The most important consideration when deciding on shoe covers depends on

the workplace environment you inhabit. As with most personal protective

equipment (PPE), the type of item you use is first based on the potential
hazard(s) you face during the work day.

If you are in the construction industry, your primary concern is usually the
danger posed by either impact or compression of your feet and toes. Heavy
building materials and motorized construction equipment can pose serious
threats to your body, including your feet. You want either footwear or boot
covers that include steel or other hard shell toe protection along with sturdy
safeguards for your feet and ankles. Avoiding accident or injury through care
and diligence is most important. But, situations will occur when proper safety
shoe covers will protect you against direct compression threats.

Should you work in a medical, laboratory, clean room, chemical, or

emergency response environment, the hazards you face are more diverse
and complicated. Most often you will use disposable shoe covers which are
gathered from a shoe cover dispenser on site. The two important
considerations for you: What specific hazards do you face? What level of non-
slip bottom protection do you need?

If you face liquid biohazards or other toxic substances, you want different
safety shoe covers than if you face dry particulate threats. If the floor of your
workplace is often covered with water or other non-toxic liquid, you'll need
better non-skid protection using ribbed rubber or a similar design for the soles
of your shoe or boot covers.

Therefore, know precisely what hazards you face. Then, make sure you use
the best shoe covers that meet or exceed ANSI and OSHA standards for
protection. When you are protected and comfortable, your workday will be
much more pleasant and productive.
When Are Shoe Covers Recommended?

When Shoe Covers Are Recommended

Shoe covers are recommended for a variety of work, sports, and medical
situations. The type of safety shoe covers depends on the purpose and
environment you are in. The key is to know what you need protection from
and take the appropriate action to defend against the threat. Protective
shoe covers are but one component in the personal protective equipment
(PPE) universe.

If you work in a medical environment (hospital, laboratory, surgical facility,

etc.), shoe covers are often required to protect you, your patients, your
surroundings, and objects you may touch or that are in proximity. Using
disposable or reusable (in some circumstances) shoe protection, medical
personnel can protect themselves against spatters, liquid, and chemicals
that may pose a danger. Also, using shoe or boot covers protects other
people from receiving contaminants from you. Everyone wins.

Should you be involved in an industry that requires “clean” manufacturing

conditions, as with computer chips and components, digital medical
equipment, precise engineering instruments, etc., the danger becomes the
contaminants you might transfer to sensitive objects. Clean rooms must
remain as germ and contaminant free as surgical environments and safety
shoe covers are an important component.

Industrial laboratories are often another environment that dictate the use of
shoe covers. Often using potentially dangerous chemicals and other
substances, protective shoe covers, sometimes waterproof, chemically
resistant, dry particle protective, or toxic substance rejecters, are important.
Made of appropriate materials that protect against the threats you face, they
can safeguard against these hazards at low cost.

Certain sports activities are perfect for the use of shoe covers, particularly
cycling. While your arms, back, and legs are stressed during high level
cycling, nothing takes a worse pounding or abuse than your feet.
Companies like Assos shoe covers offer a full line of covers and booties to
protect your shoes from “road abuse” from rocks, mud, etc. and other
hazards.

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What Protection Is Offered by Medical Shoe Covers?

Medical Shoe Covers

Medical shoe covers serve a variety of purposes in hospital, medical office,

laboratory, surgical, and emergency response situations. Their first priority
is protecting the wearer from potential hazards that may be generated by
other people, objects, or general circumstances. A second priority is the
protection of others from hazards that might emanate from the wearer. Their
third priority is preventing contamination of the site by the wearer, who may
have substances on his/her shoes that might prove damaging to the room
or place involved.

Protective shoe covers fulfill their jobs in a variety of designs. If your

environment faces dry contaminants or particles, Tyvek shoe covers are an
excellent choice as they repel all manner of particulates successfully. If you
could be exposed to bio-hazards in the form of spills, you might select
safety shoe covers that provide strong external protection to pathogens
while retaining a good non-slip surface underneath. Should you face
dangerous but non-toxic liquid, shoe and boot covers with strong non-skid
bottoms. Using different materials for different situations, medical and
surgical shoe covers protect both wearer and patient from hazards present
in various situations.

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What are shoe covers?

