Essential in many working areas, accident- prevention shoes born to protect who wears them from various kind of risks, in addition to meeting the comfort needs that workers have spending the most of the day standing.
Working footwear are indispensable and mandatory PPE (personal protection equipment) in work places where foot are daily exposed to risks as:
- Slipping
- Burns
- Electrical shocks
- Rush
- Crushing
Many models include the presence of a tip or reinforced toe cap against the crushing risk in order to protect the foot from the possible fall of heavy or contusive/blunt objects.
Commonly, when it comes to think about an accident- prevention shoe with tip, the first think is to classical leather working boots, typical of construction sites and workshops. Yet, impact and crushing accidents are risks also in work places where the safety goes hand-in-hand with the need to frequently clean and sanitize the equipment: just think about medical, hospital, or food sectors; but also nursing homes, restaurants, canteen kitchens and all the environments where the threat of food contamination and the spread of pathogen agents must be absolutely avoided.
Then clogs with reinforced toe become the solution of this double requirement: with an easy-cleaning and anti-crushing clog we obtain an incredible flexible and practical object, able to meet countless challenge.
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Tip and different protection levels
Steel, aluminium, composite material, glass or carbon fiber: not all the shoe tips are the same, considering both materials and performance.
Concerning the risk of crushing and perforation there are indeed two protection levels, referring to two different regulations, the EN ISO 20345 and the EN ISO 20346.
EN ISO 20346 refers to footwear with a tip resistant to crush up to 100 joule: it corresponds to the same force exerted by the fall of an object 20kg heavy from a high of half meter. For a higher level of security, the EN ISO 20345 legislation requires a crush resistance up to 200 joule, the level of force equal to that exerted by a 20 kg object falling from a high of one meter.
In addition to weight resistance, the end use of the footwear plays an important role in the appropriate choice of toe cap.
If you are looking for a shoe that is also fire resistant, you will have to opt for a steel or aluminium toe cap, while if you are looking for a non-magnetic, light and dielectric shoe, the best solution will be a fibereglass or carbon toe cap, or a composite toe cap.
We should be aware that some materials (steel and aluminium) are sensitive to metal detectors, while others (composite and glass and carbon fiber) perform less well in fire tests.
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Classic microfiber shoes
Among the many existing models of work footwear, white microfiber shoes are very popular in the food and Ho.Re.Ca. sectors, but also in the health, hospital and nursing homes sectors.
The must-have variants of this basic line are sabots, lace-ups and loafers.
The strong points:
- Comfort: they are lightweight, breathable and flexible.
- Easy washing: they are machine washable
- Protection: they protect against contact with bacteria and contaminants, as well as the risk of slipping; they prevent back and leg pain and the onset of postural problems.
The toe cap variants also have a protective function against crushing and puncture.
The importance of the reinforced toe cap can be understood when thinking of cooks struggling with pans, knives, and/or heavy or sharp instruments, of physiotherapists intervening in the walking of patients; of intermediate care technicians who, in addition to walking, are responsible for distributing meals and moving canteen trolleys, etc.
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The SEBS rubber clog with toe cap innovation
White microfiber shoes are a must-have line in any workwear specialist’s catalogue: Reposa offers the Reposa Nurse, Reposa Medical and Reposa Work models, designed to meet the needs of all those professionals looking for a comfortable, lightweight and easy-to-clean shoe.
All three models are available with or without a composite toe cap, and meet the standards of EN ISO 20347:2012 and EN ISO 20345:2011 regulations.
The continuous research and refinement that has always characterized Reposa’s production has led to the evaluation of other materials and other designs to respond even better to these requirements of comfort, safety and hygiene. This is how the Reposa Safe rubber clog with reinforced toe cap was born: an innovation that is a colourful, practical and sterilizable alternative to the classic leather or microfiber sabot.
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Which are Reposa Safe’s strengths?
- Softness and elasticity: made of soft thermoplastic rubber (SEBS), it guarantees a comfortable and pleasant fit while walking.
- Easy washing and sterilization: SEBS rubber does not retain dirt and is resistant to washing even at very high temperatures, allowing sanitization even in an autoclave (121°-134°)
- Resistance: SEBS rubber resists ageing and chemicals, as well as abrasion, particularly on the sole and toe.
- Protection: thanks to the anti-crush toe cap and its impermeability, the foot remains isolated from contact with infectious substances, oils and grease. The SRC certified anti-slip sole also prevents the risk of slipping.
- Colour: an additional feature of the SEBS rubber is that can be produced in different colours, which you can discover by visiting our catalogue.
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Who is Reposa safe intended for?
Suitable for OSS and physiotherapists in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as canteen and kitchen staff, Reposa Safe complies with the EN ISO 20345:2011 standard, which certifies the ability of this PPE clog to:
- protect the feet from impact and crushing, caused by objects falling or rolling on the feet
- resist perforations caused by stepping on sharp objects or protruding angles
- keep the foot isolated from the cold and from falling hot or oily substances
Other features of this versatile Reposa model include:
- Antistatic
- Energy absorption in the heel area
- Non-slip sole
It is also designed for the insertion of a thin removable insole (purchasable separately) and, on request, for the incorporation of a traceability microchip.