Worker Health and Safety in Rubber Shoe Production

Abstract

The elastomers, which are called natural and synthetic rubber, have a wide usage area in the industry due to their unique properties. Rubber; they are used in many areas of industry, especially vehicles. Additive and fillers with many different properties are added during production to ensure that the products to be produced from these materials have the required properties. One of the applications of rubber-type elastomers is the footwear sector. Shoes are worn for protection against external conditions. The material that covers the bottom of the shoe from one end to the other and is in contact with the ground when it is worn is called the shoe sole. Rubber base with elastomer properties, the importance of occupational health and safety rules in manufacturing sector is increasing day by day. In this study, the occupational diseases caused by chemical substances which are used in the production of rubber shoe sole and the methods of protection from them are explained. Employers and employees have responsibilities to reduce the risk of occupational accidents and occupational diseases in the manufacture of rubber shoe sole. In this article; According to the required technical formula, the preparation of the rubber, additives and fillers in the mixture in the preparation of dough and the effects of gas, dust, smoke and steam on the environment and human health during the vulcanization of the prepared dough under high temperature with suitable chemical cookers were examined. It also covers the literature on occupational health risk groups, which employees are interested, and what occupational safety measures should be taken on a sectoral basis.

Keywords: Shoe soles, Rubber shoe soles, Occupational health and safety, Production of rubber soles.

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-2-44