Safety footwear protects feet against a wide variety of injuries. Injuries resulting from impact, compression, puncture, and slips, trips and falls are the most common types of foot injury at work. The appropriate type of safety footwear for an environment depends on the types of hazards that are present. Before buying safety footwear, it’s important to evaluate the work environment for risks such as foot or ankle injury from uneven or slippery walking surfaces, extreme hot or cold, exposure to water or other liquids, or exposure to rotating or abrasive machinery.
The type of electrical hazard(s) present is another important factor to consider when choosing safety footwear. Electrical injuries, electrocution (fatal), electric shock, burns and falls, may occur as a result of contact with electrical energy. In addition to injury, an electrical discharge may spark an explosion or fire or damage sensitive electronic components or equipment resulting in latent or catastrophic failure.
Safety footwear is often marked as Electrical Hazard (EH), Static Dissipating (SD), or Conductive (Cd). This indicates the type of protection technology the safety footwear provides from electrical hazards in the workplace. Appropriate electrical protection is determined by the work environment in which the footwear is used. Wearing footwear ill equipped for the electrical hazards present at a workplace is dangerous. It’s important to recognize the differences between EH, SD, and Cd footwear and to know what type of protection your work environment demands.
The following is a brief guide to help identify the correct type of electrical protection for safety footwear at work. If you are unsure, it’s a good idea to visit a safety footwear retailer to discuss the differences and for help choosing the right protection for your specific work environment.