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Dr Mark Nelson
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Foot Medical Information
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On-the-Job Foot Health
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Information From The American Podiatric Medical
Association
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Protect Your Feet
Your ability to use your feet safely,
with ease and comfort, is vital if you are to remain a valuable and
productive worker.
When your job requires you to stand on your feet for long
periods, work in potentially hazardous areas or with potentially hazardous
materials, you have some risk of foot injury. However, you can do a lot to
prevent injuries by keeping your feet healthy and following safe work
practices.
In any given year, there are about 120,000 job-related foot
injuries, one-third of them toe injuries, according to the National Safety
Council. You can't take your feet for granted! And your concern for them
cannot be divided; it should continue off the job, as well as at work.
Off-the-Job
There are a few simple things you should do:
 | Bathe your feet daily; dry them thoroughly. |
| Check your feet frequently for corns, calluses, cracks. |
| Keep your feet warm. |
| Trim your toenails straight across, slightly longer than the end of
the toe. |
| Prevent foot problems by visiting your podiatrist as part of your
annual health check-up. |
| Wear protective footwear when using lawnmowers, chain-saws, and
moving heavy objects. |
On-the-Job
| It is important for you to develop safe work habits and attitudes.
Some things to remember: |
| Be aware of the hazards of your job and the proper protective
measures to take. |
| Don't take chances or unnecessary risks. Take time to do your job
right. |
| Be alert. Watch for hidden hazards. |
| Be considerate. Watch out for other workers' safety. |
| Follow the rules. Don't cut corners. Use your equipment as
specified. |
| Concentrate on the job. Inattention can lead to accidents. |
| Pace yourself. Work steadily at a comfortable speed. |
| Keep your work area clean and your tools in their place. |
Protective Footwear Is Essential
Safety shoes and boots protect your feet, help prevent
injuries to them, and reduce the severity of injuries that do occur in the
workplace.
Only one out of four victims of job-related foot injury wear
any type of safety shoe or boot, according to the National Safety Council.
The remaining three either are unaware of the benefits of protective
footwear or complain about it.
Safety footwear is comfortable, flexible, stylish, and
still provides protection from injury.
The foot is the most valuable part of your body subjected to
injury in industry. Because of the many potential work hazards, it is
important that you discuss with your supervisor the safety shoe, boot, or
other protective equipment that you need for your protection.
HAZARD: falling and rolling objects, cuts and punctures
PROTECTION: steel-toe safety shoes; add-on devices:
metatarsal guards, metal foot guards, puncture-proof inserts,shin guards
HAZARD: chemicals, solvents
PROTECTION: footwear with synthetic stitching, and made of
rubber, vinyl or plastic
HAZARD: electric current
PROTECTION: shoes or boots with rubber soles, and heels, no
metal parts and insulated steel toes
HAZARD: extreme cold
PROTECTION: shoes or boots with moisture- or oil-resistant
insulation, and that can repel water (if this is a problem); insulated
socks
HAZARD: extreme heat and direct flame
PROTECTION: overshoes or boots of fire-resistant materials
with wooden soles
HAZARD: high voltage
PROTECTION: shoes with rubber or cork heels and soles, and
no exposed metal parts
HAZARD: hot surfaces
PROTECTION: safety shoes with wooden or other heat-resistant
soles; wooden sandals overshoes
HAZARD: sanitation contamination
PROTECTION: special plastic booties or overshoes; paper or
wood shower sandals
HAZARD: slips and skids (from wet, oily shoes with
wooden soles or cleated, surfaces)
PROTECTION: non-slip rubber or neoprene soles; non-skid
sandals that slip over shoes; strap-on cleats for icy surfaces
HAZARD: sparking (from metal shoe parts)
PROTECTION: safety shoes with no metal parts and
non-sparking material
HAZARD: sparks, molten metal splashes
PROTECTION: foundry boots with elastic sides or (that get
inside shoes) quick-release buckles for speedy removal
HAZARD: static electricity
PROTECTION: shoes or boots with heels and soles of cork or
leather
HAZARD: wetness
PROTECTION: lined rubber shoes or boots; rubbers or shoes of
silicone-treated leather
If Your Feet are Injured at Work
Report any injury to your foreman or supervisor promptly for
necessary first aid. Then see your podiatrist if further treatment is
recommended. Proper foot care improves your efficiency and keeps you on the
job.
Your podiatrist is a specialist who diagnoses and treats
foot disorders and injuries medically and surgically. By visiting your
podiatrist regularly, you can insure for yourself a lifetime of pain-free
feet.
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Injury Treatment Tips
From The APMA |
RICE is the first step
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Rest. Cut back on your
activity, and get off your feet.
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Ice. Gently place a plastic bag
of ice, or ice wrapped in a towel, on the injured area in a 20-minute-on,
40-minute-off cycle.
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Compression. Lightly wrap an
Ace bandage around the area, taking care not to pull it too tight.
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Elevation. Sit in a position
that you can elevate the foot higher than the waist, to reduce swelling and
pain.
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Switch to a soft shoe or slipper, preferably one that your podiatrist can
cut up in the office if it needs to be altered to accommodate a bulky
dressing.
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For bleeding cuts, cleanse well, apply pressure with gauze or a towel, and
cover with a clean dressing. It's best not to use any medication on the cut
before you see the doctor.
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Leave blisters unopened if they are not painful or swollen.
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Foreign materials in the skin, such as slivers, splinters, and sand, can be
removed carefully with a sterile instrument. A deep foreign object, such as
broken glass or a needle, must be removed professionally.
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Treatment for an abrasion is similar to that of a burn, since raw skin is
exposed to the air and can easily become infected. Cleansing is important to
remove all foreign particles. Sterile bandages should be applied, along with
an antibiotic cream or ointment.
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Your podiatric physician/surgeon has been
trained specifically and extensively in the diagnosis and treatment of all
manners of foot conditions. This training encompasses all of the intricately
related systems and structures of the foot and lower leg including
neurological, circulatory, skin, and the musculoskeletal system, which
includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.
Reprinted with permission from the American Podiatric Medical Association
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