Reduce the risk of slips and injuries with lightweight, slip-resistant butcher shoes and boots from SFC

What environment does a butchery professional work in? What does the daily working life of a butcher look like? And how can the risk of injury be reduced with safe footwear? These are the questions we address in today’s article. First of all, we need to understand the working environment in which a butcher works.

Professionals work with meat, from assessing the quality of slaughtered animals and processing them through to producing goods ready for sale, as well as providing advice and sales. Depending on the business, a butcher may work in a specialist butcher’s shop, in retail, in industry or in a large slaughterhouse. All of these locations involve work in sausage kitchens, smoking rooms, boning and cutting rooms, as well as cold storage and warehousing areas. They may also work in sales areas and mobile sales vehicles.

Due to these different workplaces and the varied nature of the surfaces on which professionals move, slip-resistant butcher shoes and boots are essential for staff’s everyday work. Especially when working in sausage kitchens, where animal fats are used to produce meat and sausage products and humidity is high, the floor is often slippery because of these environmental conditions and therefore places particular demands on work shoes.

The Austrian General Accident Insurance Institution (AUVA) points out that “meat processing [...] is among the activities particularly prone to accidents” (see page 3 of the information sheet). According to AUVA, when it comes to safety and health in meat-processing businesses, 15% of recognised occupational accidents, excluding commuting accidents, are attributable to slips and falls. Reason enough to explore the topic in greater depth and look for ways to offer your employees the best possible protection.

Reducing the risk of workplace accidents

According to workplace regulations, the floor [in meat-processing businesses] must be both slip-resistant and easy to clean. In practice, both requirements cannot always be met (see page 7, AUVA information sheet). As we have already explained elsewhere, workplace accidents result in direct and indirect costs: 

• Loss of productivity due to employees being unable to work
• Potential employer liability and legal consequences in the event of serious injuries
• Not only those affected, but also other employees may leave, and the employer’s image may suffer 

These costs and potential reputational damage should be avoided. What options do you have? Shoes For Crews has developed an extensive range of lightweight, slip-resistant butcher shoes and boots that protect your employees while also providing the necessary comfort throughout the working day. In the next section of this article, we will look at which features are particularly important. 

Key features for avoiding risks in the butcher’s shop

According to AUVA, when selecting butcher shoes, particular attention should be paid to CE marking, a slip-resistant design, high water displacement and a self-cleaning tread (see page 7 of the information sheet). As we explained in an earlier post about 5 features that make duty shoes safe, robust and comfortable, the CE marking indicates that a product complies with the relevant EU directives. All our models for use in kitchens and butcheries are CE-certified. Furthermore, the outsole technology developed in-house by Shoes For Crews and perfected over many years is ideally suited to meeting the requirements needed in this sector. Whether we are talking about shoes or rubber boots for butchery professionals, every model features an outstanding slip-resistant outsole with trip protection. It is designed to displace water while also being resistant to dirt: it provides strong surface contact while featuring widely spaced traction lugs that minimise clogging. This makes your outsole easier to clean and prevents contaminants from becoming trapped without compromising slip resistance. Still not convinced? Then read on, because below we will look at two example models that are ideally suited to use in the meat-processing and butchery sector thanks to their features.  

Shoes For Crews models for the butchery sector

As mentioned at the outset, butcher’s workplaces range from cold storage, where meat is stored, through processing areas to sales areas. To ensure that your employees enjoy the greatest possible safety as well as exceptional comfort in slip-resistant footwear throughout the working day, it may be beneficial to be able to alternate between shoes and rubber boots for butchery professionals. Rubber boots are best suited for use in cold storage and processing, as they are fully water-repellent and provide the necessary traction for extremely slippery floors. However, even the best rubber boot cannot provide the breathability our feet need to feel comfortable all day long due to its high-cut design. For this reason, we have developed two models that offer the ideal features depending on where your staff work: the Brandon and the Guardian. Here are the benefits at a glance:

The Brandon

• It features a waterproof microfibre upper, giving it greater breathability than a rubber boot.
• It is puncture-resistant and resistant to dirt.
• It offers a nano-composite toe cap (200 Joules), which protects feet from sharp tools.

The Guardian

• It is equipped with a waterproof PVC upper, which is less prone to transferring odours or flavours and is therefore ideal for use in meat processing
• It features a removable cushioned insole for extra comfort
• It offers a steel toe cap (200 Joules), which protects your employees’ toes in mishaps such as dropping a butcher’s knife 

With these models, Shoes For Crews offers both a lightweight and safe solution for the protection and comfort of your butchery professionals, with an outstanding price-performance ratio. If you would like further information about our models, our knowledgeable advisors will be happy to help; contact us today.