Safety Shoes

The policy for the issuance and use of safety shoes has been established to ensure uniform and fair practices among those university employees who are required, as a part of their occupation, to wear such protective footgear.

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is the office of primary responsibility in designating those occupational classifications for which wearing safety shoes is required. EHS is responsible for determining the shoe classification for each job. EHS will exercise the final disposition on requests for waivers from the requirement for wearing safety shoes, when requested to do so by a department manager or director.

Directors and managers of affected departments are responsible for:

1. identifying and maintaining sufficient funds to purchase safety shoes for their employees who are required to wear such protective footgear.

2. ensuring compliance with all policies and procedures regarding the purchase, replacement, and wearing of safety shoes.

3. reviewing all requests for waivers. All requests for which there are questions about granting a waiver are to be forwarded to EHS for approval action.

4. ensuring that employees do not begin working in any area requiring foot protection until they have received training, as required by OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.136, and prescribed safety shoes have been issued.

5. ensuring that any alternative footgear or protective devise has been evaluated and approved by EHS, prior to issuance.

• Employees shall comply with this policy and shall be responsible for those sections that address the use, maintenance, and wearing of safety shoes.

• Individuals may be assigned to specific responsibilities that do not require wearing safety shoes, although the position is in a classification in which protective footgear is normally required. In this event, employees may request a waiver. The request must be in writing and be submitted through appropriate channels to the director or manager of the department. The director or manager may:

  1. disapprove the request, in writing, if in the director's or manager's opinion safety shoes are required; or,
  2. grant the waiver, in writing, in a situation in which it is unquestionably obvious that safety shoes are not required; or,
  3. forward the waiver request, with the related position description and statement of rationale, to EHS for evaluation and final approval or denial of the request.

• Should the director or manager grant a waiver, the action should be formally documented. The documentation shall be the record of the request and the written decision, containing the date, conditions under which the waiver was granted, and the signature of the approving official. EHS shall be notified in writing of all waivers in effect for greater than thirty (30) days.

• The waiver applies only to that period of time for which the individual is working in the environment for which the waiver was approved. Any change in duties requires a reapplication for the waiver, or the employee must wear the safety shoe required for the job classification.

• All safety shoes must meet ANSI Z-41-1991 for Class 75 requirements, unless other standards have been specifically imposed by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety. Other requirements such as nonconductivity, nonskid soles, etc., will be determined by EHS at the request of the director or manager. Directors or managers must ensure that all purchase requests reflect the shoe classification to which purchase is restricted. Employees shall provide written proof from the supplier to the director or manager of the employing department that shoes purchased meet the required classification. Such proof shall be kept on file in the employing department.

• Protective devices other than those shoes specified in paragraph 6010.5 a) must be approved by the director of EHS.

• Classified staff. Those classified employees serving probationary periods (120 days) will be issued one pair of safety shoes initially. Upon becoming a continuing employee after successful completion of the probationary period, the employee will be issued his/her second pair of shoes.

• Unclassified staff. All affected unclassified employees working on a regular full-time contract will be issued two pairs of safety shoes at the time of employment. Special contract employees hired full time for a period of one year or less will be issued one pair of safety shoes. A second pair will be issued if the employee is issued a new contract for a period of at least one year after the completion of the first year contract.

• Student employees. Those student employees working in job classifications covered by this policy will be afforded the same degree of protection as provided to classified and unclassified employees. Any method of foot protection other than prescribed safety shoes must be evaluated and approved by EHS prior to issuance.

• Part-time employees and temporary part-time employees. Part-time and temporary part-time classified and unclassified employees will be afforded the same degree of protection as provided to full-time employees. Any method of foot protection other than prescribed safety shoes must be evaluated and approved by EHS prior to implementation.

• Safety shoes will be replaced or repaired on an "as needed" basis as determined by the director or manager of the department. Shoes will not be replaced more frequently than once per calendar year, except in cases of documented on-the-job damage or deterioration. Management should determine if repairs can be made which could extend the useful period of the shoes and when repair rather than replacement is an economical move. Directors or managers will ensure that replacement/repair is made in a timely manner.

• Protective footgear that is lost, misplaced, or for any reason unavailable after issue shall be replaced by the employee to whom it was issued. Such safety shoes must meet the required standards set forth by EHS.

• Employees are required to provide reasonable care and maintenance of their safety shoes. Employees should alternate the wearing of shoes to prolong their period of usefulness. Shoes are not to be worn for activities away from work. Shoes may be worn to and from work.

• Intentional damage to safety shoes by any employee may result in disciplinary action.

Prescribed, individually fitted safety shoes provided to an employee during employment at Wright State University will become the property of the individual upon his/her separation from Wright State University. Safety devices or universal boots will remain the property of the department.

Wearing safety shoes is mandatory for employees working in the designated job classifications. For information on Wright State University's safety shoe program, an employee may contact his/her director or manager or the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (775-2215).