So I hear 
I say this with envyâŚ
You canât wear them? Why, company policy? Iâm sure my company policy also says âsteel toeâ but whoâs going to know whether theyâre steel or composite? They still have a hard toe box in them. As soon as I discovered the non steel toeboots like 5 years ago I havenât looked back. Unless somebody wants to see the little tag that was on the boots when you bought them buy whatever you want.
Just do like the deckhands in Houston do. Shorts and flip flops. Safety 3rd
[QUOTE=New3M;91247]You canât wear them? Why, company policy? Iâm sure my company policy also says âsteel toeâ but whoâs going to know whether theyâre steel or composite? They still have a hard toe box in them. As soon as I discovered the non steel toe boots like 5 years ago I havenât looked back. Unless somebody wants to see the little tag that was on the boots when you bought them buy whatever you want.[/QUOTE]
So if you are involved in an accident and suffer injury and are not wearing steel toe boots when company policy told you to, what happens then?
They might try and raise some hell about it but as long as the shoe meets the same ANSI standard as a regular steal toe you are covered if and when it goes to court.
The company policy says steel toe only. I could try to risk getting away with it, but our company issues us boots and it would be too risky using a different pair. I guess steel toes are safer⌠I wouldnât want to risk my job for it thatâs for sure.
I wore shorts & tevas in the summer in charleston on deck for years. No issues, had docksiders on boat for when the boss showed up. I see no issue with shorts on deck of a tug.
The boots I wear are ANSI approved and I challenge someone to tell me if Iâm wearing steel toe or composite toe (while Iâm wearing them) without cutting them open. Iâm also of the belief that if it comes down to needing a steel toe box to save your toes, itâs too late for your toes. Whether theyâre steel or composite or titanium youâre still going to have no toes at the end of the day. Of course the same could be said for hard hats - theyâre good for nothing more than bump covers, but if youâre not wearing it the insurance wonât pay out!
Not trying to get in a pissing match about your ANSI boots, I can tell you are very proud of them. And I agree that without cutting them open nobody would be able to tell the difference.
With no personal experience in the offshore or commercial side, I was asking what a company stance would be if your titanium boots didnât protect you ⌠And the titanium boots werenât company approved PPE.
My experience with PPE comes from the fire service, where common sense and logic like you use in your statements are in short supply.
Haha Iâm not proud of them but I do find them much more comfortable to wear, mostly because of the weight savings.
Iâm not sure what the company stance would be. These titanium/composite/safety toes are supposed to have the same qualifications as steel toes. Our accident form has a question on it about âwere you wearing proper ppe?â to which i would answer yes. So if something happened and I was asked if I had steel toed boots on, Iâd just tell them yes and let them figure out what my boots are made out of. Iâm not at work now to find out exactly what our company policy says about steel toes, but youâve made me curious and when I get back ill look into it. I believe it says âsafety shoesâ and doesnât specify steel, but I could very well be wrong. We donât get issued boots, but they reimburse up to a point and I think the ANSI info is involved in that, but I just submitted a receipt last year and got my money back no questions asked.
Those company policies usually say that they [safety boots] must cover the ankle & have a leather upper. Most mariners should realize by now that half of us opt to also carry the slip-on safety toed loafer style shoe.
If they checked your boots, which they would in the case of serious injury⌠You would be fired. And you may have to go through a lot of BS to get your doctor bills paid for by somebody else but you. Bottom line, you arenât using company approved ppe. Not that it makes it safer, it just covers your ass, your job, and possibly your wallet. Plus, maybe those steel toes can help me shed some of this holiday weight off of my gutâŚ?
[QUOTE=âPikuptruk;91965â]If they checked your boots, which they would in the case of serious injury⌠You would be fired. And you may have to go through a lot of BS to get your doctor bills paid for by somebody else but you. Bottom line, you arenât using company approved ppe. Not that it makes it safer, it just covers your ass, your job, and possibly your wallet. Plus, maybe those steel toes can help me shed some of this holiday weight off of my gutâŚ?[/QUOTE]
Most of the time âsteel toeâ is slang for a company policy that says âsafety shoes metering ANSI standardsâ. A company would have a hard time defending a policy that refused to honor ANSI standards and common industry practice and the injured person would probably win in court.
Not when their policy states âOnly steel toed boots will be permitted aboard all offshore company installations.â Most are at will companies, and they will gladly fire you on the spot because they can. And they wouldnât have a hard time arguing anything in court with their high priced attorneys. The company I work for has not lost a single case regarding foot injuries since their lace-up steel toe policy was set in place. And they DO look at every piece of ppe your wearing. The settlements have saved them more money than paying the employee disability claims. They have spent the dough on the research, and they have WAY too much money invested in safety to deal with guys trying use the ANSI excuse. Plus if you screw up and get hurt, you ruin any chances of getting the saftey bonus that year for that installation, you, and all of your shipmates. You will be the most popular guy on ship/rig (not in a good way). Donât be that guy. My advice for you (not that your asking for it) or anyone else reading this would be to follow your Companyâs policy.
worked with a guy in NY doing bunkers, he was a rather large fellow and got caught bunkering a cruise ship in shorts and flip flops, no shirt and his huge fish belly hanging out the front and plumber crack hanging out the backâŚtruely a sight to beholdâŚespecialy when the company we were working for had a few people on the cruise ship and took some amazing pictures of himâŚtruely classic
[QUOTE=Pikuptruk;91985]Not when their policy states âOnly steel toed boots will be permitted aboard all offshore company installations.â Most are at will companies, and they will gladly fire you on the spot because they can. And they wouldnât have a hard time arguing anything in court with their high priced attorneys. The company I work for has not lost a single case regarding foot injuries since their lace-up steel toe policy was set in place. And they DO look at every piece of ppe your wearing. The settlements have saved them more money than paying the employee disability claims. They have spent the dough on the research, and they have WAY too much money invested in safety to deal with guys trying use the ANSI excuse. Plus if you screw up and get hurt, you ruin any chances of getting the saftey bonus that year for that installation, you, and all of your shipmates. You will be the most popular guy on ship/rig (not in a good way). Donât be that guy. My advice for you (not that your asking for it) or anyone else reading this would be to follow your Companyâs policy.[/QUOTE]
Coming from a shipyard background the issue of âsteel toeâ versus composite in a safety shoe gets a lot of attention especially among welders and electricians. a simple cut through the leather exposing the steel to high amperage current can be a deadly avoidable situation. I would also think that once out in Saltwater this risk of electrical shock could increase significantly. Just my .02âŚ
Steel toes do not pose a threat to welding. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though.
[QUOTE=Pikuptruk;92233]Steel toes do not pose a threat to welding. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though.[/QUOTE]
Every pair of Safety Shoes that has a rating for Juice has had Composite Toes. My last company would allow you to wear either type.