On the market there is a wide choice of safety shoes. At first sight they look all the same, but actually there are large differences between different types. My goal is to teach you how to distinguish the right safety shoes for each work environment. To be precise, in this article I’ll talk about safety shoes for the food industry.
In this article I’ll try to give you an idea of what kind of shoes are most befitted for your work place and for your specific needs.
Of course it is not easy really include all the types of risks related to your working situation, but the following are the most frequent.
I am sure that this article will help you to choose the perfect type of Safety Shoes for the food industry, according to your needs.
Safety shoes for the food industry: types of jobs
In your job you often work around automated handling and internal transport systems and you use machines or mechanical systems, connected to each other to form lines of production.
The right safety shoes for you applications should protect you, but at the same time they should let your feet breathe, so a good and comfortable article of safety footwear for the food industry will do its job.
But in the food industry there are several different jobs, not just one, and each entails different risks, that must be prevented with different types of safety shoes.
The most common jobs are:
• Food Internal logistical: in your activity food can cause slipping, so the best solution for you is a good SRC sole made of single-density PU, PU/TPU or PU/Rubber. For the upper leather is fine, but the best material is certainly microfiber.
• Food delivery: if this is your job, depending on the type of food which is delivered, you could come into contact with water. You will need water-proof and slip-resistant safety shoes, that is why an S3 SRC product is your best choice.
Best “S3” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for the food industry: catering and food cleaning
• Catering: sometimes this type of work leads to contact with food waste; a good pair of microfiber shoes is advised. An SRC sole will be of help too, to avoid bad falls, which are rather common in this field.
• Food cleaning: if this is your job you may often have your feet wet, so the use of polymeric boots (O4 or S4) will help you to be protected from moisture and bad falls. If you want to use regular shoes rather than boots, then it would be preferable if they were waterproof (WR).
Best “WR” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for the food industry: cleaning services
• Cleaning services: also in this field your feet could often get wet, so I recommend the use of O4 or S4 SRC boots, to protect yourself from moisture and bad falls. If you want to use regular shoes rather than boots, than you should opt for a WR waterproof product.
Best “S4” picks by SafetyShoesToday
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk
Safety shoes for the food industry: types of risks
So far we have analyzed the most important jobs in the food sector, now let’s have a look at the most common risks your feet take if you work in this field.
Of course it is difficult to include all the risks, but the following are the most common. I am sure that this will help you to choose the most befitted type of safety shoes for your needs.
- You must buy some safety footwear in order to work, but you don’t know what characteristics it should have?
- You would like to have a better idea about the different risks one takes in this type of job?
Now I am going to explain to you what the most frequent risks in this environment are, to help you choose the perfect safety shoes for you job.
What are the risks for your feet? What solutions can be found on the market?
In the food industry the following situations can occur:
• Wet feet;
• Very slippery floor;
• Impacts and crushes in the toe area.
Safety shoes for the food industry: types of protection and required features
Almost every type of shoes has its variations, that offer long-lasting safety; in this field, safety footwear should be equipped with:
• Water-resistant upper (S2);
• Protective toecap;
• Extreme slip-resistance “SRC”. Moreover, the sole can be made of single-density PU (or of any other material) and the toe cap would better be non-metallic.
Safety shoes for the food industry: required products
• UNI EN ISO 20345: Personal Protective Equipment – Specifications for safety shoes for a general purpose. Equipped with protective toecap, this type of shoes protects the user from impacts and crushes, with a maximum resistance to forces of at least 200J and to pressure loads of at least 15kN.
• S2 Safety Shoes. More information about S2 Safety Shoes here.
• S4 resistant polymeric boots
Safety footwear for the food industry: what do you think?
Those were the features that I suggest you follow if you are looking for a good pair of safety shoes for the food industry.
Once you have chosen the right product, you will be much safer at work.
I guarantee that if you use the right type of safety shoes, working will become a better experience for you!
What do you think about this kind of safety shoes?
Do you have points to add?
Leave us a comment below!
