Safety footwear protects staff from a variety of potential risks in the workplace; that’s why they’re crucial in every industry. Whether you’re a chef, waitress or food production worker, safe and durable footwear is essential.
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure the business has a safety policy in place that protects employees from injuries. Here’s how to plan and write a safety shoe policy for your business.
- Clearly Highlight Your Policy
- Mention the Safety Shoe Required
- Include the Date of Implementation
- Assign Responsibility and Highlight Outcomes
- The Procedure and General Comments
Clearly Highlight Your Policy
Before you put your shoe safety policy into practice, you need to know the 12 safety footwear requirements. This will ensure both you and your employees wear the safest footwear possible that meets your requirements.
The 12 safety footwear requirements include everything from metatarsal protection to slip-resistance ratings, so it’s essential to understand these first.
Next, highlight what your policy is and what you’re trying to prevent in your workplace. For example, your business might be a restaurant and you could be trying to improve safety in the kitchen. Examine your workplace and speak to team members to determine the hazards they often face on a typical day. Use these dangers to work out what changes you need to make to keep staff safe.
Dolce81 is a safety shoe that's waterproof and puncture-resistant.
Mention the Safety Shoe Required
Once you have clearly highlighted the hazard your safety policy is targeting, mention which shoe styles can keep your employees safe. For example, you could highlight a slip-resistant shoe you’d like all staff to wear. It’s important to note that what’s right for one industry may be different from the next.
Even in the same industry, varying roles will require different shoes. For example, a chef will need something waterproof while a waiter or waitress will need something that looks smart and is slip-resistant.
Include the Date of Implementation
The next crucial step to planning and writing a safety shoe policy is to include the date of when the policy comes into effect. The implementation date should give employees enough notice to prepare for the changes.
It doesn’t need to be in great detail at this stage. Simply outline the month and the year of when the policy will be implemented.
Liberty is a casual shoe that's slip-resistant and easy to clean, perfect for those staff members who do a lot of walking.
Assign Responsibility and Highlight Outcomes
It’s also important to assign the shoe safety policy to somebody within the business. They can remind employees about the changes, update them on progress and regularly purchase new styles if necessary.
Outline exactly what you hope to achieve by introducing the safety shoe policy and its positive impact on the staff’s work environment. If a team member knows exactly what you’re trying to achieve, they’re more likely to support the changes.
The Procedure and General Comments
Detail the steps that are being implemented, what the procedure will be and what each staff member needs to do to adhere to the policy. No matter your industry or size, every business can benefit from clearly highlighting safety procedures.
The shoe safety policy of your business should also include some general comments that will answer any potential questions the employees will have, all in one place.
These might include how they can return or exchange their slip-resistant shoes if the size is incorrect.
The Cambridge III is ideal for managers. Not only does it look smart, but it’s durable too.
When creating your safety shoe policy for your business, ensure it clearly defines your goals and follows an effective guideline. This will help make your policy a success and also make it easier for employees to follow. The next step is to find safe and comfortable footwear.
This doesn't need to be a time-consuming task. To help you decide which shoes to recommend for your team, we’ve put together a helpful guide.
The Ultimate Guide to Slip-Resistant Shoes
To avoid slips, trips and falls, safe, durable shoes are important for all workplaces. Our guide contains everything you need to know about picking the right shoes for the right role. Click the button below to get started.