I had a driving assessment yesterday. Lasted maybe 20mins.
Only drove a small partner size van, in steel toe caps. Got me thinking, is this what you would have to wear for 15 hours on them days your putting a shift in?
Maybe I just need to get used to it. But defo felt the difference between steel toe cap boots and my regular trainers. Wasn’t too bad because I’ve got a decent pair of boots but are you expected to wear steel toe caps every day whilst driving?
(Sorry if it’s a dumb question. I would think most sites expect you to wear ppe etc, but just wanted to confirm)
Toe cap trainers or boots, it’s a must for your own safety especially for insurance purposes,if you have an accident during loading or unloading and your injured any company will hang you out to dry if you haven’t got ppe on.
Some people dad boots off for the cab. I used to change for trailers if I had a very long drive ahead or was going to places where it safety boots weren’t needed. Nowadays I wear safety trainer things
I wear my steel capped Magnum boots all day, only time I have a problem is if I have to take a van out for some reason. We have a fleet of Nemo / Bipper / Fiorino vans for our plant ops and the pedal box is tiny. My size 13s make using the clutch awkward, removing the rubber mat helps but I have mastered the art of driving them without using the clutch so don’t find it so bad
mjallby:
I don’t wear any for trunking, drive in my socks.
Same.
Nobody cares what you wear in the cab. In fact nobody cares what you were outside the cab either so long as they look like they could be steel or composite caps. Safety trainers are usually boot style with a raised/moulded toe area so won’t get questioned. It’s generally on quarries and cement works places that care.
Proper steel toe capped boots outside the cab.
I have a pair of comfy trainers for driving in.
Boots stay on top step when I’m getting in the cab.
I like a nice clean cab.
In and out of the cab too often to be faffing with changing boots, so proper lace up leather (not plastic crap) steel toe capped boots, never have any issues driving anything else in them either, apart from a family Pug 106 which had silly little toy car pedals.
Sometimes take me boots and socks off during mid day break to get some air to me plates.
Sure i’ve read somewhere that its rather frowned on by the old bill (illegal i dunno?) driving without shoes on, summat to do with being able to apply full pedal pressures in the event of an emergency, i also wonder what would happen to your claim in the event of a serious smash where your feet were damaged where they would have been protected in saftey boots.
I have never seen an insurance claim form that asks what footwear you had on, unless you are claiming for an injury. Maybe I misinterpreted the question, “What gear were you in?”
The days of the safety officer standing on your toes, are gone, that would probably be classed as assault these days.
i randomly bought a pair of Adidas zx750 trainers and stumbled onto GOLD footwear for working. The zx750 has been around 30-40 yrs by all accounts ,i usually buy mine 2nd hand to avoid the breaking in period ,iv about 6 pairs on the go at any one time ,wear the loosest if im coasting and the tightest when iv got to really work hard
Muddy K:
are you expected to wear steel toe caps every day whilst driving?
It’s like everything else in this job mate, they can ‘expect’ wtf they like, but if there is no real or relevant reason, just don’t do it.
No doubt some will wear heavy boots all day, but then again some wear hi viz vests all day …so it’s up to you basically.
Up to about 5 years ago I wore clacks for driving cos they were easy to slip off if I wanted, but lately it’s trainers whilst driving, boots outside.
All depends on the job you’re doing if you’re in and out of the cab a lot going to sites that require you to wear safety boots then there’s not much point changing all the time. When I uses to to longer distance, or when I was on chemical tankers I would drive in trainers because to load or unload I’d have to change into wellies anyway.
These days I do night trunking and I’ve got a pair of steel toed trainers, really comfy and light, feel just like normal trainers until you kick something/someone
I drive in trainers or something comfy. I quiet like the crocs in the cab.
Have pair boots on the step slip my boots off and put trainers on before get in cab can’t be doing with mud everywere gets on my ■■■■.
…so it’s up to you basically.