Construction Team – 10/11/2016
Footwear for working on a construction site are not all the same. They have different requirement levels, which depend on their usefulness and the activity performed by the worker, being classified as occupational footwear (the simplest ones), safety footwear, and protective footwear (which require a higher performance level).
According to Ricardo Rodríguez da Silva, sales supervisor for Kadesh Calçados Profissionais, a brand of the Imbipar Group, depending on this classification, the footwear includes different performance levels, such as impact and puncture protection and resistance to compressive loads (not applicable to occupational footwear), in order to provide the appropriate safety for each workplace.
Safety footwear corresponds to the set of items necessary to ensure the minimization of these risks. The electrical protection characteristics of footwear, for example, are diverse (conductive, antistatic, and electrical insulating).
At the 21st International Safety and Protection Fair (Fisp 2016), held in October in São Paulo, Kadesh highlighted the Composite Line, featuring safety shoes and boots with composite toe caps and puncture-resistant insoles. Composite is a material made of carbon fiber, glass, and special polyester, containing no metallic components. The material resembles plastic, but can have superior resistance to steel.
According to Silva, composite is one of the new developments in the professional footwear market. The toe cap offers the same performance as the traditional steel one (up to 200 joules) in protecting against a falling tool on the worker's foot, for example, in addition to being lighter and ideal for work in electrified areas, as it is non-conductive.
“The main characteristics of composite are its lightness and versatility of application, especially when compared to a similar steel material,” says Silva. He notes that accidents on construction sites related to electricity are still very frequent.
The trade fair also featured footwear with a non-metallic aramid fiber insole, resistant to punctures and impacts.
Meanwhile, Bompel launched the special Infinity line at Fisp 2016, featuring a dynamic design for controlling and absorbing movement impacts. Soft and efficient, the line's sole absorbs impact, helps balance posture, and minimizes plantar pressure. It is designed with an angle suited to the shape of the feet, allowing greater stability, safety, and comfort for continuous use. Made of dual-density PU (double layer), it guarantees high traction and abrasion resistance on any surface. The heel uses Shock Absorber technology, which minimizes impact in the heel area. It is slip-resistant and oil-resistant. Meanwhile, the design of the treads and sharp side edges provide grip in wet and muddy areas, facilitating the drainage of liquids and debris, while the inverted tread design on the front and bottom of the sole assists with foot propulsion and braking.
Marluvas Calçados has expanded the model and color variations of the footwear in the Premier line, which also features a dual-density PU sole with an impact absorption system in the midsole and heel region. The line also includes an anti-torsion system to provide greater support to the ankle and sole of the foot, ensuring stability on uneven terrain and when climbing stairs, thereby preventing accidents.
Essential features
Each of the footwear items used for working at the construction site (shoes or boots) is designed for a specific purpose and carries some important characteristics, such as whether they are recommended for use in low or high temperature, dry or wet, slippery or rough locations.
What determines where these footwear items will be used is, for example, the treatment given to the leather, the lining, the stitching, and especially the sole, which can be single-density (1 layer of PU) or dual-density (2 layers of PU).
Footwear made of cowhide leather with a dual-density sole tends to be more durable, expensive, and comfortable than those made of split leather and a single-density sole. However, they are adapted to the heavy wear and tear they will endure. In civil construction, where exposure to mechanical agents (metal structures, masonry) and chemical agents (cement, lime) is constant, durability is also a factor in favor of leather footwear with a double PU layer.
Evaluation Certificate
Whatever the choice of the ideal footwear, it is required to have a registration number, the CA (Certificate of Approval), issued by the MTPS (Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare).
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