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Preventing Slips and Falls with the Right Work Boots

Posted on Oct 5th 2016

Trip, slip and fall safety isn't a joke.

It's funny to watch someone trip and fall in a movie. It's not so funny when it happens in real life. According to OSHA, 15 percent of all workplace accidental deaths are caused by slip, trip and fall injuries. The only culprit with a worse track record is vehicle accidents.

This type of incident can happen at any workplace, whether it's construction, mining, factory work, or even inside an office building. That's because the reasons people lose their footing are vast and can happen anywhere.

Fortunately, something as simple as the right work boots can protect against many of the hazards that cause a fall. Here's how you can lower your own risk level.

Some of the easiest hazards to eliminate are also the most pervasive.

Slip-Resistant Work Boots Direct Hazards Away

If you're walking down a hallway or across a factory floor, slippery materials on the surface can break your traction and send you tumbling into a concussion. That's why the slip resistant soles on work boots were invented.

Small channels throughout the sole of the boot act as passageways that give oils, chemicals, water and other slip hazards a place to go. When you step down, the hazard works its way through the channels and out the side. That means more of the boot tread makes contact with the floor and you have a better chance of staying upright.

Good Fitting, Comfortable Boots Help Prevent Trips and Falls

It's not just high heels that can make a person unsteady. Wearing the wrong work boots can make you wobbly on your feet. When they're too heavy, too stiff or too cumbersome, you're at a greater risk of tripping or losing balance.

The Centers for Disease Control says work boots shouldn't cause overexertion, and the sole should be flexible enough to keep the natural walking gait intact. If you feel clumsy wearing a certain pair of boots, it's time to search for a new pair.

Proper Soles and Supports Make Ladder Work Safer

Working on a ladder is already dangerous just by virtue of the fact that your feet are off the ground. The majority of fall injuries from an elevated height happen at less than 10 feet. According to ISHN, one of the biggest ladder risks is slipping off a rung. But a defined boot heel helps keep your feet where they belong. Some boots even have ladder locks built in.

If you spend much time on a ladder, your arches might suffer, which can cause greater instability. A steel shank can give you surer footing to help prevent it. The shank is embedded in the sole, and can be the full length of the boot sole or only partial length.

Slips, trips and falls are nothing to laugh about. They're a leading cause of workplace injury and death, and some risks, such as spills on floors, are entirely preventable. The best way for you to stay safe is practice acute situational awareness and strict adherence to safety protocols.

There will always be unavoidable hazards that put workers at risk. But with the right personal protective gear, such as slip-resistant work boots, your chances of clocking back in again without a bandage or cast is much higher.