Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Appropriate footwear is an important component to preventing slips, trips, and falls. The mining industry has been using safety-toe work boots for many years and the industry commonly accepts them as a safe choice of footwear given the workplace hazards and terrain. Recently, metatarsal boots are becoming more commonplace. A key feature of the metatarsal boot is the extension of the foot protection beyond the toe area to an area that covers the 1 st through 5th metatarsal bones. This added protection raises concerns with range of motion, proprioception, and overall flexibility of the foot. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted research to determine the effects of this added metatarsal protection on toe-clearance when ascending stairs. Participants wore hiker-style work boots of similar design and construction, one with steel-toe protection and the other with steel-toe and metatarsal protection. While wearing these boots, participants ascended stairs and the motion of their boots was tracked using a motion capture system. The distance from the toe of the boot to the edge of the middle step was determined. Results of the study are presented and implications of the research are discussed.
Keywords
Metatarsal boots, stair ascent, toe clearance, fall, trip
1. Introduction
In the U.S. mining industry, slips and falls are the second largest contributor to non-fatal injuries. Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) may be caused by a variety of factors, including workplace design, the presence of environmental contaminants, and inappropriate footwear. Footwear is an important component to preventing STFs because it is the primary interface between the mine worker and the physical work environment. Protective, safety-toe footwear has been used in the mining industry for many years, and it is commonly accepted as a safe choice of footwear given the workplace hazards and terrain of the mining environment.
Recently, mining companies have started to require the use of metatarsal work boots instead of the traditional safetytoe footwear. A key feature of the metatarsal boot is the added protection over the 1st through 5th metatarsal bones. This protection is in addition to the safety-toe feature of the traditional work boot that protects the phalanges. While metatarsal protection may be effective at protecting a greater portion of the foot from injuries, a common belief...