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 handling chemicals.
I will try to give you an idea of what type of safety shoes is the most appropriate for your workplace and, in general, for 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 your needs.
Contents
Safety shoes for handling chemicals: types of tasks
Most likely in your job you are often in contact with corrosive substances.
A good pair of safety shoes for your application should protect your feet, but at the same time it should let them breathe, so that a good article of safety footwear suited for withstanding the contact with chemicals 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 jobs of the sector are:
• Washing chemical products: if in your work environment there are often large amounts of chemical substances on the floor, but no risk of splattering, then a pair of S3 safety shoes with soles made of pure rubber is enough. If the chemicals are not highly corrosive the upper of the shoes can as well be of microfiber, but in case of strong acids or other kinds of aggressive chemical substances the use of polymeric boots is highly recommended (EN 13832).
Safety footwear for handling chemical products: construction of batteries and use of cleaning chemicals
• Construction of batteries: in this job one often comes into contact with the acids of batteries. Such acids are very aggressive for the soles of your footwear. Slipping and suffering bad falls is a considerable risk as well, when the floor is wet. An article of safety footwear with soles made of pure rubber is advisable. When there’s also a risk of liquid sprays, it’s better to choose polymeric boots.
• Cleaning with chemicals: some cleaning jobs must be done using abundant water and some additives such as soap or chemical products. In this type of job the risks for your feet are contamination, getting wet and chemical burns. It is advisable to use regular safety shoes with polymeric overshoes, or a good pair of polymeric boots complying with the standard EN 13282 in order to be protected at all times at work.
Safety shoes for handling chemicals: recycling and nuclear energy
• Recycling of chemical products: when it comes to the recycling of such products, I suggest you use polymeric boots with resistance to chemical substances, certified EN 13832.
• Nuclear power plants: if the risk of coming into contact with chemical products is not particularly high, a pair of metal-free S3 safety shoes is enough. Puncture-resistance is not always obligatory, so sometimes an S2 products is ok as well.
Safety shoes for the contact with chemicals: 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 in your work you are often in contact with chemical substances.
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 shoes to work, but you don’t know what features they should have?
You wish you had a clearer idea of the risks that you take every day in your job?
Now I am going to show you what the main risks for a worker in this sector 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 of the sector are:
• Wet feet;
• Extremely slippery floor;
• Chemical burns
• Contamination by chemical agents.
Safety shoes for handling chemicals: 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 suited for working with chemicals should have the following characteristics:
• Waterproof membrane (WR), if it’s not polymeric boots;
• Slip-resistant soles (SRC);
• Chemical resistance EN 13832.
Moreover, the sole should be preferably made of rubber, and the toecap should better be non-metallic and equipped with a quick-release system.
- UNI EN ISO 20345: 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.
- UNI EN ISO 20347: occupational shoes (not equipped with toecap)
- UNI EN ISO 13282 (only polymeric boots)
- S3 Safety shoes. More information about S3 safety shoes here.
- WR safety shoes
- O2 or O3 occupational shoes
- 13282 polymeric boots with resistance to chemicals agents
Best safety boots for handling chemicals, selected by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for handling chemicals: 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?
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