For sale there is a wide choice of safety footwear, and at first sight all products look the same. However, there are great differences between different types. My goal is to teach you how to distinguish the correct genre of safety shoes for each work environment. To be more precise, in this article I will talk about safety shoes for damp environments.
I will try to give you an idea of what type of safety shoes is the most appropriate for your workplace and, in general, to your needs.
Of course it is not possible to list all the potential risks, but those that follow are the most important.
I am sure that this article will help you to choose the perfect type of safety shoes for damp environments for your needs.
Safety shoes for damp environments: type of tasks
- In your job you are often in contact with water?
- In any place and weather condition your feet are exposed to water and moisture?
A good pair of safety shoes should protect your feet, but at the same time it should let them breathe, so a good article of safety footwear suited for damp environments will help you a lot.
But a job in this sector doesn’t involve a single task. Therefore, the risks are different according to the activity you perform, and so do the type of safety footwear you should wear.
The main activites of the sector are:
- Cleaning (with the use of chemicals): some cleaning jobs need the use of abundant water, and with the addition of additives like soap or chemicals. In this job the main risks are contamination, wet feet, burns caused by chemicals, etc. Hence it is better to wear waterproof S3 footwear made of leather or, even better, of microfiber, or polymeric S4 or S5 boots, so you’ll be protected while you work.
- Cleaning of dirt: if your main activity is keeping the work environment clean, this means you spend plenty of time in rubbish. Therefore you should wear robust safety shoes that will protect you in all conditions. A good pair of S5 polymeric boots or S3 WR high-laced boots, or even better a pair of S3 WR riggers are the best options. Clearly, they also have to be slip-resistant (SRC).
Best “WR” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Safety footwear for damp environments: gardeners, fishers and car washing
- Gardeners: in this type of job one often gets wet feet, so S4 polymeric boots are preferable. Otherwise, S3 WR safety shoes are a very good option too.
- Fishers: in this kind of activity there are mainly two problems, that is water and salt. Water can, obviously, wet your feet, which can be prevented by wearing S2 or S3 WR safety shoes. Salt can damage your footwear and the best solution to avoid that is wearing footwear with rubber sole (ideally single-density rubber) and non-metallic components (to avoid the formation of rust).
- Car wash professional: if this is your job your feet can get wet very easily, so I recommend the use of SRC S4 or O4 polymeric boots, in order to protect your feet from moisture and to prevent slipping. If you prefer to use shoes rather than boots, then you should wear S3 WR footwear, although often plain high-laced S3 boots are used.
Best “S4” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for damp environments: types of risks
After having seen a list of the main activities in this field, let’s now talk about the risks that your feet take if you work in damp environments.
Of course it is not possible to list all the potential risks of a job in this sector, but the following are the most common. I am sure that this article will help you to choose the perfect type of safety shoes for your needs.
- You must buy safety footwear to work, but you don’t know what features they should have?
- You would like to have a clearer idea of the various risks that your feet run in your workplace?
Now I am going to show you what the main risks for who works in humid conditions are, to help you choose the perfect safety shoes for your needs.
- What are the risks for your feet?
- And what are the solutions that can be found for sale?
The main risks caused by moisture are:
- Extremely slippery floor;
- Wet feet.
Safety shoes for damp environments: types of protection and required features
Almost every shoe type has versions that offer long-lasting protection. In this case, a valid article of safety footwear for these circumstances should have the following characteristics:
- Slip-resistant outsole (SRC)
- Waterproof membrane (WR)
Moreover, the sole can be of any type, excluding those made of single-density PU (rubber would be the best choice tho) and the toecap can be of any type and material.
Best “SRC” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for damp environments: recommended products
- UNI EN ISO 20345 and 20347: personal protective equipment – Specifications for general purpose safety shoes. This footwear is equipped with a toecap that protects the wearer from impacts and crushes in the toe area. The toecap can withstand forces of 200J and pressure loads of at least 15kN
- S3 safety footwear. More information about S3 safety footwear here.
- WR safety footwear.
- S2 Safety footwear
- O2 Professional footwear
Safety shoes for damp environments: what do you think?
These are the features that I recommend that you check if you are looking for the perfect pair of safety shoes for your needs.
As soon as you get yourself the right product, you will be much safer at work.
I guarantee that if you wear the right type of safety footwear, you will live a better work experience!
What do you think about this type of safety shoes?
Do you have points to add?
Leave us a comment down here!
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