Can someone help me find Colorado health code regarding shoes in the workplace?

I couldn’t find something specific to Colorado, but of course OSHA has some regulations for certain jobs, here’s a link https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2013-12-09 but not pertinent to the service industry.

I worked in retail for years and all companies I worked for required shoes be held on around the ankle, it could not be a simple slide on shoe. Some companies required closed toe, some would not allow sling back, but with all companies the shoes couldn’t be something that fell off your foot easily. I would assume service industry is similar. You don’t need a law for the company to put in a rule like this, it’s for safety.

I’ll send the Q to a jelly who is really good at searching the internet.

You can call Department of Labor in Colorado. https://www.colorado.gov/cdle I’m sure they would be helpful.

This may help ! = = = > https://www.barefooters.org/health-codes-and-osha/

@Tropical_Willie Id stumbled on that site in my searches, and it is very clear about CUSTOMER shoe requirements but not so much employee – it is obvious from that site and common sense that if you are working somewhere with heavy machinery or where there is a danger of foot injury, you have to wear protective footwear (i assume steel toed boots or something similar).

however, then it just seems to be open to interpretation….

@JLeslie So since Covid happened, and I have gone back to work in the past month, both places I work have decided that sandals are okay. The place I’ve worked for six years is a very large very busy restaurant and now all of the tables are outside in the parking lot – we are walking an average of 13 miles a shift. I have plenty of foot problems and even those who don’t are really really suffering due to all this walking on concrete. I wore Chacos and all my managers told me if it made me more comfortable, go for it. The owner agreed.

At my other job people have been wearing a variety of sandal types for years – it’s a distillery that doesn’t serve food so I think maybe health code is different for that.

I am personally thrilled to be in my Chacos…I never wear shoes otherwise, and my feet feel way better in Chacos than anything else I’ve ever put on my foot and I have waitressed and worked in restaurants for 15 years. Like I said I do have foot issues so I know this isn’t the case for everyone.

Anyhow, recently another employee tried giving me a hard time about my footwear and I honestly didn’t know what to say, so I wanted to find the actual “rule” or whatever. But it seems like it just depends on the job and the company…?

@deni Try Crocs, I’ve got a friend that has run (owned or managed) several restaurants, he wears them and some of the staff too. They have a thick cushion !

Here are some chef shoes

I’m going to research it but my first thought is that if the boss says it’s ok and your coworker has an issue with it, that’s her problem. The boss says it’s ok. Period.

Also, OSHA is a Federal agency. Colorado state code may say something different, if there is a state code. I’m looking.

@Tropical_Willie I have worn crocs in the past, I do like them, but I need just a little more arch support than I’ve found with them. I’ve also had multiple pairs of Danskos and I just can’t do them. They basically gave me a bunion I can never come back from lol.

@deni If your boss is fine with it then I don’t see a problem. If you have a foot problems the job would likely be obligated to give you a medical accommodation so you should be ok, unless your company is horrible, but it doesn’t sound to me like they are horrible.

What exactly is the other employee complaining about? How the shoe looks? If you were my employee I would just want you to have a back in the shoe for safety, I always agreed with that measure when I worked retail, but we actually climbed up and down on ladders and shelves.

I looked yesterday, both at OSHA’s site and by googling the same about Colorado and I didn’t find anything about the type of shoes being a requirement for food service. I did find it being a requirement for construction and electrical workers.