What are the Different Types of Safety Boots?
Safety boots, like such as safety gumboots, protect the wearers from physical, workload, chemical, and other risks in the workplace. They are durable and flexible, made from non-conductive material to protect users from workplace and environmental hazards. Safety boots are often safety-toed, metatarsal, electric hazard, and have steel insoles.
This article features these top four safety shoes and how they differ from each other. We’ll define what makes the best option for specific industries.
4 Types of Safety Boots and Where You Can Use Them
With several options available, picking the best features for your safety gumboots is tough. Let’s define the different types of safety boots mentioned earlier and how they ensure safety and protection in the workplace.
Electric Hazard Boots
Electric hazard boots, as the name suggests, protect you from the dangers of electric shock and fatal electrocution. These boots are best for industries that deal with circuits, electric wiring, and high-voltage machinery.
Electric hazard-rated boots use non-conductive materials, like leather, which protect the wearer from electric charges. Some safety boots have steel toe caps enclosed with thick layers of rubber or other insulators. This feature allows the shoes to protect workers from other risks, such as punctures or falling debris. They are also water, heat, and slip resistant.
Steel Insole Shoes
Steel insole shoes can come in slip-on gumboots or lace-up safety boots. Their defining features are the steel inserts that help the feet maintain their structure and stability. Steel insole boots are ideal for strenuous tasks or activities requiring strong legwork. Additionally, these metal reinforcements prevent joint and bone problems. These boots are a must-have pair for heavy truck drivers and bikers for extra protection.
Metal Instep Footwear
Metal instep footwear can shield your feet from outward injuries caused by sharp objects. These include nails, glass shards, and exposed metal blades. Such hazards are common in manufacturing, construction, shipping, and any industry where workers operate heavy machinery daily.
Metatarsal Safety Boots
Finally, the metatarsal safety boots protect the upper part of the feet. This protective footwear is one of the most durable and reliable shoes worn by workers in the construction industry. These shoes are tough enough to protect you internally and externally from drop hazards.
Most of these boots have metal caps. However, modern metatarsal safety boots have composite soles. These soles provide lightweight yet equally durable protection that their metal counterparts can offer. Metatarsal safety boots combine the durability and flexibility of different impact-resistant materials, such as plastic, fibreglass, and nano carbon fibre.
Remember, these boots are guaranteed to protect you from hazards. They might even save your life one day. But only if you do your part.
For starters, don’t hesitate to invest in quality footwear. It may be relatively costly compared to regular running shoes, but trust us, a pair is worth every dollar!
More importantly, before you buy safety gumboots online, please do your research. It’s important to ask for recommendations and get your pair of boots from an industry-recommended safety shoe store near you.
