Comfortable footwear that also will last out much longer to be used at the mines

OSTRAVA – In our mining district, the progress of the Production Optimization Program up to the year 2010 (POP 2010), which consists primarily in modernizing coal extraction as well as driving work at all OKD mines, proceeds hand in hand with replacements of our miners' protective and personal work aids. During the period of two years, this process will entail costs of half a billion Czech korunas.

In addition to technical aids such as, for instance, personal lamps, indication and detection instruments and self-rescue devices, the mines also are receiving deliveries of new working clothes, shirts, T-shirts and working footwear.

As has been underlined by Miroslav Mančař, Head of OKD Corporation's Occupational safety and health department, all these measures, demanding as they may be in terms of outlays and organization, are being undertaken primarily to enhance the safety at work and health protection in coal mining. Solid and comfortable boots play quite an important role here.

A number of different types of footwear underwent testing. Eventually, three were selected: Baťa Malenka S3 footwear, Baťa Jano S3, and Kanada Baak S3. „Miners will be able to choose footwear for themselves that will suit them best,“ says Miroslav Mančař. „A total of 7,700 pairs will be delivered to OKD mines before the year is out.“

(Josef Lys)