Steel toe work boots or safety boots are one among the most popular of worker boots available. They are most preferred in construction sites and other kind of industries. However steel toe work boots or safety boots are not just limited to industries nowadays instead they are used by hunters, military personnel and increasingly becoming fashionable among heavy metal rock bands.
Steel toe work boots or safety boots can be best described as highly durable work boots with a steel reinforcement at the toe combined with a strong sole plate. Together these two aspects provide safety from falling and rolling objects as well as it protects the worker from punctures and piercing. Traditionally for the reinforcement at the toe, steel is used. However there are model that use other composite material and strong plastics like thermoplastic polyurethane. At present there a lot of models to select from when it comes buying a set of safety boots. These improved models tend to strike a fine balance between toughness and comfort. The use of cushioned forefoot and heel strike zones aids in comfort as well as in enabling proper posture. safety boots also tend to incorporate certain characteristics in them that make them highly suitable for particular industries. However when one is purchasing a set of steel toe work boots its always better to check if the company that is manufacturing the steel toe work boots tend to qualify according to certain industrial standards. An example is that of the American industrial standard according to which steel toe work boots are supposed to qualify it is popularly known as the ASTM standards.
As mentioned before with most steel toe work boots or safety boots tending to have additional protective characteristics, they are represented by certain symbols on the outside. The symbols representing these characteristics are often specific to a particular a country. Here are a few of the symbols used in the US according to the ASTM standards –
Green or yellow triangles mean that the steel toe work boots have toes of class 1 and class 2 specifications respectively with a puncture resistant sole.
A white square with an ohm symbol on it indicates that the steel toe work boots have electrical protection.
A yellow square with SD written in it indicates that the steel toe work boots provides anti – static protection.
A red square with C written in it indicates that the steel toe work boots are electrically conductive.
A fir tree symbol indicates that the steel toe work boots offer protection from chain – saws.
Similarly many countries have their own symbols to represent similar characteristics as the ones mentioned above. This has widely been facilitated due successful legislation i.e. most of the developed nations have passed laws that make it mandatory for workers to wear protective gear in hazardous work environments. Conclusively the importance of protective gear like a set of steel toe work boots cannot be stressed enough in a hazardous work environment. Legislation and the establishment of hazardous work standards should be established in all nations.