Workplace prevention: how much do shoes matter?

The concept of prevention in the work environment, understood as anticipating potential physical imbalances in the worker arising from the tasks performed, has long been underestimated.

Today we know that with the right technology it is possible, not only to protect the worker from the risk of injury at work, but also to defend the person from possible short-, medium- and long-term musculoskeletal dysfunctions and discomforts resulting from the type of work performed.

U-POWER 's goal is not only to ensure the safety of the worker in the work environment with personal protective equipment such as high-tech safety shoes or workwear carefully designed to ensure maximum comfort and functionality, but to improve his or her living conditions in a broad sense, while also reducing the "invisible" risks of physical impairment and health in the short, medium and long term.

An ambitious goal that requires research and attention to all technological innovations, constant dedication and a lot of passion.

1. PREVENTION MEASURES AT WORK: TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTH PROTECTION!




2. COMFORTABLE SHOES FOR STANDING: RED CARPET TECHNOLOGY FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN A STATIC POSITION




3. OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD PREVENTION: RED LION, SAFETY FOOTWEAR FOR DYNAMIC WORK




4. PREVENTION AND SAFETY AT WORK: SLIP-RESISTANT SAFETY SHOES FOR STATIC AND DYNAMIC WORK




5. PREVENTION AT WORK: SHORT- AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF SAFETY FOOTWEAR WITH THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

The use of the right safety shoes can reduce the risks of muscle and joint disorders by providing not only immediate protection against the danger of an accident at work, but also, and above all, a safeguard of its future. We are talking about a real investment in health protection that improves the condition and quality of life of the person.

That is why a conscious choice in the purchase of personal protective equipment is indispensable.

PREVENTION MEASURES AT WORK: TECHNOLOGY HELPS SAFEGUARD HEALTH!

We have already talked about this in some previous articles but, today, U-POWER has taken it a step further and subjected its products to further testing and evaluation by an expert in Ergonomics, Prevention and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Disorders at Work, Dr. Michele Montagna.

To fully understand the value of these tests, it is essential to better introduce Dr. Michele Montagna:

• Doctor of Exercise Science;




• UNCKinesiologist No. 14307 - National Union of Kinesiologists;




• Consultant and Lecturer in Occupational Ergonomics, Prevention and Treatment of MSDs - Musculoskeletal Disorders at Work;




• Certified Trainer of Occupational Health and Safety(Legislative Decree 81/2008).

The tests performed by Dr. Michele Montagna are based on the use of Kinesiology, which is the study of human movement and Biomechanics that analyzes the behavior of physiological structures when subjected to static or dynamic stresses.

These tests-not at all taken for granted or imposed by the European Regulation/standard-have allowed U-POWER to reconfirm the quality of its safety shoes and work clothes offered to its customers.

Scientific studies show that most of the muscular-articular disorders that occur in the course of working life can be prevented and treated with the use of footwear that exploits technologies capable of reducing and/or resolving those imbalances due, among other causes, to the continuous shocks to the joints.

Using the right technology in relation to personal working conditions is the prime step toward protecting health and improving well-being and quality of life.
Not all jobs are the same and not all occupations involve the same risks, repetitive positions, dynamic movements or prolonged standing.

Here, then, is the need - again with a view to safeguarding health - for safety shoes with characteristics specifically meeting peculiar and well-defined needs.

Let's try to subdivide the different work situations.

COMFORTABLE SHOES FOR STANDING: RED CARPET TECHNOLOGY FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN A STATIC POSITION

Let's consider all professions that involve much of the working day in static sitting or standing positions without traveling long or medium distances such as cooks, pastry chefs, baker or those who work on assembly lines in factories, etc.:

For this category, a shoe that best dissipates tension during static postures assumed will be essential to avoid stiffening of the body and loss of elasticity and freedom of movement over time.

The U-POWER technology that addresses this need is RED CARPET.

Shoes in the RED CARPET range/assortment manage to distribute the weight of the wearer by reducing the load coefficient on every square centimeter of the sole of the foot, improving the functionality of the entire body.

The benefits?
A noticeable improvement in the phases of muscle contraction and decontraction, which reduces leg fatigue, decreases the incidence of night and daytime cramps, and, due to the increased state of general well-being, leads to increased concentration and increased productivity.

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD PREVENTION: RED LION, SAFETY FOOTWEAR FOR DYNAMIC WORK

In this case, we are talking about professions that involve much of their work in dynamic mode and are subject to biomechanical load due to weight shifting, continuous movements, repeated bending of the spine, bending of the legs, climbing ladders, such as painters, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, etc.

These professionals spend their day in a predominantly dynamic mode, and the risk is that of excessive musculoskeletal stress with loads that are not always perceived but, over time, can lead to sudden injuries with no apparent specific cause.

The technology that responds to these issues is Infinergy®, which U-POWER uses in the RED LION range/assortment and the high-protection RED OVER range/assortment .

