PU Safety Shoes - Your Safety in Your Hands !!!

PU Safety Shoes

Polyurethane (PUR and PU) is a polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. While most polyurethanes are thermosetting polymers that do not melt when heated, thermoplastic polyurethanes are also available.

First Otto Bayer and his coworkers at I.G. Farben in Leverkusen, Germany, first made polyurethanes in 1937. Practically every world-class chemical company worth its name as been experimentiong with PU in some form or the other

On a practical note, PU safety shoes has certain advantages over normal material, namely, it can take a lot of harsh treatment under tremendous stress, strain, temperature and all kinds of pressures. The fact that it is used in heavy industries and automotives in critical areas like the engine itself, underscore one fact- it is bloody tough. And dirt cheap as it is made in bulk by practically all the countries the world over.

From the chopping board in our kitchens to our bath mats to seat covers to computer covers, the list seems endless.What then is the secret behind PU’s heavy usage. In two word- Durability and price competitiveness. One field to have fallen flat in love with PU is footwear. PU shoes with animal hides and other organic materials not being available in quantities as required in addition to not being conducive to certain environments and uses, it was but natural that the field was wide open for something which fulfilled all these conditions at an unbelievably low price. Thus came into being PU shoes. Starting as PU soled shoes, it has now in certain cases claimed the uppers as well, not to talk of the inners, midsoles etc. etc, meaning practically the whole shoe, except the foot in it!! 

 

Mind you, PU is not some cheap filler material that one makes shoes from. After extensive research, PU is created as per the need of the shoe and the shoe constructed likewise. PU has thus revolutionized the concept of custom-built footwear from end to end and given the cost factor, made it available to even those section of the populace which otherwise would not have dreamt of wearing them ever! A politician’s best friend, a shoe! Most people would agree given the depths to which politics seems to have fallen! PU shoes are thus here to stay.

Within the realms of the footwear business, it is the tough safety shoe which has benefitted most. Safety shoes have one objective. Protect the foot. Multi-layered  PU soles can make them impervious to climates and corrosive chemicals besides protection from physical dangers like sharp objects and moving tools like grinders and drill bits. The tough steel toe continues though without the steel. It now sports the hardened PU toe doing the same job at lesser price and even lesser weight! Revolution in shoe technology means a breathable, tough PU upper which gives a feel like leather with far less in the name of maintenance and money.

In the Indian context, PU safety shoes have been around for some time though a lot needs to be done. Given the size of our economy and its growth rates, it is but natural that entities like Pune-based Sara Safety shoes which has done extensive work to bring newer products to the market try and bridge the gap.

Sources :-
1) Wikipedia 
  
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Please feel free to leave you comments below.
About Author :- Sara Rajput is the Managing Head of Sara Safety Shoes.

Safety Shoes: Putting your feet in safe hands !!!

Safety Shoes

Despite the advent of machines in practically every aspect of industry, the role of humans does not seem to be reducing any time soon. Industrial operations having an element of likely physical harm to humans working in the immediate vicinity, for instance heavy engineering, fabrication, automotive, casting, furnace operations etc., have an obligation whether by express legal sanction (Labour and Industrial Law induced or Insurance mandated stipulated) or on humanitarian grounds to have elaborate security arrangements in place.

An ever-expanding industrial activity with varied levels of activity has only added to the complexity. One such means of affording protection to the worker are “Safety Shoes”. All parts of the foot are important and prone to debilitating injuries where adequate safety measures are not adhered to, be it the sole, the toes or the arch. In most cases, injuries to the foot may be due to the following reason(s) amongst others:

·      Materials handled or used by the worker may by itself cause injuries.

·      Objects may fall onto or strike the feet.

·      Material/ equipment or object that might roll onto the feet.

·      Any sharp or pointed objects or part of any material/ equipment that might cut the top or bottom of the feet.

·      Exposure to explosive atmospheres including the risk of static electrical discharges with respect to one’s feet.

·      Injuries to the ankle(s) from treading on uneven surfaces or rough terrain as a part of the job.

·      Injuries to the feet from exposure to extreme temperatures, hot or cold.

·      Injuries to the feet from a slip or fall while moving on slippery surfaces as a part of the job.

The most commonly used safety shoes are the “steel-toe boot”, a durable footwear with a protective reinforcement in the toe region against falling objects or compression, usually combined with a mid sole plate to protect against punctures from below. Steel-toe boots are important in the construction industry and in many industrial settings though this is not the only means. Steel though is increasingly being replaced by advanced kinds of plastics and polymers thus making the shoe lighter, safer and more resistant to normal wear and tear.

Some of the latest features in safety shoes include:

-       Air Mesh: Layer(s) of mesh with a fibrous centre to promote air circulation to ventilate and cool the foot.

-       TPU Outsole: Thermally injected together with the midsole, these are resistant to fuel oil are durable and lightweight.

-       PU Insole: Soft-moulded removable polyurethane cup insole which are resistant to normal compression. It provides lasting comfort and supports the arch and foot during quick gait.

-       Double Density mid soles and out soles: Two layers of PU are fused to form one layer which provides higher degree of comfort + better insulation to weather extremes.

-       Anti-Static Shoes: These provide insulation from electric current

-       Use of thermoplastics: These give the shoes a good profile while giving it good flexing properties even in cold climates.

-       Anti-perforation steel plates: When Fused with the sole, impact to the sole from below will not result in a hole thus protecting the sole of the foot.

-       Energy absorbing sole: The soles take external impact without letting the shock travel to the body.

-       Soles made specifically for wearer’s profile, eg watery conditions like swamp, hard floors, slippery areas.

A Pune-based Company making strides in this field is Sara Safety Shoes. Their products undergo extensive research and tests to make them withstand relevant stress and strain. Besides, each industrial activity is taken on its merits, researched extensively and safety shoe designed likewise. They have a presence in the surrounding industrial belt of Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Kolhapur etc. with manufacturing in Chikhali. 

Sources :-

1) Wikipedia

2) Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety

3) Polyurathanes

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Please feel free to leave you comments below.
About Author :- Sara Rajput is the Managing Head of Sara Safety Shoes.