Electrical Approved work shoes/boots

[tobacmon]

I noticed an earlier thread that was closed on this issue. My understanding is that OSHA now requires all electricians to wear EH (Electrical Hazard) approved shoes. I think this was started a few years back. From what I have read and saw on the shoes are all toes are now of a hard plastic or plastic composite material that still have to meet the compression requirements.

We started this about 6-8 years ago in city government.

Is this now the recommendations or requirement of OSHA. I thought I saw this somewhere on the OSHA site but can not seem to relocate it.

Please HELP!

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I have EH rated work boots with steel toes. Not sure if they are required by OSHA.

 

[zog]

Not required by OSHA yet, but are required by 70E (Sort of), it is a vauge reference, and OSHA can enforce 70E via the general duty clause.

Would you get fined for not wearing them? Probally not. I have just been telling my clients to get EH rated boots the next time they buy boots, I expect them to be required in the 2009 70E and OSHA will follow.

 

[safetyva]

OSHA has a 1993 letter which says, in part:

"OSHA does not generally consider the wearing of steel-toe shoes by electrical tradesmen to be hazardous, so long as the conductive portion of the shoe is not in contact with the employee's foot and is not exposed on the outside of the shoe."

1910.132(d)(1) & 1910.132(d)(1)(i) makes it the employer's responsibility to determine what types of PPE employees must wear, which would include any special safety shoes.

 

[jim dungar]

3 years ago when I first went looking for EH boots, at least 50% of the ones in the store met this requirement. My understanding is the EH rating deals with steel shanks and "heel" nails rather than the toes.

 

[LarryFine]

I have EH rated work boots with steel toes.

What size bonding conductor is required?

 

[tonyou812]

I wear redwing boots I beileve they are rated for 600 volts.

 

[zog]

3 years ago when I first went looking for EH boots, at least 50% of the ones in the store met this requirement. My understanding is the EH rating deals with steel shanks and "heel" nails rather than the toes.

EH rated boots can and many do have steel toes. That has nothing to do with it. As Jim said it is the resistance to ground through the sole that is different. This is accomplished by replacing the steel shank in the sole with a non conductive material and adding an additional layer of a strong dielectric material between the rubber sole (Tread) and the supporting part of the boot, if you have EH rated boots you can see this layer it is about 1/4' or so and shiny.

 

[zog]

I wear redwing boots I beileve they are rated for 600 volts.

No boots have voltage ratings except rubber overshoes that are sometimes worn by linemen, they are inspected and tested just as rubber gloves are.

The EH rating confuses people, there is no voltage rating, the boot is required to not pass more than 3mA at 14,000V for 1 minute in the test lab when they are new, but since there is no testing requirement there is no way to be sure these boot maintain thier "rating" plus normal wear and other intangibles make knowing the true amout of protection impossible, so they have no rating.

However all the same is true for standard boots, you can be sure the EH rated boots offer much mor protection from shock hazards than the boots you wear now.

 

[JohnJ0906]

I know the last 4 pairs or so of RedWing boots I bought have been EH rated. (At least 6 to 8 years)

 

[zog]

I know the last 4 pairs or so of RedWing boots I bought have been EH rated. (At least 6 to 8 years)

thats alot of red wing boots! What are you a spider or something? How many feet you got?

 

[JohnJ0906]

thats alot of red wing boots! What are you a spider or something? How many feet you got?

I usually get new work boots every year and a half to 2 years. I seem to wear the leather at the toe off the steel toe.:-?

My "off the clock" work boots are about 8 or so years old, and going strong.

 

[c2500]

I usually get new work boots every year and a half to 2 years. I seem to wear the leather at the toe off the steel toe.:-?

.

Red Wing sells a cap to glue onto the boot toe. They are not pretty, but it does extend the life of the shoe.

c2500

 

[EBFD6]

I hope it's not an OSHA requirement, Walmart doesn't sell EH rated boots!

I refuse to pay more than 50 bucks for a pair of work boots!

If OSHA requires them, the boss better pony up.

 

[JohnJ0906]

I hope it's not an OSHA requirement, Walmart doesn't sell EH rated boots!

Sorry to hear that.

I refuse to pay more than 50 bucks for a pair of work boots!

I refuse to wear anything less than safe and comfortable. I refuse to pinch pennys on my feet. If they are sore or cold, you will be miserable.

If OSHA requires them, the boss better pony up.

This is one thing that he is NOT required to supply, I beleive.

 

[mattsilkwood]

I hope it's not an OSHA requirement, Walmart doesn't sell EH rated boots!

I refuse to pay more than 50 bucks for a pair of work boots!

If OSHA requires them, the boss better pony up.

i tried the walmart boots one time im lucky if i can get 3 months out of a pair.

 

[ItsHot]

walmart

walmart

I hope it's not an OSHA requirement, Walmart doesn't sell EH rated boots!

I refuse to pay more than 50 bucks for a pair of work boots!

If OSHA requires them, the boss better pony up.

Walmart carries a EH rated boot.As zog stated ,I think the whole EH rating thing may be overated. I tend to wear several different boots over the coarse of a month. Usually I will insert some gell insoles for more comfort, which probably helps the whole EH thing.

 

[LarryFine]

I refuse to pinch pennys on my feet. If they are sore or cold, you will be miserable.

If your feet being sore or cold will make me miserable, I'd hate to imagine how they'd make you feel.

 

[electricalperson]

im lucky to get 6 months out of my work boots. just had to replace boots i got for christmas. i had a 200 dollar pair of redwings that i ruined in 8 months and i used to have a pair of boots i bought at wal mart and my feet were bloody stumps by the end of the day
:-?

the redwings were nice but im a wolverine fan since they are a little cheaper and comfortable for me. steel toe and EH is a must

 

[wireman71]

Never heard of a OSHA boot requirement for us.. Redwing makes a nice boot. I fully recommend there concrete sole leather boot. After almost a full year I'm seeing no sole wear and 6 mos of that was on concrete floor. I'm full expecting another 6 mos out of these boots if not more. And it's comfortable as all get out. I'd have used a four letter word but not sure bout the swear filter