Personal Protective Equipment, commonly known as PPE, is a necessary and important factor to consider when working on a construction site. Every year there are a high number of accidents that could have been prevented with the simple use of correct PPE gear. We will be focusing on the ever-increasing importance of foot protection when working on a construction site.
Most people are commonly familiar with PPE nowadays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but PPE in construction has its own specific understanding, referring to all equipment that is worn by individuals to protect them against multiple health and safety risks while working. Foot protection is one of the most commonly used PPE and can differ depending on the environment.
According to the HSE, there are around 9,000 PPE-related accidents every year and with a huge financial value of £252m in annual costs due to these PPE-related accidents, with £85 alone from foot-related accidents. Therefore, it is extremely important to have the understanding and awareness of the correct PPE gear necessary for you to carry out your work in a safe manner. So, what are the different types of PPE in construction?
PPE in Construction
PPE protection in construction identifies and determines the hazards and concludes what types of protection may be needed. Therefore, we can compile a complete list of different types of protection that PPE will be required for on a construction site.
- Foot Protection
- Head Protection
- Body Protection
- Skin Protection
- Eye Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- Hand & Arm Protection
- Ear Protection
- Fall Protection
Additionally, a lot of the time health and safety managers enforce a general protection rule whereby all must follow, regardless of the situation. For example, hard hats to be worn on a construction site, or gloves to be worn when working with chemicals. These objective rules can help avoid unnecessary accidents altogether. So, let us dive into the importance of foot protection when working on a construction site.
Foot Protection
As workers spent most of their day on their feet, it is important to ensure quality protection, especially against certain elements in hazardous situations. Some examples of potentially hazardous situations that may require specific footwear are physical hazards such as:
- Punctures
- Falling Objects
Punctures
When working with raw materials, it is extremely common to find sharp objects lying around, whether that is a nail or any other pointed sharp object. These sharp objects can easily pierce the sole of a shoe, causing wounds to the foot.
Falling Objects
Heavy materials are commonly used in construction, therefore, subject to falling. Having the right foot protection can help you avoid the dangers of dealing with heavy loads.
Types of Foot Protection
Therefore, specific footwear can be crucial when working on a construction site. Common types of footwear protection are:
- Safety Boots
- Wellington Boots
Some more uncommon types of foot protection can be:
- Clogs
- Gaiters
- Spats
Safety Boots
Typically, tough boots are hard to pierce and can protect against falling objects. Safety boots can also have toecaps for that extra protection against hard elements. These types of boots can be secured by laces, velcro, or elastic means, depending on the risks at hand, it may be best to avoid laces when possible.
Wellington Boots
When you are working in wet conditions, you need a material, such as rubber, that you can be protected against. Additionally, wellington boots can be tough enough to not endure other potential harms such as treading on nails.
Additionally, the rubber material of wellington boots makes them very easily washed, which may be a safety requirement for specific jobs/tasks, for example, where they need to be disinfected when working with chemicals.
Common Properties
Foot protection equipment usually shares some common properties for the benefit of most tasks, for example, most safety boots, waterproof or not, have protective toecaps and core safety features such as:
- Insulation against extreme climates
- Slip-resistant soles
- Protection for your metatarsal
- Penetration-resistant soles (preventing punctures)
- Easy-to-clean materials
