by chitra chavan Thousands of maritime crew members, galleys operators and ship environment workers travel through amongst many other challenges in one of the worlds harshest environmental work places, the deck of a ship. The waves rolling constantly, with spray russhing onto you from the ocean everywhere you go, walking across wet, greasy galley floors and wet decks, slipping and falling has become one of the primary sources for injury at sea and it can be almost entirely avoided by using anti-slip galley safety shoes.
Rehann Marine designed for the special challenges at maritime industry, the anti-slip galley safety shoe is not just a piece of personal protective equipment, but also an invaluable resource to help reduce your risk of serious injury.
Key Safety Challenges in the Marine Industry
There are many unique hazards associated with the marine industry. Such as:
Wet and greasy surfaces: Galley floors, engine rooms, and wet decks will always be slippery because they’re covered in either water, cooking oil, grease, and/or marine residue. Therefore, slip-resistant footwear will not provide much traction on these types of surfaces.
Constant motion: When you’re on a moving vessel the pitch (the front of a ship moving up and down) and roll (the side-to-side movement of a vessel) will regularly change your center of gravity. This can cause you to lose your footing even while on a “dry” surface.
Extreme temperatures: A ship’s galley will be some of the hottest temperatures possible, while depending on weather conditions outside chances are you could be subjected to some extremely cold temperatures (while performing open deck duty). Therefore, the footwear worn should maintain good structural integrity and grip over such a wide range of temperatures.
Confined spaces and cluttered areas: Due to the size of vessels, they do not have much room to walk around in. When you combine narrow hallways, steep staircases, and very cluttered engine rooms there are many trip hazards creating an environment where you require protective toe caps and/or ankle support.
Chemical exposure: Many types of chemicals are used to clean and/or fuel your vessel as well as saltwater, which are all things that could damage unhealthy pairs of footwear in a short time, therefore making the worker vulnerable.
Why Marine Workers Need Anti-Slip Galley Safety Shoes
Many pairs of shoes that people call ‘safety shoes‘ cannot endure the requirements of working on a boat or ship. It’s important to consider some important characteristics when choosing these types of shoes for working in a shipboard galley or on a ship’s deck. These are :
1. Excellent Anti-Slip Outsole
The outsole of a anti-slip safety shoe is the most important thing. Shoes need to be rated to slip-resistance test standards. Look for shoes tested and rated to meet the internationally recognised slip resistance standards (SRC) EN ISO 20345, which test the shoe’s performance on ceramic tile with sodium lauryl sulfate and also on metallic surfaces such as steel with glycerol. Marine-grade outsole designs often have deep, multi-directional lugs that will chanel liquid away from the surface they are made for, so your shoes will maintain their hold to the deck and be usable on wet and oily surfaces.
2. Steel or Composite Toe Cap
Objects falling are a fact of life in both galleys and machinery rooms on a ship. Steel or composite toe caps rated to protect from at least 200 joules of impact will assure that you will have adequate protection from being crushed by having heavy objects fall on your feet while not being so heavy of a construction that they will make it difficult to do your job.
3. Water and Oil Resistant Upper
The upper part of the shoe should have either full-grain leather or high quality synthetic materials that have been treated to resist water, oil, and other chemicals that could come into contact with the shoe. Both materials, when treated, will provide your shoe with added strength as well as keep your feet dry.
4. Support and Stability
Because boats and ships move, shoes worn on ships or boats should have adequate support to the ankle in order to reduce the chance of rolling or twisting an ankle while walking on an uneven surface or while the boat or ship is rolling.
5. Resistance to High Temperatures
The staff in a galley works very close to hot stoves, ovens and boiling water. Footwear containing heat-resistant outsoles (i.e., outsoles that can withstand direct contact with an object that is greater than or equal to 150 degrees C for a limited amount of time) is a critical form of protection while performing cooking and food service tasks.
6. Puncture Resistant Midsole
Glass shards, fish bones, utensils that have fallen off the counter and unpicked-up pieces or metal debris that is present in any marine environment can puncture a standard sole. A reinforced midsole that offers resistance to puncture can create an additional level of protection for foot injuries.
7. Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Footwear worn in the galley takes continuous abuse. A smooth surface or easy-to-wipe surface and/or an antimicrobial liner will assist in meeting the sanitary standard established by maritime food safety regulations.
Marine Industry Must-Have: Anti-Slip Galley Shoes
Be sure you have the right fit. Shoes that do not fit properly will create fatigue and instability in your feet. Spend some time selecting a shoe that is the proper width, has appropriate arch support, and allows for adequate space for your toes, especially if you are working on long shifts.
Break in new shoes before using them for more demanding work duties. New shoes may cause blisters and discomfort. Break your shoes in on less arduous jobs before you wear them for an entire galley shift.
Properly store shoes, and do not leave your shoes in extreme heat or direct sunlight. Extreme heat and direct sunlight can damage the rubber outsoles and materials used in synthetic shoe construction.
The marine industry has a culture of safety and the use of anti-slip galley safety shoes is just one part of a complete maritime safety programme. These shoes play a role in keeping all people working on galleys, decks, and in engine rooms safe during their workdays. The right industrial safety footwear will greatly increase your chances of having an incident-free and safe day at work.
When you are several miles away from the nearest hospital and are working on a surface that never stops moving, cutting corners on what you wear on your feet is not an option.
If you are looking for certified anti-slip marine safety footwear, always purchase footwear from reputable manufacturers, Order Anti-slip galley shoes online at Rehann Marine Store. and also inquiry for bulk orders