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Using Biomechanics to design Safety Footwear is a giant leap in the right direction.
Putting your foot in it, taking a wrong step, getting cold feet, getting itchy feet, having two left feet. We use a lot of foot clichés to describe situations, yet when it comes to looking after our feet, they often take a beating or are neglected entirely. Especially in the workplace.
Feet are incredibly complex with 26 bones, 33 joints and 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. That’s a lot of moving parts to keep you going. The average person will walk 185,000 km in their lifetime, meaning you’ll likely walk the distance of circling the globe over four times in your life. Your feet also take a beating in terms of load with an average day seeing hundreds of tons of pressure being put on them – the equivalent of a truck loaded with cement. And yet, many people don’t give much thought to their footwear. When it comes to the worksite, however, this is an area that we can’t afford to overlook.
According to Safe Work Australia, falls, trips and slips are responsible for a massive 23% of workplace injuries across trade industries, with a high number of these being traumatic joint, ligament, muscle or tendon damage. Safety footwear is essential but it’s often hard to design a boot that’s both safe and comfortable. The heavy steel toe that you need to prevent compression injuries means your feet are working extra hard just to get from A to B. And when you’re on your feet all day, that’s not ideal.
Blundstone, a well-established Tasmanian-based safety footwear producer, has turned to science to solve the problem - namely biomechanics. They embarked on a vast, multi-layered research project to understand consumer’s purchasing decisions, and to design the ultimate safety boot, to combat the most common and debilitating worksite injuries.
The three-year-long study looked at every aspect of boot design, how the foot and ankle move, and it also included an in-depth consumer feedback survey to bring all the elements together. “The research has shown without doubt that wearers want better performing work boots,” says Adrian Blandford, Blundstone’s Global Work & Safety Range Manager. “They want them to be strong, lightweight, offer good grip and manoeuvrability, as well as high protection for the user.”
From this, a collaboration with the University of Tasmania’s School of Health Science’s Biomechanics experts ensued. What they came up with was the RotoFlex® range of boots, which uses composite toe caps that resist compression and meet safety standards, but don’t weigh heavy on the foot.
They incorporated the findings of their study into four key features of the boot:
GripTek® HD
They started with the sole design using a unique polyurethane (PU) tread pattern that ensures stability on hard and graded surfaces. Along with that, the super-cushioned midsole provides zoned support, meaning you’ll need to use less energy to move around. This reduces fatigue which, in turn, can help reduce workplace injuries.
Fortalite®
This composite toe cap means that you can have ultimate safety from impact or rolling compression without the heavy weight of the steel toe. They achieved this by using a compression-proof Polymer composite material that can withstand immense pressure.
AirCell
The footbed is designed to activate ventilation by allowing air to be pumped between the toes, to the arch of the foot and the heel. This results in better air circulation and moisture control, and since your feet’s 250,000 sweat glands produce up to half a pint of perspiration a day, this is a much-needed feature.
SoftCell
The unique fit system is biomechanical designed to cradle the foot and improve stability, balance, movability and comfort. The use of Infinergy E-TPU, a super elastic energy foam from BASF, means you’ll have a form-fitting boot that’s snug but still allows space to move and reduces the impact of your steps, so your feet won’t tire as easily.
The RotoFlex range is available in four unisex styles and two women’s styles, with wearer trials available through Blackwoods’ safety specialists.
Blandford went on to say… “RotoFlex will be the benchmark for boots in the safety footwear market.” Maybe it’s time to take a load off your feet and give Blundstone a helping hand by investing in boots that will get the job done in comfort and safety.
This article first appeared in the latest edition of Safety Spotlight. For more safety articles like this one, click below to checkout the online version of the magazine.
