Hard work is deeply rooted in human history. For centuries, men and women have been building the world around us through tough, manual labor. When the Occupational Safety and Health Act passed in 1970, labor forces made the workers’ safety a priority. As stipulated in this act, OSHA requires that employers ensure each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, and when an employee’s feet may be exposed to electrical hazards. By meeting these standards, employers can help to make sure that their most valuable assets—their employees—are safe at their job day in and day out.
To keep up with the new safety demands, boot manufacturers began to improve upon the basic safety boot. Today, many safety toe boots are available in steel, composite (carbon fiberglass) or aluminum alloy toecaps. Few materials can meet or exceed the strength, resilience and elasticity of steel, which makes it the most common material for safety toes. The majority of steel toe boots are made to meet the American Society for Testing and Materials standard, commonly known as ASTM F2413-11 M I/75 C/75. This standard certifies that the boot is impact resistant to 75 foot-pounds, compression resistant to 2500 pounds of pressure, and approved by the ASTM as protective toecap footwear. Steel toe boots are crafted with a layer of protective metal infused in the toe which ensures long-lasting safety.