Selecting the right steel toe boots for your workers
Wether you workers are at risk from hot objects, sharp objects or slippery surfaces in the workplace will determine which safety boots are required to ensure thier safety and for your company to comply with legislation.

Safety boots impact ratings
Steel toe safety boots are rated at either 50 foot pounds or 75 foot pounds meaning that the steel toe will protect your workers toes from an impact of 50 or 75 foot pounds.

Construction workers and road workers would need a safety rating of 75 to protect their feet from heavt objects and steel toe boots with a 75 rating would be essential safety boots for this type of worker

Steel toe boots compression ratings
Compreesion ratings of steel toe boots indicate the maximum amount of force that the steel toe of the safety boots can withstand without cracking or crushing. These compression rates are are required to be dispalyed on all brands of steel toe safety boots and range between 1 750 pounds and 2 500 pounds

Steel toe boots or composite toe boots The difference between steel toe caps and composite toe caps is primarily the weight of the toe cap with the composite toe caps being considerably lighter. Steel toe cap boots have become accepted in the indutry over a very long period as the safety boots of choice and could perhaps be that composite toe caps just do not feel heavy or strong enough to provide the required protection. This of course is a perception and composite toe boots with the same compression and impact ratings as steel toe boots will provide the same protection without the weight of steel toes. Composite toes boots are generally required in industries where electricity is a danger to workers and the steel toe boots would be more a hazard than a protective item.

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F2413-05 The minimum safety requirements for steel toe safety boots are described in these standards and includes not only impact and compression minimum requirements but shock protection, static dissipation and protection against punctures.

The most important standard requirements for steel toe safety boots are the compression and impact ratings and thereafter, industry dependent, the balance of the minimum requirement need to be met.

Worker safety is paramount importance in a litegous society and it is vitally important not only to protect your staff by providing them with the correct safety clothing for the job but to ensure that the safety clothing and in particular the steel toe safety boots you select comply with the minimum requirements lais down by the ASTM.

Injuries in the workplace where minimum requirements have not been met will not be covered by insurance