403 - Foot Protection
- Safety-toed footwear is defined as safety shoes or boots that have a protective toe cap meeting the performance requirements of ASTM F2413, ASTM F2412 or ANSI Z41. Any ASTM/ANSI Z41 approved safety-toed footwear is acceptable. Steel toes are acceptable, but composite (non-metallic) safety-toed footwear is recommended so they do not require removal when transitioning through metal detectors. Airport-friendly safety shoes (typically marked with an airplane) are designed to be free of a metal sole shank, which can sometimes be in a composite-toed safety shoe.
- Safety-toed footwear shall be worn by all personnel
performing industrial work activities on site (inside and outside the protected
area). Example work activities include:
- Maintenance activities
- Construction areas/activities
- Warehousing activities
- Moving compressed gas cylinders
- Electrical activities where employee’s feet are exposed to electrical hazards
- Lifting heavy equipment, containers, boxes, etc.
- Training activities that present foot hazards due to falling or rolling objects
- Using carts, dollies, hand trucks, etc. to move materials
- Carrying heavy tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, torque tools, valve wrenches, etc.
- Carrying containers (cans, pails, drums, or cases) of lubricants, chemicals, etc.
- Grounds activities, such as operating mowers, brush cutters, weed eaters, chain saw, or similar equipment.
- Rigging activities
- Powered equipment operation
- Forklift operations
- Providing field
supervisory oversight of these example work activities.
Note: New nuclear plant construction shall follow the requirements of the project construction site.
- Employees performing low-risk activities inside
industrial areas, such as inspections, security patrols, control room
activities, system walk downs, routine travel through plant areas, or other
similar activities where no foot hazards have been identified, are required to
wear, at a minimum, sturdy work shoes. These requirements are not applicable to
visitors participating in limited plant tours in defined tour areas; however, visitors’
shoes must have a closed toe and heal no more than 1in.
Sturdy work shoes are defined as follows:- Footwear made of strong, durable materials that provide protection against abrasions, chemical irritants, oils, and limited impact forces. Leather is the most common material that meets the criteria.
- The shoe must have full toe and heel that covers the entire foot.
- Soles shall be
slip-resistant.
- Dress shoes for men and women that have leather or smooth soles or high heels do not provide protection from slipping.
- Shoe types not permitted include but are not limited to clogs, open-toed shoes, moccasins, heels greater than 1 in., sandals, and other shoes not intended to be worn in an industrial work environment.
- Employees who cannot wear required safety-toed footwear due to an established medical impairment shall contact Medical/FFD Services. All exceptions to safety-toed foot protection requirements must be approved by the SNC medical director. If approval is granted based on medical necessity, these employees must wear sturdy work shoes whenever the use of safety-toed footwear is typically required but shall not be assigned work tasks where there is a danger of foot injury.
- General footwear may be worn while in office areas,
classrooms, locker rooms, lunchrooms, and company medical facilities unless
posted otherwise.
General footwear is defined as:- Shoes in good repair
- No flip-flop style sandals (except for showers)
- Some special work activities may require the use of special foot protection. In performing these activities, you will be furnished with foot protection instead of or in addition to safety shoes. Examples can include toe protectors, protective overshoes, nonconductive soles, or rubber boots.
- Safety-toe overshoes are
limited to the following applications:
- In the training environment where the training activity involves the danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects.
- For visitors when appropriate safety-toed footwear is not available, and their activity involves the danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects.
- In situations when a temporary replacement is needed, or safety shoes have been contaminated.
- When operating jack hammers, portable compactors or similar equipment, ASTM/ANSI-approved strap-on metatarsal protection shall be worn in conjunction with safety-toed footwear for additional foot protection