Safety in the workplace can be a hot button issue. There are often strict regulations that must be followed, and while these rules can often seem bothersome and it can feel as though work gets held up or slowed down because of them, they are, of course, in place for a reason. Ask anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of being injured on the job due to negligence or being in violation of safety procedures. Particularly if you are working in construction, in a factory, or in other environments where heavy or dangerous equipment or situations can be present, it is a good idea to closely follow those safety guidelines.

Protect your feet with composite toe boots

Naturally, in a hazardous work environment, you will be quick to protect your head with a hard hat, and if necessary your eyes with safety glasses, your eardrums with plugs, and perhaps even your lungs with a mask. But not everyone thinks about their feet, though they are just as important, if not more so. They are your body’s base, getting your from place to place, but they are made up of some of the body’s most fragile bones.

As a matter of fact, there are 26 bones in the foot, along with 33 joints, 19 muscles, and 107 ligaments. This complex system should also be protected in dangerous work areas. Composite toe boots do just that, much in the same way that steel toed boots protect your feet, but are more ideal, naturally, if you need to avoid metal for any reason.

What are composite toe boots?

Composite toe boots are the protective footwear that could be the more comfortable work boots for many. The protective material in the toe is made of a lighter, non-metal material that can consist of plastic, carbon fiber, Kevlar, or fiberglass. They essentially do the same job that steel toed boots do, but there are a number of reasons why workers may not want metal in their footwear, from travel through airports and security metal detectors to jobs that require a lot of work with electricity, for which steel toed boots could too easily become a conductor.

There are also many work environments in the great outdoors and in extreme conditions, where metal could be a hindrance, freezing your toes in cold weather, and burning them in extreme heat such as that which wildfire fighters regularly experience.

Finding the right fit for your feet

On a typical day, an average person can end up walking about 10,000 steps. On the other hand, a laborer or construction worker can end up with a grand total of over 30,000 steps by the end of his or her day. Comfortable boots are important for the sake of your feet and how their support and your gait affect the rest of your body, but if they are not protected when an accident occurs, you will discover a whole new level of discomfort. In searching for the perfect work boot, you will want to not only consider the environments in which you will be using them, but also be sure that they provide the perfect balance of mobility and support. Walk in them a bit before you first break them onto the work scene so that your feet can start to adjust.

On average, an employee will spend about $70 each year on protective footwear. And yet this number is nothing compared to the costs that are associated with workplace accidents. If these types of accidents were reduced even by just 10%, there would be about $60,000 in savings per year. Your safety, and your overall health and wellbeing that result, are incredibly important and should be given priority.