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Steel-toe footwear for electrical trades

Summary An electrical worker asked about wearing steel-toe shoes. OSHA said it generally did not consider them hazardous if the conductive part was neither exposed nor touching the foot, and pointed to footwear designed for electrical hazards.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1993-06-18-0
Date issued
June 18, 1993
Status
Active
Status last verified October 9, 2026

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About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

June 18, 1993
Wayne Marryatt
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Wayne Marryatt:
The Directorate of Compliance Programs received your undated letter on June 15 that requested information about protective footwear.
OSHA does not generally consider the wearing of steel-toe shoes by electrical tradesmen to be hazardous, so long as the conductive portion of the shoe is not in contact with the employee's foot and is not exposed on the outside of the shoe. One option you and your employer may wish to consider is the purchase of safety footwear that has been manufactured in accordance with section 4 "Electrical Hazard Footwear" of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z41 document. Enclosed are copies of the OSHA and ANSI standards that are applicable to your inquiry.
Your letter has been forwarded to the OSHA Regional Office that has the jurisdiction for your workplace.
Should you need further assistance the OSHA Regional Office, VI, is located at:
525 Griffin Square Building
Room 602
Dallas, Tx. 75202
214-767-4731.
We appreciate your interest in employee safety and health.
Sincerely,
Roger A. Clark, Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs

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