Why good grip is important for work shoes in any industry
Workers at factories, retail shops and even restaurants are often subject to strict wardrobe requirements. Not only do they need to adhere to specific dress code requirements, but they often also need to purchase certain kinds of shoes.
Non-slip shoes or even steel-toed boots are common requirements in the modern workplace. Your company might even insist that you buy a certain brand of work shoes, which might be quite expensive. Especially if your supervisor doesn’t make a point of enforcing the dress code, you might think that your footwear is the least pressing matter when you go to work every day.
However, those dress code requirements have a basis in both the company’s brand and workplace injury statistics. Your employer wants to protect themselves and, by extension, you from the consequences if you slip and fall while working. Proper grip is critical if a company hopes to minimize the number of slips and falls that affect workers.
Falls are a major source of workplace risk
Although severe workplace falls have a correlation with certain industries like construction, workers in any industry could fall while working. A nurse could slip on a waxed floor on her way to respond to a patient call light. Someone working in retail might fall down the stairs in the warehouse.
Sometimes, a fall is nothing but an embarrassing story. Other times, those falls result in noteworthy injuries. Falls remain one of the leading causes of workplace deaths and injuries. In 2019, the most recent year with federal workplace safety data available, there were 880 worker deaths because of falls. Another 244,000 workers got hurt badly enough to need time off of work.
Even if you are clumsy, a workplace fall can qualify you for benefits
When you get hurt at work, you can always apply for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault program, so it doesn’t matter if your mistake factors into your injury.
Unless you hurt yourself on purpose, you likely have a claim for benefits. You can receive both medical coverage and disability pay if you are unable to work after a fall. Understanding the basic rules of workers’ compensation can help you if you get hurt on the job.