What safety shoes for factory work?

Have you ever considered how long you wear safety shoes during the course of your workday?
At a minimum, you wear them for eight hours.

Eight hours, for our feet and joints, is a long time, and it is most important that the footwear be of the right safety rating for the work we are called upon to perform, that it be comfortable, lightweight shoes that can provide breathability for prolonged comfort throughout the day.

Our bodies react differently based on the repetitive situations we subject them to, and the safety footwear we wear can have a great influence on our bodies and our health. They can help us improve our physical state, increasing our overall sense of well-being and the health of areas under stress, boosting our energy and performance.

If, for example, we are working on an assembly line in a factory, we will spend much of the workday in a static position-sitting or standing-without much movement and involving little repetitive movement.
The lack of movement will lead us to muscle/joint hardening and slowed blood circulation.

1. FACTORY WORK AND ASSEMBLY LINE: WHAT ISSUES FOR THE WORKER?




2. PREVENTION COMES THROUGH SAFETY SHOES: SHOES TO STAY ON YOUR FEET FOR A LONG TIME




3. RED CARPET, TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED FOR SHOES FOR THOSE WHO WORK ON THEIR FEET




4. RED CARPET: THE COMFORTABLE SHOES FOR WORKING ON YOUR FEET!

There are numerous European regulations/standards to protect safety at work, and thanks to Personal Protective Equipment, the worker is protected in the performance of his or her duties.How?

FACTORY WORK AND ASSEMBLY LINE: WHAT ISSUES FOR THE WORKER?

We have already had a chance to talk about the different safety ratings and the differences between one standard and another. Determining the right standard of reference is essential, but what we may never think about is that our work leads us to assume particular positions, often repetitive, we stay still for a long time or always moving or squatting or in the same position without being able to change it.

Result?

Lower back pain, leg swelling, feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the lower limbs, joint or neck pain.

Do you recognize yourself there?

How to take action to prevent these kinds of ailments and reduce discomfort related to the position you assume while working?

We ask a real expert, Dr. Michele Montagna!

U-POWER

"Hi Michele, welcome back to U-POWER and thank you for your intervention.
Before we tackle the issue of how to choose work shoes, I would like to introduce you as you deserve so that our readers can get to know you better."

Michele Montagna:

- Doctor of Exercise Science;
- Kinesiologist recognized by theNational Union of Kinesiologists;
- Consultant and lecturer in Work Ergonomics, Prevention and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Disorders at Work;
- Certified Trainer of Occupational Health and Safety.

Excellent training and U-POWER could not have availed itself of a better expert!

What are the issues a worker working on an assembly line may face?

Michele

"Thank you for this interesting question.

A factory worker working on an assembly line is forcibly inclined to remain mostly in a static situation, either sitting or standing, not performing and long and medium distances, always performing the same repetitive and not very widemovements.
Over time, the repetitiveness of movements and the static posture can create dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system that affect workers-in this case, in the factory-and that manifest themselves in the short/medium term, through chronic fatigue of the joints of the feet but that, inevitably trigger ascending reactions up the legs, the spine and, even the cervical area .
The effects will be: fatigue, pain, contractures, stiffness and loss of flexibility as well as impaired circulatory function, that is, reduced oxygen and nutrient supply to the body.
This means difficulty in working effectively and efficiently."

PREVENTION COMES THROUGH SAFETY SHOES: SHOES TO STAY ON YOUR FEET FOR A LONG TIME

U-POWER

"What can those who are subjected to this type of situation do then? For example, our factory worker to protect themselves and to prevent this type of ailment?"

Michele

"Fundamental is the use of the correct accident prevention equipment, so-called Personal Protective Equipment."

"The qualities of accident-prevention footwear are fundamental not only because they offer protection in the immediate term, but because they guarantee in the short, medium and long term employment that preserves the general psycho-physical healthof workers.
The consequences of the medium and long term are the most difficult to guess, but if one is aware of the risk, then one can direct the choice of work shoes toward the most effective solutions, designed-as well as to protect against accidents-also and above all to regulate the delicate balance of thelocomotor system.

We can use our body efficiently only when it is coordinated and in harmony as a whole. Much of our working life conditions, albeit in a varied and subjective way, the degree of freedom of movement, in the broadest sense of the term.
This means that, very often, muscular hypertonia, to wit, the lack of muscle elasticity and joint mobility, the cause of the general sense of stiffness, is determined by a multiplicity of concomitant factors.
These can be amplified by any additional risk factors such as, for example, the use of work shoes that are not suited to one's physical characteristics and the type of work one does.

Keep in mind that in recent years we are seeing a progressive increase in the number of reports of occupational diseases attributable to pathologies of themusculoskeletal system. This means that the worker is becoming aware of the importance of risk factors related to occupational diseases resulting from handling loads and subject to biomechanical loading. It is clear that beyond nationalstatistical data this problem also involves theEuropean Union seeing even theWorld Health Organization (WHO) getting involved in this regard."

RED CARPET, TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED FOR SHOES FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THEIR FEET

U-POWER

"But then, how do we figure out which safety shoes are best for the type of work being done? What are the differences between one work shoe and another? Are there work shoes for back pain?"

