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If Your Welding Boots Have Laces, They Are Not Welding Boots…

Announcement posted by AWS Pty Ltd 23 Apr 2018

What most Australian welders are doing wrong that puts them at risk...

Many large project sites and smaller workshops in Australia have made it mandatory that all workers wear lace-up, zip sided boots to prevent rolled ankles and allow for quick removal. This may make sense for the majority of workers but not for welders.

 

The “Welding Processes Code of Practice” released by Safe Work Australia states that foot protection worn by welders should be “non-slip, heat and fire resistant” and that “welders should avoid using foot protection that has the potential to capture hot sparks and metal debris”, using ‘laces’ as an example of what NOT to wear.

 

Laces introduce a new hazard to the welder as molten metal, sparks and hot debris are collected in a focused capture point. The burn risk to the welder is significantly increased especially if the boots worn are not heat or fire resistant. 

 

Simply put, if your welding boots have laces, they are not welding boots and they put you at risk.

Burns are one of the most common injuries associated with welding. Care should always be taken to identify and eliminate risk. “200,000 Australians suffer burns annually with a cost to the Australian community of over $150 million dollars per annum”1. The majority of these injuries could easily be avoided with the correct PPE and/or safety precautions in place.


The employer has the primary duty to ensure that welders are not exposed to health and safety risks arising from welding duties. If PPE, like welding boots, “are to be used at the workplace, the person conducting the business or undertaking must ensure the equipment is selected to minimise risk to health and safety by ensuring that the equipment is suitable for the nature of the work and any hazard associated with the work”2. “When PPE is worn by workers, it should not introduce other hazards to the worker”2. Boots that are provided to welders should be suitable for welding and in alignment with The Welding Processes Code of Practice released by Safe Work Australia.


Welders are exposed to unique risks that other workers may not encounter. These include heat, spatter, sparks and potentially flames. Welders wear unique PPE like auto darkening welding helmets, welding gloves and welding aprons so why are they not wearing appropriate welding boots?


Learn more about this topic. Download The Welding Boot White Paper from AWS. 


References: 

1 https://www.fionawoodfoundation.com/our-challenge/current-statistics/

2 Welding Processes Code Of Practice, Safe Work Australia, April 2016