4 Reasons To Give Free Safety Shoes
Employees are one of a company’s most important assets. Providing them with the necessary tools and resources, like safety shoes, to do their job efficiently and with minimum risk is essential. Providing safe, reliable shoes for truck drivers and warehouse personnel is more than just a perk offered to employees by NOTS Logistics. Safety in the workplace is a top priority, and it starts from the ground up. In this blog article, we’ll discuss the importance of safety shoes and why we provide them to our employees.
Inside the Safety Toolbox
Rich Rothenbach is the Safety and Compliance Manager at NOTS Logistics, and he believes that safety shoes are one of the biggest tools in the safety toolbox.
“The possibility of bodily injury is a major factor in every aspect of the transportation and warehousing industries. Regular training is also part of our culture to re-enforce the hazards of slips, trips, and falls,” says Rothenbach.
At NOTS Logistics and other similar industries, safety footwear is required. All warehouse and transportation co-workers at NOTS Logistics must wear safety shoes while on duty. But at NOTS Logistics, the company culture goes beyond requiring the shoes – they actually provide them.
“Safety is the absolute number one priority of NOTS Logistics bar none. In my 40 plus years, I have never seen a company offer safety shoes to its co-workers. In other places, they are always required but never provided. Especially when folks can get them curbside”, says Rothenbach.
By curbside, Rothenbach means the company brings in a mobile safety shoe provider. Employees visit the shoe truck, which is essentially a rolling shoe store, and leave with their free shoes that day. Along with personal well-being, there are multiple reasons to give employees this necessary safety tool.
Top Four Reasons to Give Employees Safety Shoes:
1. Safety and Wellbeing – The obvious reason. Proper footwear is of the utmost importance to prevent slips, trips, and falls. In 2019, 888,220 nonfatal work-related injuries occurred with 27% of those caused by slips, trips, and falls. Having the right equipment, in this case, shoes helps reduce these incidents.
2. Demonstrate a Culture of Caring – Showing your employees that it is their safety that is important to you says a lot. While avoiding work-related injuries can certainly benefit the company in terms of insurance and other costs, placing a higher priority on your people’s well-being is what employees notice.
3. Regulations – While OSHA doesn’t have a safety footwear or slips, trips, and falls regulation specifically, there are guidelines contained in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D Walking-Working Surfaces. This section of the Code of Federal Regulation covers both same-level falls and elevated falls. Another regulation that applies to slips, trips, and falls is 29 CFR 1910.36 and 37 Means of Egress, which covers exit route safety. This standard outlines guardrail requirements, the importance of level walkways, and ice removal from exits to prevent slips.
4. Encourage the Safety Philosophy – Supporting and actively promoting worker safety can help individuals feel comfortable pointing out a potential hazard and act on protocols to prevent injuries or incidents without hesitation. In addition, help your workers recognize these hazards confidently with clear and frequent training.
“Having the Shoe Truck available to re-enforce the safety issue is paramount to our safety culture. The Shoe Truck Event is how the company, and the family that owns it, shows its true commitment to safety and its workers, of which I am proud to be a part of,” claims Rothenbach.
RECAP: Your Safety is Top Priority
Safety shoes are provided at no charge for certain employees because it is vital that our coworkers can protect themselves on the job. We know how important your safety is to you, and we’re committed to supplying you with the best gear possible so you can do what needs doing without worry or fear. If you’re looking for a rewarding career with great benefits, please learn more about joining our team: HERE.
