When Should Safety Footwear Be Replaced?

Imagine getting ready for work each day, putting on your safety shoes or work boots, and not realizing that your feet aren’t being protected. This is what happens when you are unaware of when to replace your safety footwear. Not to worry, our safety footwear experts at Mister Safety Shoes are here to share the top signs to look for so you can always be protected on the job.

Safety footwear is designed to protect workers’ feet from injury but can only do this when safety shoe or work boots are in good condition. This might seem obvious but is often forgotten in our busy, day-to-day work.

Although there are no specific dates or times that safety footwear should be replaced, as this depends on the nature of your work, there are 3 factors to consider:  1) regular wear and tear;  2) damage; and 3) usage. Here’s a quick look at each:

Regular Wear & Tear:
Are there any visible signs of damage? This can include holes, tearing, or rips.
Can you see the protective toe cap showing through the shoe or boot material?
Are the bottom treads wearing down and becoming smooth?
Are any of the inner protective guards showing? Or are seams detaching?
Are you sliding or slipping when you walk?
In general, do they feel less supportive than they did earlier?

If the answer is YES to any of the above then it’s time to look at replacing your safety footwear

Damage:
When it comes to safety footwear, you must always remember how much your shoes have already gone through. For example, has something been dropped on the protective toe of your safety footwear recently? If so, the protective integrity can be damaged. It is imperative to remember that there doesn’t have to be a visible dent in the toe for protection to be compromised. Often, the impact of something falling on the toe can dislodge the toe cap without it being visible. If your safety footwear has undergone any workplace incident  they should be inspected closely and you should consider replacing them.

Usage:
Workers have different job demands and work conditions and spend different amounts of time on their feet which leads to varying levels of safety shoe wear and tear. If you work long hours in extreme work conditions you may need to replace your safety footwear more frequently than someone who works indoors in dry conditions or someone who only wears their safety shoes or work boots part-time. Either way, all workers should perform an inspection of their safety footwear. And while most workers do not need to replace their safety footwear every 6 months, it is always a good idea to take a good look at them after a minimum of 6 months’ use. This will give you a good indication of the level of wear and tear.

At Mister Safety Shoes, we are committed to helping find the best safety footwear for workers. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have or contact our business solutions team if you’re looking for a safety footwear program for your company.

You can also shop at any of our retail locations in Ontario and Alberta. For the safety of our customers and staff, we are strictly adhering to the guidelines necessary to keep you safe and ensure all our stores and mobile service remain safe too. We’re all in this together!