Canadian Occupational Safety

November 2014 29 Access at the University of Buffalo found that on wet and lubricated fl oors, polyure- thane soles provide more grip than synthetic, nitrile and natural rubbers. But the study also found that polyurethane does not perform sig- nifi cantly better than those other materials on ice. Meanwhile, "fl at cleats with the largest possible apparent contact area resulted in the highest friction readings on dry ice, and sharp cleats with very hard heel materials provided the highest friction on wet ice due to the formation of scratches," the report read. Thankfully, the task of identifying the best slip resistant footwear need not be completely baffl ing. SATRA, a United Kingdom testing company, offers helpful guidelines for manufacturers of slip resistant soles — and those guidelines can inform buying deci- sions for people who seek slip resistant footwear, too. According to SATRA, look for these tread traits: • a raised tread pattern on the heel and sole with a crosshatch or similar design • cleats or protrusions between 3 mm and 20 mm wide • grooves or channels at least 2 mm wide • a square heel breast, which is the heel's leading edge. Additionally, consider tread depth, which is the distance from the bottom of the tread to the sole. Look for treads that are 2 mm to 5 mm deep. Makers of slip resistant footwear also provide the coeffi cient of friction (COF) measurements for their products that can help employers, employees and safety managers fi nd the most appropriate shoes for the job. The COF is a measure of slip resistance — the higher the COF number, the more slip resistant the footwear. "Anything above 0.75 is considered to have good slip resistance," Huckle says. He explains that Dickies provides six COF measurements for its slip resistant offerings. Each number results from a test of the product on slick walking surfaces including steel, dry tile and wet tile. He notes that some customers request his company, Kodiak, test footwear on specifi c surfaces, such as ice. Kodiak uses a test developed by SATRA. The test takes into account the average weight and size of a wearer (91 kilograms, size 9 foot). It measures slip resistance in two ways: for the heel strike specifi cally and for the entire sole. The test also complies with the test method described in the CSA standard Z195-14, which covers protective footwear. TRACTION AIDS People who work mostly outdoors in winter condi- tions may need boots or traction aids with studs that can penetrate snow- and ice-covered surfaces. Some footwear manufacturers now use tungsten carbide instead of carbonite steel for studs, with good reason. "Tungsten lasts about eight times longer than steel, so you'll get more longevity," says John Savio, partner with Geroline in Fonthill, Ont., importer of Heelstop, a traction aid devel- oped by Finland's Devisys. As with other slip resistant products, the wearer's work is the key to fi nding the best fi t. For instance, people who spend most of their workdays outdoors traversing snow and ice would benefi t from traction aids that feature studs over the entire sole, says Jordan Bell, executive vice-president at Winter Walk- ing, a traction aid maker in Horsham, Penn. "You're pushing off with your toes," he says, describing the way people walk. If a traction aid only offers grip at the heel, "you're leaving half your foot out of the equation." But heel-only traction aids have their place. If a worker frequently transitions from outdoors to the cab of a vehicle, a heel traction aid provides grip on snow and ice, yet leaves the boot's rubber free to connect with the car or truck pedals. "It won't get caught on the brake or the gas," says Savio. "When you're climbing on and off equipment, it won't become a slipping hazard or a tripping hazard." Grip at the back of the foot is always important. Heel slips are the most common causes of falls, Savio says. "In a slip and fall, the weight transfers to the heel and the heel slides out to the front or the side and that's when you lose your balance. You can fall forward, but generally you have your hands to break the fall. You get hurt when you're not able to brace yourself properly," which is what happens when your foot slips out and you fall back or to the side. But what if a worker needs full-sole traction as well as the ability to walk safely on surfaces not covered with winter's worst? The "transitional" traction aid might be the answer, says Bell. This product features low-profi le studs that are long enough to grip snow and ice, but recessed so the sole's rubber components grab onto bare surfaces. "Even with minimal exposure of the stud, you still have better traction than footwear that has no studs," he says. Unlike slip resistant shoes and boots, no standards exist for traction aids. That lack of an industry bench- mark muddies matters for safety managers in charge of identifying the right product, Bell acknowledges. But he says standards would be diffi cult to establish. "The complication is the number of variables. No two walking surfaces are identical. No two job tasks, no two snow storms are identical." So employees, employers and safety managers can't rely on standards for help when it comes to traction aids. Instead, company representatives have to do their research and fi gure out which footwear is most appropriate based on the job. Effectively, "it's up to the safety professional to understand that not all traction aids are created equal," Bell says. That's true for all winter-weather slip resistant footwear, in fact. As Huckle points out, variables such as air temperature, walking surface and any prevalence of a substance that might spill and transform a surface into an ice rink all matter. So even though manufacturers provide COF mea- surements for certain products, safety managers and employers should still take the time to assess the wearer's job, carefully think about his footwear needs and use that information to identify the best option. Stefan Dubowski is a freelance writer based in Ottawa. He can be reached at dubowski@stiffsentences.com. Access at the University of Buffalo found that on wet and lubricated fl oors, polyure- thane soles provide more grip than synthetic, nitrile and natural rubbers. But the study also found that polyurethane does not perform sig- tions may need boots or traction aids with studs that can penetrate snow- and ice-covered surfaces. Some Look for the coeffi cient of friction (COF) measurements. The higher the COF number, the more slip resistant the footwear. 1 (289) 723 0338 heelstop@geroline.ca www.Geroline.ca Very easy on / off Safe to use while driving / climbing Industrial Quality Tungsten Carbide Studs Intrinsic model available 3M Hi-Vis SOLAS strip STAND UP TO SLIPS AND FALLS! Contact us today

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