Walk safe, walk clean

You remember your mom telling you to wear your galoshes when it rained,
and take them off before you came inside. Mom's principles hold true in the
workplace as well. As the name implies, shoe covers are personal
protective equipment designed to be put on over regular work boots or
shoes to keep hazardous substances from contaminating a worker or the
work site. Made from a variety of materials such as rubber or Tyvek, shoe
 covers are disposable to prevent the spread of hazardous materials, dirt,
grime, grease oil, beyond the contaminated area in a work site.

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What Are the Benefits of Rubber Shoe Covers?

Benefits of Rubber Shoe Covers

Rubber shoe covers provide you with two wonderful benefits that many
others do not. First, they are almost totally waterproof. This is not in the
revelation category. Even all baby boomers remember wearing rubber shoe
covers or boots while walking to school – of course, it was always 2 miles,
uphill both ways, and snowing or raining every day – and protecting their
shoes from water. Natural rubber still protects the wearer from all types of
liquids, particularly water.

Another, sometimes more significant benefit of rubber shoe covers is its

refusal to conduct electricity. In situations that involve the possibility of
active electrical current becoming a threat to you, rubber shoe covers are
the best defense. Modern designs are lightweight, not heavy baby boomer
models, and comfortable, even if worn for an entire workday. Whether in a
wet environment, where the introduction of electrical current can quickly
become deadly, or in dry conditions, wherein electricity can range from an
annoyance to a life threatening situation, rubber safety shoe covers provide
excellent protection.

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Who uses shoe covers?

If the shoe protects, wear it.

Wherever you go these days, it seems like all o' God's children use shoe
covers. There seems to be shoe covers for every hazardous or dirty,
muddy, oily, greasy, grimy, smelly environment. Shoe covers are made
from a wide variety of materials including cloth, rubber, polyethylene,
polypropylene, and Tyvek. Shoe covers are not just practical, you can also
 find shoe covers imprinted with colorful designs (for people who want to
have happy feet.) The shoe cover you select will depend what kind of
unpleasantness your workers are likely to step in.

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How do I keep from soiling my customer’s carpeting?

Cover your tracks

You may be the world's best plumber, carpenter, or whatever, but if you
leave dirty marks all over your customer's new wall to wall, it won't matter
how good you are. Your customer may not invite you back. That's why it's a
good idea to put on a pair of disposable shoe covers before you go to work
in a customer's home. With shoe covers on your boots you'll be able to get
the job done and leave without a trace. What's more by using disposable
shoe covers you will demonstrate a respect for your customer's home that
will enhance your reputation as a professional.

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How Are OSHA and ANSI Involved in Shoe Cover Recommendations?

OSHA, ANSI and Shoe Cover Recommendations

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and American

National Standards Institute (ANSI) publish standards for all manner of
personal protective equipment (PPE). In the realm of safety shoe covers,
there are at least two distinct areas of foot protection that are mentioned.
They are concerned with safeguarding the “impact and compression” of the
foot in industrial and construction situations. The other major area
surrounds safety in medical, industrial, and laboratory environments.
However, unlike with most other PPE areas (eye, face, hands, etc.), both
organizations are less precise regarding shoe and boot covers.

For instance, ANSI standard Z41-1983 provides standards for shoe

protection but is primarily concerned with “impact and compression” of the
foot. From steel toe shoes and protective shoe covers to other hard shell
 protection, ANSI recommends levels of safeguard depending on workplace
situations.

OSHA concentrates more on workplace safety and predominantly

recommends protection against spills, biohazards, toxins, water, electricity,
and, to avoid industrial accidents, non-slip features. Another consideration,
particularly in medical and clean room environments, is the integrity of the
disposable shoe cover dispenser. For reasons that should be obvious but
are often overlooked, for shoe covers to fulfill their objective of protection of
the wearer, other people and objects, the shoe covers used must be
contaminant free prior to wear. Dispensers, therefore, should be kept as
clean as possible also.

When purchasing shoe covers, make sure the product carries the
designation of ANSI- and/or OSHA-approved. The material, design, color,
and other features will then be your choice for type of protection and
comfort, while you are confident that ANSI and OSHA guidelines have also
been met.

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Is it tacky to hand out shoe covers to house guests?

