Personal protective gear is a part of most workplaces be it in construction, chemicals, oil industries, agriculture, mining, healthcare, emergency responders and so forth. Safety standards all over dictate that PPE workwear should be compliant to the rules and regulations cited by the safety and certification boards.

A major part of PPE clothing is safety footwear. From anti-static to non-slip, to electric resistant, all are included under safety work boots. Steel toe work boots are safety shoes reinforced with steel tips at the front tip to provide protection from sharp and heavy objects.

Steel toe shoes work as a barrier in workplaces where there are chances of getting hurt by falling objects and heavyweights. Places like construction sites or manufacturing industries may have sharp objects like nails or rubble lying around. Busy work zones that have a lot of movement of people, objects and machines possess the maximum risk of hurting the feet. You may even inadvertently step on something sharp that may cause severe injuries. That is why steel toe shoes are also combined with a protective middle sole that safeguards and cushions your feet if you accidentally step on any possible piercing or sharp-edged tools.

Foot accidents can render you useless at work and in severe cases might even result in infections and amputations. Safety work boots are thus a dire necessity against occupational hazards. Leading suppliers of personal protective equipment like Best marine have a variety of premium grade 3m safety wear, as well as Honeywell, Ansell, and Johnson safety products to choose from, for your complete protection. You can contact them to avail safety footwear for yourself or your employees.

It is even required by certain safety regulation boards that these safety boots have markings on them which show the regulations and safety standards that the industrial shoes follow. The markings must also portray the kind of risks the footwear is resistant against. Here's looking at the standard codes and symbols used to mark safety standards:

• Green Triangle – Used to indicate that the shoe has a class 1 toe cap with puncture resistant sole
• Yellow Triangle – Used to indicate that the shoe has a class 2 toe cap with puncture resistant sole

There are such symbols for other safety boots as well.

• White Square with ohm symbol – Used to indicate that the shoe has electrical protection.
• Yellow Square with SD – Used to indicate that the shoe has anti-static protection.
• Fir Tree – Used to indicate that the shoe is protected against chain-saws.

In India, the BIS:15298 is a standard that delineates the safety requirements and test methods for safety and occupational footwear. It includes:

• IS 15298-I: 2011 for standard test methods for footwear protection
• IS 15298–II is for safety footwear
• IS 15298-III is for protective footwear
• IS 15298-IV is for occupational footwear

There are also quite a few unknown facts about steel cap shoes. Take a look at these and let us know below in the comment section if you already knew any of these.

List of facts:

1. Steel toe cap boots were invented by Germany at the end of World War II
   Foot protection and safety shoes first came into existence at the beginning of the 20th century. Back then it was cheaper to replace an injured laborer than safety practices. Traditionally, a shoe made from a single piece of wood called the ‘sabot' was the first ever protective shoe worn by French peasants. Before the invention of these safety boots in Germany, workers would make do with leather shoes. But the creation of these sabots protected workers from falling objects, sharp things, and avoided injuries if a cow or bull accidentally stepped on their toes. From then until today, safety shoes have come a long way.
2. Not all steel toe cap boots are made of steel, and in fact, some are made of a plastic known as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)
   Steel toe boots, although conventionally reinforced with steel, are nowadays reinforced with materials other than steel too. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is a common material used in place of steel toe caps. Due to its elasticity, and resistance to abrasions, oil, and grease, TPU is very well suited for safety work shoes.
3. There are many different types of boots to protect you against different things such as 

• Lacerations
• Dangerous spills
• Chemicals
• Falling objects
• Sharp or abrasive surfaces
• Electricity
• Slip-and-fallSteel toes caps are not just limited to work boots but are now also being placed in shoes and trainers. 

As the usefulness and protection of steel toe work shoes has come into the light, most vendors these days are incorporating the same technique in casual trainers and shoes too. This means that even outside of work, in a possibly unsafe environment, you can now be protected against the risk of getting injured by sharp objects or abrasive materials.

So, weren't there some interesting tidbits? Well, let us know what you think in the comments section below. To get your protective equipment and the best safety shoes online, contact Best Marine at ww.bestmarine.com.