Form selection committee, validate choice before purchase among suggestions
To support the members of occupational health and safety committees, purchasers and workers, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) in Montreal has published a new guide.
How to Choose Slip-resistant Occupational Footwear presents the procedures for selecting footwear that will provide good grip and adequate protection against other hazards. Various steps are documented and suggested to help make a wise choice, such as forming a selection committee, taking risk factors into account, choosing the appropriate sole, validating the choice before the purchase, assessing satisfaction, ensuring upkeep after purchase and making sure that the choice remains appropriate.
“An appropriate selection of occupational footwear can help reduce the risk of slipping and falling. But it is important to realize that no one type of shoe or boot can be slip resistant in all situations,” said Chantal Gauvin, IRSST engineer and the author of the guide. “There is no single model of footwear that will eliminate all risks. It is therefore essential to do a thorough analysis of the workplace and the tasks to be performed to determine the best ways to reduce accident risks, while understanding that the choice of good slip-resistant footwear should be complementary to other preventive measures implemented by an organization to eliminate or reduce the sources of danger.”
In addition to a reading list of documents on slip prevention in French and English for those who wish to learn more and an explanation of some test methods, the guide makes it possible to better understand concepts such as the coefficient of friction between the sole and the ground.
