Foot protection is any piece of personal protective equipment protecting one’s foot from any injury while at work or during movement. The foot is a vital part of our body and since we are on our feet constantly from day to day, they are more susceptible to injury. If a foot is injured, our movement may be temporarily or permanently restricted.
Most common types of foot injuries include the following:
- Traumatic injury occurs when feet and toes are cut, pinched or crushed under falling objects, wheels, rollers or gear machinery, contact sharp edges, or get tangled in ropes and chains
- The feet can be damaged when the skin, muscles, tendons, blood vessels and nerves get cut, punctured, pricked, or are irritated
- Bones are fractured or sprained
- Permeation injury occurs when bare feet contact corrosive liquids, harmful chemicals and other substances. It causes chemical burns, skin irritations or injures to tissues etc.
- Repetitive motion injury occurs when jobs require repeated, rapid foot movements for long periods of time such as machine controlling, sports or driving
- Burns in feet occur due to contact with high temperature objects. On the other end, frostbite is a risk in the cold environment
We can protect our feet from above injuries by the following actions:
- Carryout diligent risk assessments
- Always wear appropriate shoes (Non skidding, anti-static-electricity, metal-toed safety shoes, etc.)
- Keep floors and walkways clear of sharp objects, ropes and oily substances
- Indicate slippery floors by using signage
- Always move carefully