Road Safety week is 17th-23rd November 2014 and UK businesses are being encouraged to get involved to make our road users and drivers safer. Whilst we generally concentrate on our driving skills and how many of us really think about whether our footwear is suitable in the prevention of accidents?
One in four accidents on the road are by business drivers. Business drivers have collision rates that are 30-40% higher than those of leisure use.
Selecting and purchasing the right work wear supplies is of great importance to most businesses. Many companies have employees performing a variety of tasks in their normal working day. For example, someone working in a warehouse may also be the driver and delivery person. When a variety of jobs are performed by one person, it can make the task of selecting the right footwear a bit of a minefield.
Selecting any workplace clothing and equipment should always be based on an assessment of the risks. Think about how footwear design offers the best protection from the accidents and incidents that are likely to happen in your workplace. Where shoes are also used for driving remember that there will be a comfort requirement that allows the foot to move freely and allows for soft pedal operation.
Think carefully as we head into winter. You will need to take greater care when driving in wet weather. Slippery soles make it more likely that your foot will miss the pedal or slide off prematurely.
It is always a good idea to allow workers to be involved in the selection process. As a manager, you are far more likely to get staff to wear PPE if they have given some input in to what they would wear.
If you would like more information visit on footwear visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/oms/2009/03/om200903app6.pdf). If you would like advice about driver and fleet safety visit www.safetyforward.co.uk
A selection of protective footwear designed for driving can be found at http://gorillasafetyfootwear.co.uk/52-safety-boots-for-driving.