[Skin lesions and other foot problems associated with safety footwear]

The principal purpose of this epidemiological cross-sectional study was to evaluate the frequency of foot problems associated with the wearing of safety footwear (SFW).

We examined 509 workers from 12 separate metal-working factories, representing all workers employed in these factories. All subjects wore SFW on a daily basis. The study was based on an interviewer-administered questionnaire and a clinical examination of the feet, with particular attention to skin lesions.

81% of the workers had at least one foot problem. The most frequently reported shoe concern was the hot/wet conditions inside the SFW (42%), followed by weight (27.5%), fit (22.9%) with narrowness (19%) and poor sole flexibility (16.3%).

Preventive measures should be implemented to reduce the risk associated with SFW. To achieve this goal, it is necessary on one hand to improve the comfort of SFW from a physiological and ergonomic point of view and, on the other hand, to make an appropriate choice of this personal protective device from the various brands and models available on the market.