Five Steps to Ensure Your Employees’ Foot Safety

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.

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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.

5 Indications That Your Feet Need A Podiatrist Right Away

Your feet are probably one of the most overworked yet under appreciated parts of the body. You may not realize how important they are until they suffer from dysfunction, discomfort or pain. Suddenly, even walking may seem like an uphill task. Most people do not see a podiatrist until the problem becomes unbearable. But this delay can spell trouble for your feet, and at times, even to your overall health. Here are five indications that need the immediate attention of a podiatrist:

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      1. Conditions affecting your normal activity:

If you experience pain in your feet every time you move around to perform normal activities, you may have a foot injury that has not healed properly. Without prompt and proper treatment, this injury can get worse over time and may make it increasingly difficult to live your normal, active life.

      2. Structural problems with bones, muscles and more:

Structural problems with bones, muscles and different connective tissues do not heal themselves. Instead, they only get worse if left untreated. These problems often happen due to mechanical dysfunctions that can lead to protruding bony prominence and gradual shift in the bone alignment. Once these things happen in one part of your body, they can impact other areas significantly, especially when they are connected just like how your feet, knees, ankles, and hips are. These appendages can trigger crucial discomfort in your overall health, since you walk upright on the feet.

      3. Numbness, tingling or burning sensations:

These things can be symptoms of neuropathy that can trigger decreased sensation in the feet. If your feet feel numb rarely, it should not be a big cause for concern. But if they are happening quite regularly, you should head straight to a podiatrist. If the numbness is accompanied by burning or tingling sensation, it can be a sign of nerve damage – a condition that diabetics are particularly susceptible to. Diabetic neuropathy is something that needs immediate attention of a podiatrist. Or else, it can put you at a higher risk of developing foot ulcers.

      4. Sore or wounds that refuse to heal

If you have a wound or an open sore on the ankle or foot, you should see your podiatrist. This is  particularly important if you have diabetes because such conditions would then take longer to heal. You will have a better chance of timely healing if you consult a podiatrist immediately and get the recommended treatment started. If you have an open sore for a prolonged time, your risk of getting a bone or skin infection increases.

      5. A lump/bump/mole that grows or hurts

A mole that bleeds, gets bigger, or changes color needs to be examined by a podiatrist closely to identify the key reason. A bump or lump that hurts and grows should also be looked at by a podiatrist. It may turn out to be a sort of cyst, but there is also a probability of it being something more hazardous like a tumor. Though tumors in the feet are rare, they do occur sometimes.

The health of the feet is crucial to your overall wellbeing. Podiatrists have years of professional training under their belts, making them highly qualified to care for your feet. No matter how small your ankle or foot condition is, if you observe any of these conditions, it is important to have your podiatrist diagnose the problem right away so as  to that ensure your quality of life doesn’t get comprised.

Five Tips for Buying Football Boots This Summer

With the impending football season, there is a rush among football novices and pros alike to shop for their football boots. If you take the sports seriously and want to play at your best, while staying away from foot injuries as much as you can, these tips to buy your best football boot would surely help you: 

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        1.   Getting the right fit while wearing your kits: Purchasing boots is best done while wearing the kits that you will use on the field. So, have your thick, footy socks on (which are different from your regular ones) when trying out a new pair of football boots. Wear your ankle braces and shin guards too in case you wear them when playing football. 

        2.   Selecting the material carefully: Investing in leather boots would mean having a comfortable footwear since they usually stretch to match your feet’s contour. Buying synthetic boots that don’t get deformed easily would ensure durability. You should ideally stay away from boots made of cheaper materials like plastic as they generate excessive friction, thus increasing your feet’s chances of being rubbed and getting blisters. The general rule while buying football boots is to steer clear of lighter materials since they don’t offer your feet adequate support.  

        3.  Getting the boots professionally fitted: Buying footballs boots isn’t just picking any one that catches your fancy.  Rather, you have to consider several factors like your foot shape, gait, player position, foot function and history of injuries, if any, to buy the best pair of boots that will meet your personal requirements. The ideal step is to consult your podiatrist and get your boots professionally fitted for injury prevention and optimum comfort. 

        4.  Deciding on the type of studs: While boots with screw-in studs are ideal for wet and/or soft grounds where you need a better grip, those with molded studs (which are shorter than screw-in studs) are best for dry and/or hard surfaces. You can also look for boots with changeable or multidisciplinary stud patterns that can be adjusted based on the game’s variable conditions, and the surfaces you play on. 

        5.  Wearing them in: You should never wear new boots on your game day. The norm is to wear in your boots gradually. The ideal time frame for wearing a new pair in is two training sessions at the least, before you wear them on your match day. 

Apart from the above, you should ensure to wear your orthotics (in case you are advised by your podiatrist to use them) while getting fitted for the new pair of boots. Even when testing a new pair, you should have your orthotics on. Those who need to wear orthotics could choose boots with a removable insole since that would let them make some room inside. 

Football boots are available from different manufacturers in a wide range, and you can buy many through online stores. But since you need to try them on with your playing kit for the right fit and may even need some customized changes to suit your individual needs, it’s best to buy them from brick-and-mortar stores.