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The oil and gas industry encompasses varying landscapes, harsh environmental conditions, and unavoidable application risks. According to the Department of the Interior, 23 percent of worker injuries and 36 percent of fatalities in the oil and gas industry are due to slips, trips and falls. When working long hours in high-risk, slippery and oily environments, safety boots are an absolute necessity. But not every safety boot provides the same level of protection. Look to the ASTM-approved standards and testing methods that have been put into place to promote worker safety on the job.
Foot Hazards in the Oil and Gas Industry
While foot protection is often overlooked, it, in fact, requires special attention. It is critical to assess and identify the optimal level of foot protection necessary to best close the gap between safety, performance, and value. In an oil and gas work environment, anything can happen – heavy objects can drop, temperatures can be extreme, toxic chemicals can be released and nails or other sharp objects can puncture footwear. Protection against all these hazards, such as slip resistance, impact resistance, insulation and electrical resistance should be considered when choosing safety boots. In addition to these hazards, comfort should not be compromised as the industry comes with an array of difficulties and discomfort, such as uneven grounds and long hours standing.
The ASTM F2413-18 Standard
ASTM F2413-18 is a standard specification for performance requirements for protective (safety) toe cap footwear and is updated every five years. Understanding this standard is an important step in recognizing the right footwear for the job. To meet the ASTM F2413-18 standard, footwear must first meet the requirements of Section 5.1 Impact Resistant Footwear (I) and Section 5.2 Compression Resistant Footwear (C). The safety test involves dropping a 50-pound weight from a height of 1.5 feet at a designated speed. The footwear is expected to protect the wearer’s toes from an impact of up to 74-foot pounds and compressive loads of up to 2,500 pounds. Then the requirements of additional sections such as Metatarsal protection (Mt), Conductive protection (Cd), Electric hazard protection (EH), Static dissipative protection (SD) and Puncture resistance (PR) can be met through additional testing.
ASTM Compliant Labels
Footwear is rated by ASTM for compliance to protect against seven categories of hazards:
- C: Compression resistance
- CD: Protection against conductive hazards
- EH: Electric hazard resistance properties
- I: Impact resistance
- Mt: Metatarsal protection
- PR: Puncture resistance
- SD: Reduction of excess static electricity
ASTM standard certifications indicated on footwear can be read in a four-line format as follows:
- Line 1: Identifies compliance with ASTM F2413-18
- Line 2: Identifies the gender of user (M/F), and the classification of impact resistance (I) and compression resistance (C)
- Line 3 and 4: Identifies the five additional specific types of hazards the footwear protects against
Taking Precautions for Foot Injuries and Hazards
Given the nature of the industry and the work involved, it can be extremely difficult to eliminate or minimize dangers and life-threatening hazards in the oil and gas industry. Workers are constantly exposed to foot injuries through wet and oily surfaces, exposed nails and sharp objects, extreme heat/cold or chemical and electric exposures. The most crucial step that needs to be taken is to provide workers with adequate and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). And for that, education about the ASTM F2413-18 standards and how your footwear rates for each specific application are, quite literally, the first step.
For more information on selecting the right footwear for high-risk environments or to discover the right footwear for your needs, click here.
