Boots for oily surfaces

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Abstract
A field trial of footwear was commenced 5 years ago to try and find the most suitable boots to prevent slipping accidents on floors contaminated with mineral oil. After preliminary trials nitrile rubber (NR) and microcellular polyurethane (PU) were selected for comparison. Boots soled and heeled with these materials were worn by 12 volunteers for periods of up to 2 years. Friction was measured at intervals throughout the trial by determining the angle of slip on an oily steel plate. Smooth, wet or oily floors caused polishing of the soles, whereas loose metal chippings on the floor roughened the surface and improved friction. Microcellular PU resisted polishing better than NR and had a longer life. In the final phase of the trial, volunteers who had tested NR boots wore PU and vice versa. A direct comparison of the two materials tested by seven volunteers revealed that PU always produced higher angles of slip than NR. Mean coefficient of friction (COF) for PU was 0·26 and for NR was 0·18. The COF of PU boots improved between the first and second test, indicating that the smooth surface of new boots reduces friction and should be abraded before use. We conclude that microcellular PU is the best material tested to date for boots used on floors contaminated with mineral oil.

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