Steel Toe Shoe Problems

LindaS

At our monthly Safety Committee meeting yesterday, the members provided me with a list of employees who are having a variety of problems they are having that they feel, or their physicians feel, are related to their being required to wear steel toe shoes.

This policy was put into place a few years ago and employees are reimbursed up to $50.00 per year for the purchase of shoes. There are a variety of places they can go to purchase them and many choose very inexpensive shoes (they do not receive the remaining balance of the $50.00 in cash by the way). While many of the problems listed were things that could come from wearing any type of shoe, we have one employee who is having foot surgery and apparently the physician has informed her the problems she is having come from her being required to wear steel toe shoes. This information came from another employee and I haven't received anything from either the employee or her physician verifying this.

The question from the committee members is that if problems arise that the physician feels is directly related to an employee being required to wear this type of shoe, is it worker's comp.? My first thought is that it would be but then I began thinking about the employee's responsibility to find a shoe that fits properly.

Any answers and/or suggestions?

Balloonman

My response to the doctor claiming it is related to the steel toe shoe is bullsh*%! A proper fitting shoe should cause no problems. Also many safety shoes now come with a plastic to cap, which meets the same safety standards as the steel toe.
I have been in many environment with long term users of safety shoes and never seen this issue, even in the meat plants.
Also shoes and eyeglasses are the only two pieces of personal protective gear that the employer does not have to provide as it is very personal in nature and can be worn away from work.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Don D

It is possible that incorrectly fitted steel toes is causing toe/foot problems. There are a variety of problems associated with the foot that can be caused by or aggravated by shoes that are too tight or that are not properly fitted. I suspect though that the root of the problem is with the poor shoe choice, not the fact that it's a steel toe. On a related note, I've experienced employees who've had foot surgery asking to be able to return to work with a cut-out toe section or canvas toed shoe to recover and the answer is no, not if steel toes are required. That won't mesh with any light duty return or reasonable accommodation consideration. Regarding proper fit, do have a conversation with the owner-operator of the boot truck if you have one servicing your company.

LindaS

Thanks for your response and I agree with the fact that a proper fitting shoe may allievate some of these problems. The problem I have is that the employees are are allowed to go anywhere and purchase shoes. Many of them purchase $20.00-$40.00 shoes from some of the local discount stores. Can we mandate they go through the shoe company we contract with? The shoe company, in addition to providing us with a catalog, comes on-site once a year with their truck and fits employees with safety shoes if the employee wants but the majority of employees do not participate in this program.

I even have some employees, since we give them up to $50.00 per year, purchase two cheap pairs of shoes instead of one good pair because they feel they are getting some type of deal and their names are on the list of employees who are having problems but since they have already purchased their shoes for the year, I cannot force them to get another pair from the shoe company.

Any advice on how to handle this would be helpful.

Balloonman

I don't know that you can mandate where they buy their shoes. Most people wise up and realize that going cheap on shoes is not a smart move. Also the shoe trucks do tend to have shoes that are more expensive, but they are usually of high quality and last longer. You might see if you can do some education, your shoe person will be more than happy to do it I am sure.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

ps. Even if the physician say it is related to the shoe that is not WC in my mind. You do not say they must wear shoe X, they choose the shoe good or bad fit.

Don D

My experience is that there is nothing to prohibit you from having a policy that reimburses only for shoes purchased from your approved vendor. What I've done is schedule different company trucks in once per quarter with managed billing processes and a list of who can and cannot purchase shoes at that time of year. Raising your amount may be helpful in avoiding the cheap shoe, say to $75. With allowing people to purchase them at Wal Mart, Sears, etc., you'll also run into the creative employees who will purchase a pair in early December, give you a copy of the receipt, get the reimbursement, then take the shoes back to the store and get their money back and have a hundred bucks for Christmas spending. Managing the program well with quality shoe providers will solve most of your problem.