Michele

"Thanks to kinesiology, which is the study of human movement and biomechanics that analyzes the behavior of physiological structures when subjected to static and dynamic stresses, I was able to conduct specific research comparing a common work shoe and a U-POWER shoe from the RED CARPET range/assortment on static and dynamic tests.

The common work shoe proved to be rigid both while walking and while standing still in place. The sole, which is poorly deformable, does not allow for a fluid plantar support, ending up generating ascending muscle-fascial tensions, toward the trunk. In addition, the mechanical stress on the anklejointsis perceptible along with a rather abnormal physical strain on the spine, which, over time, could manifest the prime signs of dysfunction.
At the end of the test, I could notice a particular sense of muscle fatigue in the legs-actually, from the very first minutes of use!-with intuitable suffering of peripheral circulation.

The RED CARPETs, for their part, use a technology that provides the worker with a soft but durable surface embedded in the inter-sole of the footwear and made from a compound also used for anti-fatigue mats.
Its use makes it possible to absorb and disperse compressive stress on joints and cartilage, thanks to the greater and more effective distribution of loads. So, they are definitely shoes for those who work on their feet; work shoes for back pain? We can say yes."

U-POWER

"Can you elaborate, what is it that makesU-POWER 's RED CARPET different from ordinarywork shoes?"

Michele

"I'll answer with an example.What happens if we try to balance on one foot?
The load of the body will be concentrated all on one limb and the related joints, with attached cartilages, will be subjected to more crushing than in a bi-podal stance. In addition, all the muscles that will have to support the weight of the body will have to contract to a greater extent to sustain this effort and, therefore, will tend to become, as the days go by, increasingly hard and contracted, hindering circulation, also subjecting the spine to a series of postural adaptations that will cause an increase in its stiffness.

That's it! That's what happens when the support of our feet is not supported by a surface that dilutes and dissipates-as RED CARPET does-the stress over a larger surface area rather than over circumscribed areas.

RED CARPET distributes the weight of the wearer by reducing the load coefficient on every square centimeter of the sole with a somewhat providential improvement and optimization of the functionality of the entire organism."

RED CARPET: THE COMFORTABLE SHOES FOR WORKING ON YOUR FEET!

U-POWER

"Basically, you are telling me that this technology is able to absorb body stress and improve the overall condition of the wearer, am I understanding you correctly?"

Michele

During the use of RED CARPETS, viscoelastic response reactions of the myofascia (Editor's note: connective sheath that envelops muscles, tendons, fascia and ligaments, with a supportive and circulatory function) are activated from the feet, due to a series of sensory information, capable of:

• Improve muscle contractionand decontractionphases ;




• Reduce the incidence of night and daytimecramps;




• Stimulate and improve circulation;




• Reduce heaviness in the legs;




• Reduce tiredness and fatigue;




• Facilitate work;




• Increase concentration;




• Improve productivity;




• Reduce the formation of cortisol - thestress hormone that causes imbalance on the body's homeostasis - thus fortifying, the immune system.

So, to answer your question, yes: the application of RED CARPET technology is capable of unconsciously awakening our bodies with perceptible effects on health, well-being and vitality.

U-POWER

"And what about the tread?"

Michele

"The tread - which is not the sole! - is the part of the shoe that rests directly on the ground (Editor's note: the sole is the part on which the sole of the foot rests and, more precisely, the front part distinct from the heel)."

"Let me give you an example again.Let's imagine that we are working on a highly slippery surface: how would we be inclined to behave?
Instinctively, we would be driven to slow down our stride and movements, but without the certainty of a tread guaranteeing a truly safe grip. In addition, our body would tend to stiffen up to recruit as many muscles as possible in unison, to be ready and responsive in case of slipping and loss of balance.

U-POWER'sRED CARPETs use a high-grip tread of 0.60. And this reduces injury risk factors by allowing maximum safety of movements on the most treacherous planes during both static and dynamic activity.
From a health preventionpoint of view , perceiving the adhesion of one's work shoes with relative grip allows one to reduce muscle-tension stress, that is, tension due to the fear of a ruinous fall.
In addition, a high-grip tread with sharp angles makes it possible to lighten one's stride by reducing the use of energy required for movement and movement, which advantages include a greater guarantee of safety, less energy expenditure and less muscle-articular tension that may set in over time."

U-POWER

"Michele, how can we help our readers understand which U-POWER safety shoes best suit their needs?"

Michele

"In order to figure out which footwear is most suitable, it is necessary to do a personal case analysis. Therefore, the only system is to provide specific advice and for this U-POWER, has set up a small step questionnaire in which different work cases, conditions of use, etc. are offered , answering which, I will be able to provide the most appropriate advice. Of course, it is a completely free advice, offered by U-POWER to its readers and, of course, the data provided are completely subject to privacy.
The answer will be provided directly by e-mail to the mailbox that will be indicated.
In this way, confidentiality is guaranteed and safeguarded."

U-POWER

"Michele, so much valuable information -- thank you for sharing it with us!"

And you, dear reader, don't miss this fantastic opportunity!

Fill out the Form and find out which U-POWER work shoes are best for your needs!

U-POWER, Quality and Technology at the Service of the Worker.