the danger of foot injury due to risks that cannot be avoided or limited.¹

Next, investigate footwear features and solutions that protect wearers from the dangers identified during the hazard assessment. These may include a protective toe cap, protective midsole or chemical resistance, to name a few.

Understanding work environment, application and exposure is important when selecting the best slip-resistant footwear for your workers. Image courtesy of Dunlop Protective Footwear.

Select for Slip Resistance

Slip resistance is one of the most important considerations. Slip-resistance comes from the sole and heel of the footwear and is measured as a coefficient of friction. Many footwear options carry a slip resistance certification, but not all “safety” footwear is slip resistant. Be sure to check the markings on the boots you are considering.

There are multiple global standards for slip resistance— the most common are EN and ASTM. While both standards are considered robust there are some differences. The ASTM standard is a single test protocol and standard with a forward and backward motion. The EN standards require the coefficient of friction to be measured using forward direction in two different conditions (flooring and contamination) and multiple contact angles (three certifications can be granted).

• EN – Footwear tested to EN ISO 20344:2004 (A1: 2007) may be marked: SRA (tested on ceramic tile with diluted soap), SRB (tested on smooth steel with glycerol), or SRC (tested under both conditions).
• ASTM – Footwear tested to ASTM-3445-21 may be marked – SR

You will also need to select footwear with a sole that aligns with your work and environment. For example:

• Wet environments: choose a close-packed well-defined pattern in softer material on a flexible flat sole
• Environments with mixed or loose solids: choose a more open tread pattern with wider channels and deeper cleats
• Icy environments: these may require spikes or studs to ‘bite’ into the ice. Note, however, these additions may be slippery on other hard surfaces.

Slip resistance is not the only consideration. The company that manufactures the footwear can also have an impact on your footwear program. No one wants to go through the work of designing a robust footwear program only to discover that the manufacturer cannot keep up with demand, does not have a consistent offering or worse. When comparing manufacturers, consider the time a company has been in business. For example, a manufacturer with a long history provides confidence in expertise and ongoing product availability. A manufacturer with a strong new-product or innovation pipeline provides assurance that investments are being made in new technologies that can enhance product features and benefits over time. Lastly as environmental, social and governance initiatives continue to become even more important to customers and consumers. Identifying a manufacturer that invests in ESG platforms can help you to achieve your own internal, or downstream customer and consumer, ESG goals.

Engage Employees

Consult with employees throughout the process of choosing slip-resistant footwear whenever possible. If you are replacing an existing footwear program, be sure to ask employees what they like and dislike about the current footwear, so these preferences can be considered.

It is a best practice to test new prospective footwear in the workplace where it is to be used and by the employees required to wear it. Commonly referred to as a ‘wear trial,’ this step significantly enhances understanding of the performance and lifespan of the footwear in your specific conditions. Your distributor or manufacturer’s representative may be able to help you facilitate a wear trial at reduced or no cost.

Common questions to ask wearers:

• Does the footwear feel slippery underfoot?
• Is it comfortable?
• Is the wearer able to move freely as needed to complete assigned tasks?

Involving users in choosing footwear will increase its acceptability, adoption and daily use.

Instill The Program

Training, maintenance and storage should all be considered key elements of making your new footwear program part of your and your team’s daily work. Information, instruction and training should be provided to ensure PPE is properly worn, maintained and replaced as necessary. Some protective footwear will include features such as tread wear indicators on the sole as a simple way to identify when slip resistance is no longer optimal and replacement is needed.

References:

https://tinyurl.com/bdxfzbz7

Nick Larkins is Director of Trade Marketing for Dunlop Protective Footwear. Dunlop’s innovative protective footwear offers the safety, comfort and durability workers deserve while helping them get home safe every day. Its proprietary high-pressure PU material, Purofort, delivers industry-leading comfort and durability. Dunlop products are engineered to exceed ASTM and EN safety standards, to ensure that global specifications are met or exceeded for enterprise-scale users (www.dunlopboots.com).