Secure rigging or safety toe shoes?

[ThomasPowers]

Yup it's cold enough here that I'm wearing socks with my sandals and it's been at least a week since I saw a-co worker wear shorts to work.

Don't think that the Al beer can would make a big difference in safety for those though.

[millwright]

About 6 months ago I was at work carrying a large pnumatic grease barrel pump (picture long and skinny about the size of a mounted machine gun and about 100#) up three flights of stairs, I stoped at the top of the stairs to take a breather and rested the part that goes in the barrel on a hand rail while the other end was on my shoulder. the darn thing slipped off the handrail and the 2" round end went straight down on the top of my foot. Luckily we wear metatarsal safety boots at work the pump hit with enough force to break the plastic metatarsal gaurd and make my foot black and blue for a week, but I may have lost it without them. I never buy boots without steel toes but I am concidering metatarsals for my shop boots after the grease pump incident. It only takes a second for an accident to cause a lot of pain. I imagine toes come off as easy as fingers do (your fingers will come off really easily don't ask me how I know) and it can be totally avoided with proper boots, cribbing, clamping, and safety procedures

[philip in china]

Reviving this thread my favourite boots have external toecaps but these are getting difficult to find.

[Phil Patrick]

I have spent many years rigging and moving heavy industrial equipment. To date, I still have all my fingers and toes!!! Remember, if you have anything rigged and lifted, do not put anything under it that you are not willing to leave there permanently. Like toes, feet , fingers, etc.
Be very patient and THINK when you setting up a pick. It doesn't matter if it is just winching up your anvil or cribbing up a 12000# Beche Lufthammer!!! Be patient,, always think 4 steps ahead. Over built and rigging system you might need to create. Sweep the floor around your rigging area. You might be surprised how easily a 1/8th inch nut can stop a very heavy lift on skates.

AND never pick anything up unless you know where you are going to put it.

Be safe folks.

[ThomasPowers]

It always amuses me to watch the engineering students at the local University unload/pick up my anvil *before* they unload the anvil stump to put the anvil on. I try to teach them more than just a tad bit about smithing...