Pit & Quarry, February 2019
SAFETY FOOTWEAR When boots are returned for this reason they undergo further testing to determine their slip resistance by comparison to that of identical and new soles An accurate determination of slip resistance over the life of the boot can inform mines and miners to consider replacement intervals based on wear All of this information will be combined and analyzed by NIOSH to determine how quickly the boot treads wear out and what factors may contribute to the loss of tread PRELIMINARY FINDINGS The NIOSH study began in March 2017 and ends in July 2019 Participants can wear the boots for a period of up to two years Preliminary findings indicate that jobs such as maintenance and utility workers followed by plant operators lead to the most wear In fact participants in these positions are the only ones who have returned their boots so far citing the boots as at the end of their usable life Other jobs being tracked in this study include mobile equipment operators managers supervisors and office based positions Forty two miners from two sand mines volunteered to participate Fourteen participants returned their boots because they determined the boots reached the end of their usable life The average and maximum wear measured for these participants are presented in two tables within this article in the form of the percentage of the tread worn away Nine people left the study for other reasons and the remaining boots are still being worn by the miners One of the most common reasons boots are returned is because they leak Most often the leak occurs after the outer sole separates from the upper part of the boot Other reasons cited for return were discomfort or boots not being effective in the particular work environment Specifically worker explanations for returning the boots included these comments They are no longer waterproof Twisted my ankle several times Not good in wet places slipped five times in three weeks WHATS NEXT These preliminary findings suggest boot wear may be a function of job description NIOSH will further analyze the data to determine if the walking surface or how much of the day a worker spends walking also influence wear Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association The Voice of the Conveyor Industry of the Americas WE ARE CEMA Providing the industry with standards technical information publications safety labels and safety information No other organization has been more instrumental in the development of standards and safety practices in the conveyor industry than CEMA Its our technical side that make us strong but its our members that make us great Jerry Heathman CEMA Past President CEMA Annual Meeting March 29 April 2 2019 Apply for membership today www cemanet org join 5672 Strand Ct Suite 2 Naples Florida 34110 239 514 3441 108 PIT QUARRY February 2019 pitandquarry com
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