Met guard boots play a vital role in your workplace. It ensures the ultimate protection for your feet and Metatarsal area.
Nevertheless, particular jobs are injury-prone, and you have to secure your feet from accidents in a vigorous workplace. They might be your best friend for the longest period if you work in a profession where foot problems are frequent.
If you want to pick any work boots, then you should perceive all the facts about met guard boots and arrive at the right place.
After using the met guard boots of several pairs, I’ll give you a detailed explanation of how metatarsal safety in work boots works in this article.
Take a breath and continue reading till the end to realize everything.
What Is A Met Guard In Boots?
Met guard boots shield your toes from impact and pressure injuries like steel-toe boots. In a word, they offer a shield on the top of the foot, Which might save your feet from heavy and dangerous equipment.
Nothing is superior to a pair of safety toe boots when it comes to safeguarding your feet in the office or on the job site.
On the top of your foot, there are five long bands of bones called metatarsal or tarsal bones. The bones of the metatarsal zone are more delicate and vulnerable to foot injuries, making it a sensitive location.
Think of a steel toe cap extended over the top of your foot as a met guard, a protective covering those guards against serious injury to your metatarsal bones.
Employers are required to take all necessary precautions to ensure that workers are constantly secured in the workplace, including their legs.
I think a met guard boot should be required for any workplace where heavy objects or hazardous materials might come into contact with the top of the foot.
When the job is carrying or moving large, metal pieces of equipment, then metatarsal boots are essential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, materials exceeding 30 pounds or more are responsible for 70-80% of leg injuries.
Metatarsal guards are constructed of aluminum, metal, ultralight polymers, or synthetic materials for occupational safety shoes to help prevent injuries.
Additionally, Some metatarsal work boots have a cushioned collar right at the entrance area of the boot. It gives your ankle additional support.
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Are Met Guard & Metatarsal The Same?
Work boots with met guards on the inside or outside are a specific category of safety footwear.
Actually, a Met guard is used for the safety of the metatarsal bones; they secure the total metatarsal area along with the toe zone.
Your toes receive additional safety from a basic shield when you use a metatarsal guard, which can prevent foot injuries.
Because the top of the foot is most vulnerable to damage when wearing shoes in the workplace. Footwear producers have concentrated on creating protective footwear to reduce harm to the toes and metatarsal areas.
The exterior and internal metatarsal protectors are available in two distinct versions.
Both must conform to the same ASTM and CSA Z195-14 requirements applying a specific impact test for metatarsal protection. On the interior of the boot, a full 1-inch gap must be maintained under the metatarsal affected area.
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What Are Met Guard Work Boots?
Work boots with met guards on the inside or outside are a special category of security boots. Met guards are intended to provide additional foot protection.
Continue upwards by using your hand to feel each of your toes. The lengthy bones that link the toes to the ankle are known as the metatarsals.
Met Guard boots are incorporated; these safety toe boxes only cover roughly 1 to 1.5 inches of the foot.
Metatarsal boots are typically worn in dangerous workplace settings. They are essential where there is a lot of heat, chemicals, hazardous materials, or large, sharp items.
Any injury to one of these long bones is known as a metatarsal fracture.
Many of these wounds may need surgery and take up to 12 weeks to heal. For reducing the probability of those severe injuries, met guard boots are the best solution.
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Is Met Guard The Same As Steel Toe?
Steel toe caps and metatarsal guards both protect your feet from heavy and sharp objects, and both meet ASTM standards to ensure safety in the workplace.
While steel toe boots ensure the safety of your toe area, met guard boots provide the security of the total footbed.
In order to reduce the danger of accidents as much as possible, designers add modern safety elements as shoe technology evolves daily.
Your feet will be protected by both steel toe and metatarsal boots, but the amount and position of that protection vary. Metatarsal boots increase the level of protection by covering the entire upper leg instead of just the toes.
There is a clear winner for me when I want to pick one of them for my tough workplace. It’s quite obvious, which provides me with the best feature. I’ll buy that one.
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Met Guard Boots: Internal & External
According to OSHA requirements, the Metatarsal guard boot sets the ultimate safety of millions of working people.
Metatarsal boots come in two varieties:
- External met guards.
- Internal met guards.
External Met Guard Boots
Most of the time, external metatarsal guards are constructed of impact-resistant plastic and attached to the outside of the shoe, covering the area from the straps to the toes.
External met guards provide the best foot protection and are particularly effective at preventing your foot from being squished.
They cover a bigger surface area than internal met guards due to their location on the exterior of the rubber or leather shoe. and The big plus point is that you can remove the guard when you work in a normal place.
Due to that facility, you can use one pair of work boots in different areas.
Internal Met Guard Boots
The internal metatarsal guard extends below the laces of work boots but generally covers the same location as the exterior guard.
They offer you a protection layer from the interior of your work boots. When compared to the external metatarsal work boot, they are smaller and less noticeable.
Internal guards also provide the impression of being more polished like other modern boots.
I chose the internal met guard boots over the external ones. I can easily roam around everywhere by wearing my work boots. Besides, I love to wear them in the winter.
Are Met Guard Boots Uncomfortable?
We all know work boots are a little heavier than other boots. Your boots may be uncomfortable because they have an additional layer of protective material inside.
But it’s essential for the workplace when you work in the chemical factory or the metal industry.
Recently they have been trying to incorporate some light materials for user friendly. In a vigorous work environment, Where safety is the main issue, you have to consider little discomfort.
Some organizations add them to personal protection equipment (PPE) for security purposes.
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Before You Say Good Bye
After reading the entire article, you have all the knowledge you require regarding metatarsal work boots.
You can decide which met guard work boot is perfect for you according to your working environment and optimum level of comfort. Share the experience with me after using it.
In the comment section, let me know any further details about met guard boots or queries and I’ll get back to you.
Till then, take care.
