Safety trainers or safety boots: which should you buy your workers, and why?
With so many options out there – from lightweight safety shoes and trainers to steel toe cap boots – it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all the choice and not know where to start.
What’s the difference between safety shoes and safety trainers? Which workers would benefit from choosing to wear safety boots instead? And why do some ‘safety trainers’ have high sides and added ankle protection like boots?
We know you might have a lot of questions about safety footwear, and we’re here to help.
At iSB Group, we pride ourselves on only offering the very best products – those we know have been tried, tested, reviewed and approved for use in real life logistics roles by people actually working in those roles every day. This includes our range of safety boots, shoes and trainers for men and women.
When it comes to safety footwear, we know our onions as the saying goes.
So relax and read on to find out everything you need to know about choosing safety footwear for the warehouse.
As we’ve already hinted, the distinction between the various safety footwear products – shoes, boots and trainers – isn’t as clear cut as it used to be.
While executive brogue-style safety shoes still exist, the majority of safety trainers do look like you’d expect a pair of trainers to look, and a lot of safety boots are bulkier and made from super hard-wearing materials, there are also a lot of hybrid products out there.
This is because, as research into the ergonomics of footwear design has increased and new materials and manufacturing techniques have entered the market, it has become apparent that the requirements of many logistics and other workplace roles don’t fit neatly into requiring either ‘shoes’, ‘boots’ or ‘trainers’.
Instead, workers will find reputable manufacturers offering a much wider choice of types of safety footwear product representing different combinations of safety and comfort ‘must-haves’.
Basic safety features
Let’s start with the basics…
To be categorised as safety footwear, all safety shoes, boots and trainers must be accredited to the standard EN ISO 20345:2021.
This means they incorporate protective toe caps that can withstand a 200-joule impact (equivalent to a 20kg weight dropped 102cm) and resist compression of up to 1.5 tonnes.
Additional safety features
Additional safety features that may be incorporated include ankle protection, midsole penetration resistance, cut resistant uppers and a variety of anti-slip soles.
Where special hazards are present, safety footwear may be non-conductive, antistatic, and resistant to heat, cold and/or fuel oil.
Comfort features
Additional, optional comfort features that may be added include:
Choosing the best safety footwear for any individual worker means assessing the requirements of his or her specific job role against all these features to determine which combination is ideally suited to their needs.
Warehouse work may be broadly split into four types of roles, each with their own specific requirements. These are:
Those required to be on their feet all day, walking around
This includes workers picking and packing goods for despatch, those tasked with loading and unloading vehicles, and anyone else walking the warehouse floor all day long.
Must-have features: Good heel support, energy return soles, anti-friction technology, and breathable fabrics.
Those standing still all day, such as those engaged in processing returns, rework, or working on an assembly line.
Must-have features: Good arch support, breathable linings and cushioned soles.
Vehicle drivers, including forklift operators and delivery drivers.
Must-have features: Added ankle protection, shock-absorbing soles, and waterproofing.
Special hazards, including those working in extreme temperatures like cold storage and freezers
Must have features: The relevant safety footwear letter code to show exposure to that hazard is mitigated by wearing the footwear.
When it comes to choosing the right safety footwear, remember:
For more on this topic check out our comprehensive guide to all things safety footwear. You can also give us a call anytime and we’ll be happy to advise on the best option for your business’s specific needs.