In jobs where people work in hazardous areas or with potentially hazardous materials foot injuries are some of the most common injuries. The government organization known as the National Safety Council that watches over job safety issues states that every year there are well over one hundred thousand job related injuries to the foot and toe injuries account for a third of all of them. Just the impact of foot strikes can cause injury if one isn't wearing the proper shoe or boot. When you consider that people who walk a lot on their job have a force the equivalent of hundreds of tons coming down on their feet daily it is no wonder that they complain of foot pain. The human foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints and an incredibly complex system of over one hundred tendons, ligament and muscles, as well as an enormous amount of blood vessels and nerves. Interestingly enough, one person's feet represents a quarter of all of the bones in their body.

Those who work in the construction industry or in places such as oil refineries like I did when I was younger will find it necessary to wear work boots with steel toes and steel shanks to prevent crushing and penetration from sharp objects. We worked seven days a week much of the time so I can assure you that we invested the money in a high quality comfortable pair of safety boots. Add to the fact that in my particular job we worked at heights of as much as 500 feet while standing on a two inch diameter steel pole and it was even more crucial that we had good protective footwear.

We always believed that safety was a personal issue. Don't wait for some safety person to come up to you and tell you what you should wear. You are responsible for your own personal safety and you should be aware of the hazardous situations that you work in. You should also be concerned enough for your own safety and well being that you choose the highest quality safety boots that you can afford. If you have an injury to your foot there is a great possibility that you could be out of work for some time. Which is really more costly, investing a hundred dollars in a good pair of safety boots or being out of work for several months due to skimping on safety and quality?