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Stepping up Miner Safety with the Right Work Boots
Oliver : 3 April 2025
It’s a running joke that in Australia, every creature under foot is a hazard. When it comes to the mining industry, however, the potential hazards...
Are your workers wearing the right safety footwear? Every day on Australian worksites, feet put up with a lot. From slips, trips and falls, to impacts from dropped objects, painful arches from standing all day in unsupportive shoes, or rubbing from new or poorly-fitted boots, to name a few.
Workers need fit-for-purpose footwear that not only protects from on-site hazards, but is comfortable and offers the support needed to help minimise fatigue during long shifts in demanding industries like mining, construction and manufacturing.
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What to look for in safety footwear.
Oliver Footwear is a premium choice for worker protection. Batch-tested to meet Australian standard AS 2210:2019, most models have a generous fit, with no ‘breaking in’ needed. The NANOlite® footbed is designed to help reduce fatigue. Purpose-built models suit different industries and applications. Important considerations for choosing safety footwear include:
- Slip resistance: Key work health and safety statistics for 2024 from Safe Work Australia show slips, trips and falls accounted for nearly 22% of serious work-related claims in 2023. The wrong footwear may be a key contributor to these incidents, which can result in cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations. The slip resistance of safety footwear is measured with three types of slip ratings – SRA, SRB, and SRC. Oliver Footwear offers the highest SRC-rated slip resistance for protection in slippery conditions and spill-prone environments.
- Heat resistance: Safety boots rated to withstand up to 300°C can help prevent heat-related injuries in mining, smelting, foundries, aluminium casting, welding, fire brigades and emergency services. Oliver’s specialised HS 66 series boots are designed for high heat environments. In more moderate conditions, such as in construction or auto repair, 130°C-rated footwear offers protection against burns and hot surface contact.
- Toe protection: Toe caps help protect from heavy objects falling or rolling onto the toes. Oliver’s NATUREform® Toe Cap is made with a wide profile for greater comfort. Choose from steel toe caps or composite toe caps, which offer the same level of protection but are lighter and won’t set off metal detectors.
- Metatarsal protection: Oliver’s PORON® XRD™ Metatarsal Guard provides lightweight, flexible protection against mid-foot impact injuries. Think large cable reels dropping onto the foot or pipes rolling off the back of a ute.
- 100% waterproof: Workers who deal with mud and standing water on mining and construction sites need waterproof boots that offer maximum grip. Oliver offers a range of 100% waterproof work and gumboots. The Oliver WB 22 Series and King’s 10 Series Safety Gumboots feature heavy-duty PVC/nitrile soles with extra-deep tread. The Oliver WB 24 Series Thermal PU Safety Gumboot features steel midsole penetration and metatarsal protection. The AT 65 Series is made of 100% waterproof premium full-grain leather.
- Chemical resistance: Workers exposed to hazardous chemicals, such as in gold processing plants, need boots that offer chemical resistance. The AT 65-490, AT 65-490Z and AT 65-493 are caustic-resistant boots that feature high abrasion and chemical resistance.
- Penetration resistance: Puncture-resistant soles help protect construction workers from nails and sharps, glass manufacturers from shards, and factory workers from metal swarf. Oliver Footwear features Q-Flex® technology in the AT 55 Series metatarsal styles, AT 65 Series and ST 40 Series. Q-Flex® incorporates a non-metallic insole that provides protection against penetration across the foot surface, while ensuring flexibility. STEELflex® steel midsole penetration protection offers a durable, strong alternative.
- Electrical hazard protection: Electrical hazards, static build-up and electrostatic discharge can pose a risk to workers – and expensive equipment.
Oliver safety footwear offers protection against electrical hazards, static build-up, and electrostatic discharge. Anti-static styles (AT 55, AT 65, PB 49) reduce static sparks. EH-rated boots (AT 45, WB 34, select AT 55/65) insulate against live currents. ST 40 joggers provide ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection for sensitive environments.
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Why it matters?
Brett Huggins, Product Development Manager at Oliver Footwear, says selecting the right footwear plays a pivotal role in preventing accidents and fostering a productive work environment.
“Protecting workers is top priority. Oliver footwear also offers superior fit, comfort, durability and performance. This boosts productivity, while helping prevent worker injury.”
Available at Blackwoods - Your safety equipment partner.
Blackwoods is proud to offer the Oliver Footwear range as part of our commitment to keeping Australian workers safe. As the country’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, we’ve got everything you need to protect your team. Talk to your local Blackwoods Technical Safety Specialist about Oliver Footwear and how they can help reduce risk on your worksite. Protect your people with smarter PPE, because safety should never be left to chance.
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