Londoners can expect safety shoes to be available at their local Boots store on Friday after the UK Government said they would be available by the end of the week.
Kensington & London said that in the last six months, 1,100 people had been treated for safety issues at its store, including 15 with respiratory illness.
The London Borough of Kensington &ton (K&M) has been the first borough in the UK to launch a public health campaign to inform shoppers about the potential risks of wearing safety shoes.
K&Ms Boots, the retail giant, has been working closely with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to increase awareness of the potential hazards of wearing these shoes.
The campaign, which is scheduled to begin in London on Friday, will also include a public information session at the store.
Boots is the latest retailer to add safety shoes in an attempt to reassure consumers that they can wear them safely.
Earlier this year, the retailer said it was making safety a “top priority” in its stores after the release of the video ‘Black Friday’ which showed the dangers of walking into a store wearing safety footwear.
The video has since been removed from YouTube, but has been reposted and is still available for viewing on Youtube.
K&L is now encouraging customers to check their footwear for safety concerns before entering a store, or to speak to a manager at the entrance, to help them assess their personal safety needs.
“If you think you might have a concern about wearing safety, or would like to make a complaint, you can call our dedicated team on 020 8747 8200 or email us at [email protected],” said a statement.
Safety shoes have long been a subject of debate in the United States.
A study released in June by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly one in four women in the US were wearing safety socks and that more than 40 percent of women reported having suffered respiratory illnesses during a given month due to the footwear.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating all federal agencies to require retailers to include a safety warning on footwear.