Seeking Advice on Safe Footwear and Methods for Sloped Shed Sheeting Work

Request for Suitable Footwear and Safe Methods for Sheeting Work

Now we are in the construction of a structural shed for our material storage. Presently, we have started the sheeting work on top of this particular shed. This shed has a slope of 17 degrees. The normal safety footwear (PU Sole) being used by our workers is slipping and is not suitable for fixing these sheets. Therefore, the workers prefer to work barefoot as it provides better grip.

I am attaching pictures of the shed and the sheets being used for this purpose. Please take a look and suggest if any suitable footwear for this purpose is available in the market. Can anyone suggest the best safe method we can adopt for doing sheeting work for such sheds?

Should we consider using roof ladders here?

Thanks in advance.

In our previous project, we used Converse and Timberland shoes while working on the roof. However, they are quite expensive. Alternatively, you can purchase shoes that meet the ASTM F-2412-2005 and ASTM F-2413-2005 standards, which are incorporated by reference in OSHA § 1910.6.

I hope you can find slip-resistant steel toe shoes that only cost 1400 INR, which is pretty cheap compared to other international brands. These shoes meet all the requirements as well. I can provide the contact numbers if you need them.

Hope this helps...

Regards,

Dear Dipil, take a look at the attached picture and revert back to me if it's possible.

Dear Raghu, thanks for your immediate response. Please give me the contact number and name of the party who is supplying the mentioned safety footwear in India?

I think safety shoes are not advisable over sheets as the shoes may damage the sheets if one walks over them wearing safety shoes. Safety is not only related to workmen but also to the properties. We use lightweight shoes with proper lifelines while walking over sheets.

Regards,
Pon

Thank you for your participation in the thread. Could you please let me know which type of lightweight shoes you were using? We have already tried normal sports shoes, but they do not provide slip resistance.

Thank you.

Safety Measures for Sheeting Work

Over sheets, all types of shoes may slip. Normal sports shoes are okay, but lifelines/safety belts should be ensured.

Regards

There are two issues that I have noticed from the picture: 1) Fall concerns due to slippery surface 2) Fall concerns due to the height at which the work is being performed.

For slip, trip, and fall - we use Ergomates if steel toe shoes are not required for the task in consideration. They act both ways—antifatigue and anti-slip—and are available from Northern Safety. Since I am not able to attach a URL here, if you cannot find it, please let me know. I can email the URL to you. These can be worn on normal closed-toe shoes.

Height Safety

Since the slope is more than 10 degrees, the following needs to be ensured: guardrails (including those on scaffolding) must have a top rail, mid-rail, and a toe-board (bottom rails may be used in place of toe-boards if risks of falling objects can be controlled using rails) or a top rail and an infill panel that serves the function of a mid-rail and toe-board. The top rail should be at least 900 mm above the point where a person could stand on the roof. For a slope greater than 10 degrees, this is measured at not less than 300 mm from the edge of the roof structure. Ensure this height is maintained when the guardrails are erected at the edge of a sloping roof.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Swati
Ergonomic Consultant

Thanks for participating in the thread. I could locate the below link from your inputs: [Ergos Ergomates](http://www.northernsafety.com/Product/24584/Ergos-Ergomates-Anti-Fatigue-Matting-Overshoes). The Ergomate was really new to me. First of all, thanks a lot for educating me. I think Northern Safety is from New York. Is this product available in India? If you know any supplier in India, do let me know. I would like to advise my management to go for a trial basis for Ergomate for this particular job.

Also, thanks for your inputs on height safety aspects. We will surely consider.

Kind regards

I have not found a solid solution to this practical issue. Yesterday, I tried the Natural Rubber Soled standard safety footwear for this purpose, but it also failed to fulfill the intended purpose. It was slipping, although I learned that among safety footwear, natural rubber soled footwear offers the highest degree of slip resistance. Can anyone come up with a solution?

As I mentioned earlier, Converse and Timberland shoes provide high slip resistance while working on roofs. See the attached pictures for your reference and use. What I suggest is that prior to purchasing Converse or Timberland shoes, please request a data sheet from the manufacturer and explain your issues. This will help the vendor suggest the right shoe for you because each pair is quite expensive, costing around 5000 to 6000 INR.

Do you remember you introduced one of our senior members who worked in the shoe industry about 6 months ago? He gave a good suggestion on safety shoe queries in our thread (sorry, I forget his name and can’t find that thread as well). Let's consult him on this issue; I hope he will help you or you can go with my suggestion.

Keep us updated until you find a solution.

