Safety shoes, occupational health

[Elf&Safety]

Hi there,

I have recently introduced occupation safety shoes to one of our production areas after a risk assessment. The shoes are the same brand that the had before, with addition of around 15g in weight due to the cap.

An operator claimed that his new shoes gave him a bad back, he sits down most of the day and walk / on his feet for less than 2 hours per day. I sent him to occupational health the next day to get their professional opinion who deemed that the shoes "could have" caused the back pain. He tried wearing them for 4 days only.

Although i am highly dubious of his statement, and the cause, i cannot go against the fact that oc health have said it's possible. I am now having to find him alternatives, however my concern is that he will keep saying they are not suitable. Anyone been in a similar situation or could offer advice on where i stand with this?

[bedds]

Hi Elf..

I've not had this issue, but I've had an operator complain about the supplied PPE.

I guess the starting point here is what are the issues,
Is it that the employee doesn't like the style of the footwear (boots or shoes)
Do they need to wear them?

I'd suggest that you try and work with them on this, it would almost be useful to go over the top in terms of allowing them to choose, obviously having company standards would be beneficial (I have a PPE policy if you want something).

If you have a safety committee this is a worthwhile subject to bring up, engage with the operator and try and get them involved, paint it that you want to ensure others are aware of the potential (stay friendly) and would they help. I've done something similar and it's surprising how these things can go quiet... Consider bringing in a PPE supplier to talk through options, if you set a budget then you are usually provided a good range of styles.

If there is a cultural issue in terms of not having had to wear them before, then I guess the best approach is to provide evidence as to how the decision to introduce protective footwear was reached, if operators were involved in the assessment process then this helps to satisfy some concerns come backs.

I hope this helps in some way

Ian

[stephen1974]

I find that wearing safety shoes affects the way I walk and I guess that could have consequences else where.
Its a little hard to try stuff on these days as so much is bought over the internet but perhaps work with the employee to find shoes he is comfortable in. See if he is willing to find his own pair, which of course the company will pay for.

If not, perhaps a personal risk assessment that looks at the hzards they might face if they dont wear the shoes and what else you can do. Of course, thats a can of worms once others find out.

(sarcasm mode on) Or do what most employers do. Find a way to fire him. (sarcasm mode off) dont do this.

[Essex]

Two issues:

[toecutter]

There's always some sort of friction whenever you introduce or change any PPE. Used to have a certain type of person at my old work who would inevitably find some sort of Occ Health issue with whatever we asked them to wear. Luckily our OH provider had little patience for timewasting and usually sent them packing. Not saying your guy's at it, necessarily, but we all know it happens. Either way, you've got the Occ Health report so you've got to go with what it says, haven't you? Like others have said, work with the individual to find a solution that works, and make sure he's aware of the risks and why the safety footwear's necessary. If it's an issue of weight, maybe look at polycarb or Kevlar ones instead of steelies?

[bedds]

Two issues:

Really? sorry, but that is an appalling attitude

[Andyblue]

Would it be fair to say that a range of suppliers was trialled before purchase for everyone? Or was it more a prescriptive supply? Is it the same make/type that you are wearing and if so, is there a wearing in period the employee may not have appreciated.
I wonder what instruction or guidance the Occ Health was given when discussing the matter with the employee. The response seems to be so vague and yet treated as such a persuasion. Is there a reason why we don't ask the Occ Health how or why this particular boot or a generic boot is 'possibly' a cause for backache. Could it be the employee has suffered from a medical issue before but used this as the catalyst to report an issue. I can appreciate how a poorly fitting boot could make them change their gait and in turn change how they stand and carry which in turn leads to poor posture and backache.

[stephen1974]

damn, i missed the offensive parts

[Siblo]

Just my two pence

All good options, but DO NOT let peeps go out and choose their own and then claim the cash back.

Despite the CE markings and claims on the box, some, even from big shops like the pile it high sports shops, are of a really poor quality and rarely last more than a couple of months before stitching unravels.

Then staff want time off to change them "because i'm not going in my own time when you are supposed to supply them" or you end up buying 4 pairs a year. And the staff still think its a great idea because they get to pick their own.

Sorry rant over, hope it helps.

[LittleNell83]

One other thing to consider trying is the use of insoles in the shoes.

Depending on why the safety shoes are causing trouble- I know mine are wider than normal female shoes so use thick socks (as you would hiking boots) - I have size 8 feet so ended up with men's boots, but also if its a stability issue then insoles can help with this and possibly therefore help with the back problem as well, if they are walking weirdly.

You can do a simple gait check which sounds odd but that would help with identifying whether insoles can help. Basically, get them wet their feet to step on a piece of plain A paper, you can see an outline of their arch/ foot print and that can identify if they need extra support in a certain area of the shoe.

Random suggestion, but could help.

Nell

[stephen1974]

Just my two pence

All good options, but DO NOT let peeps go out and choose their own and then claim the cash back.

Despite the CE markings and claims on the box, some, even from big shops like the pile it high sports shops, are of a really poor quality and rarely last more than a couple of months before stitching unravels.

Then staff want time off to change them "because i'm not going in my own time when you are supposed to supply them" or you end up buying 4 pairs a year. And the staff still think its a great idea because they get to pick their own.

Sorry rant over, hope it helps.

I appreciate where you are coming from but you cant fit a square peg in a round hole and PPE needs to be fit for purpose. If the stuff you are buying in for them doesnt fit properly, you have to find a way around that. If you want to guarantee the quality, then put together a range of products they can look at, and if that doesn't work, you can get them to tell you what they want, you can then research it and see if its up to standard, but you cant have people in equipment that doesnt fit if it is causing them problems.

I struggle with this because I have in credibley short legs and wide feet. So off the shelf trousers never fit and I need EE fitting shoes which are hard to come by from your bog standard supplier.

[Essex]

Maybe I should explain myself.

1. In my opinion, from what has been said this guy is at it. A bad back from wearing shoes after only eight days? I am sorry but he is playing up and trying to put obstacles in the way. I would put money on this person having a list of issues with management in the workplace.

2. For the occupational therapist to not even give a decent answer indicates to me they are useless. Yes of ccourse the shoes 'could do' but what are the chances? Extremely slim in the time frame this person has worn the shoes. For me this is a cop out and instead of using their skills to give an accurate professional appraisal they have just said 'well they could do'. I am sure the company are not paying for that kind of service.