Infinergy® is able to dissipate joint and muscle stress by reducing the metabolic cost of the latter. It is an insert placed under the heel that allows energy to be stored with each step, which is then returned during the removal of the foot from the ground. The result is well over 55 percent more energy with each step!

The stride is lightened, the load on cartilage and joints dissipated, the overall sense of well-being and circulation in the legs improved; which reduces muscle tension and increases strength with a noticeable improvement in postural disorders.

PREVENTION AND SAFETY AT WORK: SLIP-RESISTANT SAFETY SHOES FOR STATIC AND DYNAMIC WORK

We refer to professions that involve a good part of the day standing but at the same time involve moving long distances, such as in the health sector or the warehouse worker or those who work in a supermarket, shopping mall or large chains.
In these cases, the need is for a work shoe that dissipates the muscle joint tension of static positions but, at the same time, accompanies during long movements while avoiding excessive feeling of the distances covered.

The ranges/assortments of U-POWER safety footwear that meet this need are RED UP and RED UP PLUS with HIGH REBOUND technology (Editor's note: RED UP PLUS is a combination of HIGH REBOUND and RED CARPET technologies).

Walking is nothing more than a continuous forward imbalance, with a lack of falling toward gravity, thanks to our reaction. This reaction is triggered the moment the heel touches the ground, a phase in which a chain of physiological reactions is triggered.

The PU surface absorbs the impact of the foot during stance, reducing the trauma on the joints and related cartilage. It is also able to dissipate stress over a ben wider area, redistributing the load under pressure.

HIGH REBOUND technology accumulates potential energy with each step, which is converted into a return of kinetic energy(over 40% more energy!) that can be felt immediately by the wearer of the shoe.

The PU, during walking, generates--due to a series of sensory information--a viscoelastic response reaction of the myofascia (connective sheath that envelops muscles, tendons, ligaments and organs, with a supportive and circulatory function on blood and nutrients) that will allow greater muscular efficiency with less energy expenditure and increased circulatory function.

It goes without saying that the rolling, that is, that succession of plantar supports of the stride (heel, sole, toe) will be able to take place like a bascule, in a harmonious and elastic way, with a perceptible sensation of pleasant well-being.

And so ... each specific need related to the particular work situation must be matched by the right technological response, because the benefits of a conscious choice are countless not only in the immediate but also and, above all, in both the short and long term.
That is: if you are a warehouse worker, choose safety shoes for warehouse workers!

A proper choice, you will ensure great benefits.

PREVENTION AT WORK: SHORT- AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SAFETY FOOTWEAR

But what are the short- and long-term benefits?

Here are the main ones!

SHORT TERM BENEFITS

• Maximum grip/safety and lighter stride;




• Lessfatigue at the end of the day and less fatigue in movement for the same number of hours worked;




• Lower energy cost of walking and less fatigue on legs;




• Reduced risk of injury due to slipping and tripping;




• Reduction in risk factors related to fear of slipping (antalgic reflexes);




• Reduction of risk factors leading to harmful postures;




• Reduction of risk factors related to neck pain (e.g., stiff neck);




• Reduction of night and daytime cramps, muscle contractures and low back pain;




• Reduction in risk factors related to shocks to the skeletal system;




• Increased balance and alertness of reflexes;




• Increased leg sensitivity and perception;




• Reduction and disappearance of joint pain;




• Improved blood circulation and oxygenation of legs, muscles and internal organs;




• Reduction and disappearance of sciatica-related aches and pains;




• Reduction and disappearance of recurrent pain, inflammation and headaches;




• Acquisition of greater freedom of movement;




• Reduction and disappearance of tingling/paresthesia, arthritis symptoms and carpal tunnel syndromes;




• Reduction and disappearance of risk factors related to cortisol(stress hormone) production.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS

• Reduction and disappearance of long-standing chronic pain;




• Improved strength in the legs and arms;




• Increased oxygenation of the back and improved mobility of the spine;




• Improvement of static and dynamic posture;




• Improved gastro-intestinal and general organfunctions;




• Increased oxygenation of the spinal cord;




• Normalization of the postural tonic system;




• Reduction of plantar corns and calluses and improvement of plantar support;




• Improved walking;




• Reduction of arthrosis symptoms and respiratory function;




• Increased energy when waking up in the morning;




• Reduction and disappearance of postural symptoms and disorders and inflammation of the body;




• Increased body awareness and improved spontaneous healing abilities.

Would you have guessed that a safety shoe can have so much influence on your well-being?

How much can a conscious choice of purchase and use affect the quality of your present and future life?

Dr. Michele Montagna reminds us that we can only use our bodies efficiently when they are coordinated and in harmony as a whole, and U-POWER offers you all the quality and technology needed to safeguard your most precious asset: your health!

Choose with awareness, choose U-POWER work shoes.

U-POWER, Quality safety shoes and workwear.