If you are on your feet all day, you need to take proper safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries. Foot safety is important no matter what type of industry you work in. It’s also important to pay attention to the comfort of your feet if you are working with a disability and you need extra support while you work.
Being able to identify the supports that you need so that you can put them in place is vital for your comfort and your ability to work. If you’re on your feet all day long, your shoes should be comfortable and your feet shouldn’t be in any pain. If you are dealing with any level of pain, then you need to first look at your footwear and then look at the circumstances in which you are working.
Are you working a job that you could sit down in? Then you probably could just switch to a good footwear for when you are on your feet. If you’re working on your feet all the time, especially if you’re a nurse or a doctor, then looking for Crocs for work could help you to be more comfortable. No matter what you do, understanding that we’re in the right footwear helps you to keep your feet happy in the workplace will be the first step you take. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can keep your feet comfortable when you work.
- Consider your footwear. Safety starts with you so wearing the right footwear is critical for foot safety in the workplace. The shoes that you wear should provide you with support and protection for your feet, be slip resistant with good arch support, and be made of excellent waterproof materials. If you’re in a construction site, steel toed boots have their place and that’s to be on your feet to prevent falling objects or heavy machinery from crushing them. The right footwear doesn’t just protect your feet, but it helps to prevent any accidents. In some circumstances, your employer should provide appropriate footwear.
- Inspect your shoes. You should be regularly inspecting your footwear for signs of damage or wear. You shouldn’t be wearing shoes that could leak to work, because if you’re working with liquid or materials that are hazardous, that’s not going to be good for your feet. With regular inspections you can identify any potential issues as they come up and so you can then replace your footwear as necessary. Ideally your employer should be reminding you to check your footwear. Their inspections will ensure that your footwear isn’t falling apart without you knowing about it.
- Add a layer of protection. There are certain jobs where foot protection on top of your shoes may be required. This includes the steel toed boots we mentioned earlier, safety boots or safety shoes. This can add protection for your feet and prevent injuries and your employer should provide the appropriate foot protection. Concerned that your feet don’t have enough protection in the workplace? Raise it with your employer and your HR department. They can then do a risk assessment to determine whether you need additional support than you’re already getting.
- Know the hazards of the job. If you’re working with sharp objects or head free machinery then you know that your feet are going to be at risk no matter what you do. But if there’s wet slippery surfaces or you’re dealing with heavy machinery that you have to lift, then that adds another layer of issues that you have to consider. Take precautions to avoid all of these hazards and you slip resistant shoes and take extra care when you work around the heavy machinery.
- Take regular breaks. If you want your feet to remain comfortable, you need to get off of them from time to time. With regular breaks, you can rest and stretch your feet so that you can prevent injuries and improve your foot health. Employees should be encouraging this, so take your shoes off and give your feet a thorough rub and stretch before you go back on the floor again.
- Practice foot stretching. Stretching your feet before and after work doesn’t just help your feet to stay comfortable, but it improves blood flow and reduces fatigue. If you’re on your feet all day, the tension in the muscles can make your feet feel stiff and sore, but you should be encouraged to take a few minutes to stretch your feet before and after work so that you can feel more comfortable. You want to improve flexibility and prevent stiffness, so start rotating your ankles, flexing your toes, and massaging the soles of your feet.
- Learn how to lift. If you want to reduce the stress on your feet, then you need to use proper lifting techniques for handling heavy objects. This prevents further injury and this includes learning how to bend at the knees, not the waist, to keep the object close to your body. This will help you to distribute the weight evenly and reduce the stress on your feet and legs. Your employer should provide you with proper training on safe lifting techniques, and they should also take you through the training that helps you to understand why it’s so important.
- Keep em clean. Maintaining good foot hygiene is just as important as anything else to prevent foot infections and injuries. You don’t want to deal with ingrowing toenails or blisters while you’re trying to work because all that does is put extra strain on your feet, which you really don’t need. There should be facilities on site for you to maintain foot hygiene and change your socks if necessary. If your feet get wet, the last thing you want to have to deal with in the workplace is trench foot.
- Don’t ignore pain. If your feet or toes are in pain while you work, it’s important that you don’t ignore it. This could be an early sign of a conditional injury that requires treatment, and your employer should encourage you to report any pain or discomfort that you’re experiencing. If you know that it’s because of a poorly fit shoe, take yourself to a professional to get your feet measured properly.
*This is a collaborative post