Regards

Dear Raghu, I have sent queries to a few manufacturers of safety shoes to check whether they have Converse or Timberland shoes. Once I receive a reply, I will update you. The person you mentioned was Dr. Sudhir Agarwal from Kanpur. He is also helping me. He sent me rubber-soled safety footwear to try, but it failed for this particular job. Now, I am awaiting to try both the ones you suggested—Converse or Timberland shoes—and another one suggested by Swati—Ergomate. Let's hope to find a solid solution.

I apologize for not participating in this thread earlier as it took too long to open the attachment. Now that I have reviewed it, I understand your problem. Please provide me with the height at the Tie level of the structure and the maximum height.

As you are aware, PPE is the last line of defense, and it is crucial to focus on engineering controls. I am aware of fall arrest equipment manufactured by M/S Latchways, whose Indian dealer is M/S Vijaynath Interiors and Exteriors. You can find more information at the following web link: [link removed] ([url=https://www.citehr.com//results.php?q=Fall arrest and fall restraint Latchways plc the world leaders in fall protection]Search On Cite | [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=Fall arrest and fall restraint Latchways plc the world leaders in fall protection]Search On Google)

Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir

I am aware of the company and the Country Manager of M/s. Latchways, one Mr. Rahul Bahti, who is overseeing the overall business in India from Latchways' side. He has visited our plant through our corporate safety cell and has already conducted a site survey. We are awaiting his quotation to proceed. My initial impression is that they offer high-quality products but come at a higher price. Safety measures are becoming more costly nowadays, as evidenced by the entrance of international groups like Latchways into India with their top-notch products.

Main Concern: Foot Protection

The main concern does not lie with fall arrest systems. Currently, we are using individual lifelines with fall arrestors for personnel working at heights to prevent falls. Even if we manage to implement the Latchways fall protection system for this specific job, foot protection will still be a concern. Working barefoot can lead to foot injuries due to sharp edges of sheets, nuts & bolts, and hot surfaces of sheets.

Therefore, I am seeking a specific solution to address this issue.

The maximum height of the shed is 35 meters.

Regards,

Dear Dipil,

We are also constructing a large structure of similar height. In addition to EHS responsibility, I also oversee engineering and civil projects. The designs are reviewed with a health and safety perspective. Usually, the roof slope is one in ten. In your case, the slope seems steeper. What is the specific reason for such a slope? (Probably, the bee hive problem was on the same structure. You mentioned the bees sat on a workman's helmet. Do you have any photos of this case? As it is unique, it would be helpful for training. We also had a bee hive on one of the perlins, which was removed by M/s Palve Pest Controls.)

Coming back to the subject, you can try sports shoes for this specific purpose, which are lightweight and have an anti-skid feature. Please let us know the results after you take suitable actions.

Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir

Regarding the Slope of the Structure

I am not sure about the slope; maybe due to its long span, this comes into play. The shed is 300 meters long, with a 96-meter span and a slope of 17 degrees. It is claimed to be India's largest coal shed by our project team. However, we will think about the exact reason for the high slope and will let you know. For now, it has already happened, and we cannot consider reducing the slope or making any changes to its design at this stage.

Honey Bee Problem

We had earlier experienced a honey bee problem during the erection work of this shed. Unfortunately, I do not have any photographs of the issue. In relation to my previous post about the honey bee issue (https://www.citehr.com/402667-issue-...oney-bees.html), you suggested contacting M/s. Palve Pest Control. I spoke with them over the phone, obtained their email address, and shared all the details, but did not receive any assistance. In a follow-up call, they assured me that they would provide the name of the chemical I could use, as they were unable to offer services due to the distance. Capt Rajeshwar Singh also commented on the same thread, recommending seeking help from the Central Bee Research and Training Institute. I contacted them via phone and email, but received no guidance. The honey bee issue remains unresolved. However, we have not encountered problems with honey bees since the workers stopped wearing high-visibility jackets on the top, so we have temporarily set this matter aside. I am unsure if this change was the key factor in resolving the issue. Nevertheless, let us remain optimistic and hope that this problem does not recur in the future. To address fixed honey bee colonies, we have engaged a local party that removes bee combs for a fee. However, this particular issue remains unsolved.

Footwear Concerns

Regarding the sports shoes, we have tried various options, but none seem to meet our requirements. Today, we tested Natural Rubber Soled Safety footwear, and it was surprising to learn from the workers that rubber-soled safety footwear is actually more slippery than PU-soled safety footwear. This has become a significant concern for us now.

Regards