Safety boots' impact on comfort, mobility, performance, musculoskeletal disorders, slips, and falls in Canadian construction
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Winter safety boot features significantly impact construction worker safety and comfort. Prioritizing arch support, shaft flexibility, and interior warmth in boot design can reduce slips, falls, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Area Of Science
- Occupational Health
- Ergonomics
- Construction Safety
Background
- Construction is a high-risk industry with frequent slips, falls, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
- Safety boots are crucial for mitigating these hazards and improving worker well-being and productivity.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the relationship between specific winter safety boot features and construction workers' comfort, performance, mobility, and incidence of slips, falls, and related MSDs.
- To identify key boot characteristics that can enhance safety and reduce occupational risks in the construction sector.
Main Methods
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 110 Canadian construction workers.
- Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between boot features and safety outcomes.
Main Results
- Inadequate arch support was linked to reduced comfort and mobility, and increased odds of falls and MSDs.
- Limited ankle flexibility and cold boot interiors were also associated with higher risks of slips, falls, and MSDs.
- Conversely, features like adequate arch support, balanced shaft flexibility, and sufficient interior warmth showed protective associations.
Conclusions
- Safety boot design should prioritize adequate arch support, appropriate shaft flexibility, and sufficient interior warmth.
- Optimizing these features can enhance worker comfort and mobility while significantly reducing the incidence of slips, falls, and associated MSDs in construction.