Revision 6/08 Foot Protection

§1910.136

Employees have to wear protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, and where employees’ feet are exposed to electrical hazards. In the foot protection standard, OSHA requires that safety shoes and boots must meet the protective criteria defined in the ANSI Z41-1991 standard for both impact and compression protection.

However, in 2005, two new industry standards for protective footwear, ASTM F 2412, Test Methods for Foot Protection, and F 2413, Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective Footwear replaced ANSI Z41, which was withdrawn. The ASTM standards contain minimal changes from the withdrawn ANSI Z41-1999 standard with regard to test methodology and will permit the continued use of safety and performance standards previously provided in the ANSI document.

The ASTM standards continue the long-standing effort to protect against toe, metatarsal, and foot bottom injuries and contain expanded information on upper Class 50 and Class 75 toe protection performance requirements. The major performance characteristics that have changed are the removal of those for Type II Static Dissipative and Class 30 for impact and compression requirements.

Since the withdrawal of ANSI Z41, all new footwear found in compliance with the ASTM F 2412-05 and ASTM F 2413-05 standards may be labeled as such. References to the old ANSI Z41 can be replaced with labeling indicating that the footwear is compliant with the ASTM standards for new products. OSHA’s protective footwear regulation at §1910.136(b) continues to require that footwear purchased after July 5, 1994 has to meet the construction criteria established by ANSI Z41-1991, or be demonstrated by the employer to be equally effective.

Safety shoes or boots with impact protection would be required for carrying or handling materials such as packages, objects, parts or heavy tools which could be dropped, and for other activities where objects might fall onto the feet. Safety shoes or boots with compression protection would be required for work activities involving skid trucks (manual material handling carts) around bulk rolls (such as paper rolls) and heavy pipes, all of which could potentially roll over employees’ feet. Safety shoes or boots with puncture protection would be required where sharp objects could be stepped on, causing a foot injury.

According to the BLS survey, most of the workers in selected occupations who suffered impact injuries to the feet were not wearing protective footwear. Furthermore, most of their employers did not require them to wear safety shoes. The typical foot injury was caused by objects falling less than four feet and the median weight was about 65 pounds. Again, most workers were injured while performing their normal job activities at their worksites.

For protection of feet and legs from falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces, and wet slippery surfaces workers should use appropriate footguards, safety shoes, or boots and leggings.

Aluminum alloy, fiberglass, or galvanized steel footguards can be worn over usual workshoes, although they present the possibility of catching on something and tripping workers. Heat-resistant soled shoes protect against hot surfaces like those found in the roofing, paving, and hot metal industries.

Leggings protect the lower leg and feet from molten metal or welding sparks. Safety snaps permit their rapid removal.

Other foot and leg protection

Other options for protective footwear include:

• Shoes and boots with instep protection;
• Insulated boots for protection against extreme temperatures;
• Boots with built-in ankle protection;
• Rubber or plastic safety boots that are effective against water, oil, acids, corrosives, and chemicals;
• Foundry shoes with elastic gores rather than laces to provide easy removal in case sparks or hot metal get inside; and
• Add-on protections such as metatarsal guards, shoe covers, rubber spats, strap-on cleats, and puncture-proof steel inserts.

Aluminum alloy, fiberglass, or galvanized steel footguards can be worn over usual workshoes, although they present the possibility of catching on something and tripping workers.

Heat-resistant soled shoes protect against hot surfaces like those found in the roofing, paving, and hot metal industries.

Leggings protect the lower leg and feet from molten metal or welding sparks. Safety snaps permit their rapid removal.

Other types of hand protection

Finger cots that protect a single finger or fingertip.

Mitts with two divisions, one for the thumb and another for the fingers.

Thimbles that protect the thumb or the thumb and first two fingers.

Hand pads that protect the palm of the hand from cuts, friction, and burns from hot objects. These can’t be used when manual dexterity is required.

Sleeves or forearm cuffs protect the arms and wrists from heat, splashing liquids, impact, and cuts.

Hand lotions and barrier creams are best used with gloves or finger protection and should not be considered a substitute for gloves.

Protection factors 

Type of glove	Protection
Rubber	Acids, bases, caustics, solvents, diluted-water solutions of chemicals, alcohol — high resistance to cuts
Canvas or cloth	Dirt, wood slivers, sharp edges
Metal mesh	High resistance to cuts and scratches
Insulated	Electrical charges
Heat-resistant	Heat and flames
Lead-lined	Radiation
Hypo-allergenic and powder-free	Skin problems in workers with allergies
Cuffed	Liquids trickling down into the glove
Nitrile (synthetic rubber)	Oils, many solvents, esters, grease and animal fat — high resistance to cuts and abrasions
Neoprene	Broad range of chemicals, oils, acids, caustics and solvents — less resistant to cuts, punctures and abrasions than nitrile
Polyvinyl chlorine (PVC)	Acids, caustics, alkalis, bases and alcohol — good abrasion and cut resistance (some types are susceptible to cuts)
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)	Aromatics, chlorinated solvents, esters and most ketones — resists cuts, punctures and abrasion (PVA breaks down when exposed to water and light alcohol)
Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) also called flat film gloves	Highly resistant to chemicals and hazardous materials — little resistance to cuts and tears (usually worn as a liner under PVC or nitrile gloves)
Butyl	Acetone and dimethyl formamide — not useful against cuts, punctures, and abrasions
Vitron	Benzene, methylene chloride and carbon disulfide — little resistance to cuts, punctures, and abrasions

Revision 6/08 Hand Protection

§1910.138

Select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when their hands are exposed to hazards such as:

• Skin absorption of harmful substances,
• Severe cuts or lacerations,
• Severe abrasions,
• Punctures,
• Chemical burns,
• Thermal burns, and
• Harmful temperature extremes.

Base your selection of the appropriate hand protection on the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the tasks to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified.

Gloves are often relied on to prevent cuts, abrasions, burns, and skin contact with chemicals that are capable of causing local or systemic effects following dermal exposure. But, there is no one glove that provides protection against all potential hand hazards, and commonly available glove materials provide only limited protection against many chemicals. Therefore, it’s important to select the most appropriate glove for a particular application, determine how long it can be worn, and whether it can be reused.

It is also important to know the performance characteristics of gloves relative to the specific hazard. These performance characteristics should be assessed by using standard test procedures. Before purchasing gloves, request documentation from the manufacturer that the gloves meet the appropriate test standard(s) for the hazard(s) anticipated.

Other factors to be considered for glove selection include:

• Replacement: As long as the performance characteristics are acceptable, it may be more cost effective to regularly change cheaper gloves than to reuse more expensive types.
• Work activities: Study how the employee performs job tasks to determine the degree of dexterity required, the duration, frequency, and degree of exposure of the hazard, and the physical stresses that will be applied.

When selecting gloves for protection against chemical hazards:

• Determine the toxic properties of the chemical(s);
• Generally, any “chemical resistant” glove can be used for dry powders;
• For mixtures and formulated products (unless specific test data is available), select a glove on the basis of the chemical component with the shortest breakthrough time, since it is possible for solvents to carry active ingredients through polymeric materials; and
• Be sure employees can remove the gloves in such a way as to prevent skin contamination.

Maintenance

Teach employees to wash hands often to prevent a build-up of sweat and dirt. It’s this combination that can cause skin irritation for the glove wearer. Check gloves for cracks and holes, especially at the tips and between the fingers and replace worn or damaged gloves promptly. Keep gloves clean and dry as much as practical and it’s a good idean to keep a spare pair of gloves for unexpected damage or loss.