How to Get Results from a Safety Footwear Program

Today, many companies have established safety goals that they desire to achieve. However, because of the many moving parts involved in running a successful program, they’re often unsure how to accomplish these goals. For instance, a safety footwear program must meet certain standards to be properly managed, executed and enforced to produce strong results. This requires tasks such as selecting the right safety solution, partnering with a hands-on safety provider and encouraging your team to actively participate in the program. Although these tasks may sound tedious, when executed correctly, companies can reduce up to 80% of accidents and lower their bottom line costs.

Read ahead to learn how you can most effectively drive results from a managed footwear safety program.

Partner with an ASTM compliant footwear provider.

In the United States, all occupational safety footwear must adhere to ASTM standards and guidelines. ASTM International is a highly regarded international standards organization that develops and publishes for a vast array of manufactured goods, systems and processes, and service concensus safety standards - including footwear safety that industries must meet.

ASTM standards are enforced by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), an agency of the US Department of Labor. As such, companies can incur penalties for non-compliance in the form of fines of up to $13,260 for serious violations and $13,260 per day for “failure to abate” violations. Additionally, repeat violations could cost up to $132,598.

Although ASTM compliance is mandatory, many companies still utilize outdated testing methods. These antiquated testing methods yield higher coefficient of friction (COF) scores that don’t accurately reflect the performance of the shoe in action. Partnering with an ASTM compliant safety footwear provider guarantees that employee footwear has undergone the proper testing protocols to ensure the protection of their safety shoes. When your team is secure, your company’s safety ratings will improve and you’ll reap the benefits of your safety shoe program.

Require your employees to wear slip-resistant footwear.

A safety shoe program, like any workplace program, requires strong employee participation to achieve the best outcome. There is a direct correlation between employee engagement and the success of your safety footwear program. A 2016 Gallup study showed that companies ranking in the top quarter of employee engagement had 70% less safety incidents than those in the bottom quarter. This study proves that the higher the employee engagement in your safety footwear program, the fewer workplace accidents.

One way to boost employee engagement and drive results is to foster an environment in which employee safety is prioritized. This can be achieved by requiring each team member to wear slip-resistant footwear while on the job. In a 53-month study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), slip-resistant shoes were proven to significantly reduce workers’ compensation claims for slip injuries. Workers who were given slip-resistant footwear experienced a 67% reduction in slip-related injuries. On the other hand, workers not wearing slip-resistant footwear increased their likelihood for sustaining an injury by 14%.

By making slip-resistant footwear mandatory, you can improve the results of your company’s safety shoe program.

Partner with a provider who offers customizable safety solutions.

A tailored safety footwear program is more effective in helping companies achieve their safety goals than a generic, one-size-fits-all solution. When you collaborate with a managed footwear safety solution provider, you can more easily create a plan that reflects your company’s values and goals while achieving results. Therefore, partnering with a corporate safety footwear provider who offers a customizable program designed specifically for your company is important.

Choose a provider with a dedicated account management team.

The success of your company’s safety footwear program is heavily dependent upon the provider you select. A hands-on provider with a dedicated account management team can make a significant different in the performance of your safety shoe program. Managed programs utilize your internal data–such as employee and location file feeds– to create customized reporting and metrics to measure the results of your program. For example, a safety footwear provider who offers comprehensive, on-demand program analytics and reporting can help you pinpoint your employee’s level of participation and compliance. This safety shoe type of reporting can help you determine potential areas of improvement so that you can achieve the desired results from your safety program.

When a company invests in a corporate safety footwear program, they intend to see significant and consistent results (i.e. reduce supermarket worker accidents). These results can be achieved by taking steps such as choosing the right safety program provider for your company, creating a strong safety culture to boost employee engagement and using an account management team to help you manage your goals and stay on track.

To ensure safety shoes quality, visit our Corporate Programs page to learn about our safety footwear programs.