Employees who stand or walk for a prolonged
period during their work hours often neglect taking proper care of their feet.
As a result, they become more susceptible to different foot related disorders
and pain that can have a lasting effect on their overall health. These hazards
can not only lead to employees’ compensation claims, but may even trigger a
decrease in productivity and an increase in absenteeism. Hence, it has become
really important for employers to take care of their employees’ foot safety. Here
are five key steps that employers can implement to increase the foot safety of
their employees.
1. Job design:
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| Image Courtesy: Pexels |
1. Job design:
Good job
design can greatly help to avert fixed positions, particularly set standing
positions. An ideal job design should involve different tasks that demand the
use of different muscles and there should also be changes in body position
after a certain period (say 30-45 minutes). For example, job enlargement that
includes an array of tasks in an employee’s duties can help reduce the
probability of developing foot problems as it brings more variations in body
motion and positions. Another thing that should be emphasized upon is frequent
short breaks. When job redesigning seems to be impractical, these breaks can be
extremely helpful to alleviate many potential foot problems.
2. Workplace design:
Though
things like anti-fatigue floor mats may seem to be an ergonomically thoughtful
gesture to increase the comfort level of the employees, the bulky nature of
these mats can cause them to stumble over while moving across the workspace.
Ideally, these mats should be replaced with personal anti-fatigue insoles that
come with dual layer memory foam to enhance comfort. Employers should also take
care of floors that are constantly greasy or wet, uneven or heavily cluttered. Regular
cleaning and uncluttering of floors as well as periodic inspections to ensure
that the floors meet the comfort and safety standards, are crucial for
employees’ foot health.
3. Employee safety training:
Many
employees often think that they are safe from workplace injuries and thus,
ignore the importance of foot safety attire. For these individuals who often
tend to avoid wearing recommended rubber boots, puncture resistant insoles,
work boots, steel-toe overshoes etc, employers can consider certain steps to make
them adhere to foot safety regulations. For instance, a mandatory safety
training session conducted several times every year can help employers remind
their workforce about safety hazards and encourage employees to comply with
foot safety guidelines.
4. Constant reminders to play safe:
Often when deadlines are approaching, employees rush through tasks
and may feel tired or frustrated due to the stressful job environment. This, in
turn, can lead to foot injuries. Therefore, it’s crucial for employers to
conduct periodic sessions that emphasize on how safety and accuracy come first,
over a blind rush to meet deadlines that may compromise both the safety and
productivity of employees.
5. Stress on wellness program:
Fatigue and frustration have become two common issues in today’s
workplaces. Both of these bear a direct correlation with stress, which can
easily lead to injuries. Offering a wellness program (with emphasis on foot
safety) in the form of incentives not only helps to increase employees’
wellbeing but even exhibits that the employer cares about them.
Final
words
When an employee has been in the workforce
for a substantial time, it begins to take its toll. Proper foot care becomes
crucial to prevent stress and strain on the body as well as other associated
problems like degenerative joint diseases, reduced circulation etc. Apart from
implementing these steps, employers should also motivate their workers about
the fact that healthy feet is important at any age, and that it is never too
early to learn about how best they can take care of their feet.
