US safety companies push for tighter rules on fiber safety shoes

By Sarah McBride and Kate BlaylockPublished September 03, 2018 04:02:03US safety companies have pushed for tighter regulations on the use of plastic fiber safety footwear in recent years.

While it is common for companies to use materials made from the natural fibers of plants, they have been increasingly looking to the synthetic fibers in the hopes of being able to create a product with a higher level of durability and support, a report by US trade group ASCE shows. 

The report also shows that while US consumers are increasingly choosing products made with synthetic fibers, they are still not buying as much of them.

The use of synthetic fibers is on the rise, but not as quickly as manufacturers are hoping, ASCE said in a statement.

The report found that about 90% of the synthetic fiber products tested were manufactured by companies that were not approved for use in the United States.

About half of those products were produced by companies using the synthetic material in a form that did not meet ASCE’s guidelines for the most environmentally friendly and effective use of the material.

About one-third of synthetic fiber shoes that were tested were made with plastic fiber, which is a more environmentally friendly material, the report said.

The ASCE report said that plastic was found in many synthetic fiber product samples, suggesting that companies were using the material in order to increase their profits and that they are not adequately testing the materials in the product they are using.US retailers that use synthetic fiber safety shoe fabric in their footwear are required to label the material as such.