No shoe covers, no hors d'oeuvres

According to Ann Landers, passing out shoe covers to dinner guests is

becoming de rigueur. (That's French for hunky-dory.) In the old days,
houseguests could wipe their feet on your Welcome mat, and everything
was OK. As folks became finickier about their floors, hosts started asking
guests to take off their shoes. Now hosts have taken things one step
further. If you want to keep guests from grinding the world's dirt into your
favorite rug, always have plenty of cloth shoe covers handy to give out to
everyone who crosses your threshold. Either that or cover your carpets in
clear plastic and avoid the issue altogether.

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What Are the Basic Categories of Shoe Covers?

Basic Categories of Shoe Covers

There are shoe covers designed for different environments, all with the
same basic criterion: protect the wearer's shoes or boots from damage or
danger. General varieties include

· Disposable Shoe Covers – often used in medical, laboratory, and clean

room settings when you need protection for you, others, or objects from
contamination.

· Medical Shoe Covers –.usually disposable as one-time use is

recommended to stifle pathogen transference.

· Waterproof Shoe Covers –.used in laboratory and industrial settings to

protect shoes from water threats.

· Boot Covers – from ankle to almost knee height, boot covers protect both
boots and/or lower legs against potential contaminants.

· Lab Shoe Covers – protect your shoes from chemical and water splashes
and other contaminants – can be disposable or reusable, depending on the
environment.

Shoe covers range from mere convenience (keeping your shoes clean) to
serious protection (surgical shoe covers), protecting you and others from
exposure to contaminants or pathogens. You can even find high tech
products, like Tyvek shoe covers, which can be both disposable yet very
strong.

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What types of shoe covers do I have to choose from?

Keep It Clean With Shoe Covers

Whether you're protecting your shoes from dust and debris or protecting the
floors from the dirt from the soles of the shoes, shoe covers make a
 convenient, cost effective solution for eliminating the mess. Shoe covers
come available in versions that just cover shoes and as boot covers. You
can select from shoe covers with a standard surface or an anti-skid surface.
Polypropylene shoe covers are the most economical material and can work
well in dry environments on carpet or tile. For extra durability, look for a
Tyvek shoe cover which can also hold up against minor exposure to
moisture. If you're looking for a durable shoe cover that can hold up to water
splashes and moisture, the Sunsoft shoe covers provide durability and
adaptability to water exposure. When you really need to protect footwear
from harsh areas and dirt, use plastic shoe covers in a 4 mil to 6 mil
thickness.

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How do I keep from soiling my customer’s carpeting?

A shoe cover for every foot

You may be the world's best plumber, carpenter, or realtor, but if you leave
dirty marks all over your customer's new wall to wall, you'll ruin their carpet
-- and your reputation. That's why it's a good idea to put on a pair of
disposable shoe covers before you go to work in a customer's home. With
shoe covers on your boots you'll be able to get the job done, and leave
without a trace. What's more, by using disposable shoe covers you will
demonstrate a respect for your customer's home that will enhance your
reputation as a professional.

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What Materials Are Used to Make Shoe Covers?

Materials Used to Make Shoe Covers

Shoe covers are constructed from a variety of materials based on the

desired protection level and the type of threats faced by the wearer. Both
natural and synthetic materials are used successfully in both shoe and boot
covers. Your choices should be based on the level of protective shoe
covers you should use and your personal comfort.
Spunbond polypropylene makes an excellent medical shoe cover that is
strong, skid-resistant, and disposable. This synthetic weave can take
punishment and stay in place. A variant, poly-coated polypropylene, is
excellent to protect you against spills and biohazards, while keeping you
against slippage on a wet floor.

Waterproof barrier protection (WBP) is an interesting space age material

that protects up to 99% against non-toxic liquids. Keep your shoes dry while
working in the laboratory or industrial setting.

Tyvek, from DuPont, is the amazing material used for everything from U.S.
Postal Service priority envelopes to protective siding on buildings to
protective apparel. They also offer protective shoe covers that protect
against many forms of dry hazards and particulates (dust, pollen, wood
shavings, etc.) for footwear.

Plastic shoe covers are used for excellent liquid protection although most of
the type of plastic material used is normally polypropylene. The advantage
of using plastic is the ability to tailor the weight of this synthetic from ultra
lightweight to super heavy duty, depending on the requirements of your job.
Cost is either low or at worst reasonable so this substance is attractive to
high volume users like hospitals and laboratories.