Banning Crocs due to Static Electricity

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mcubed45

434 Posts

why don't they ban static electricity instead?

i doubt crocs are the ONLY shoes which cause a buildup of static electricity so unless they're gonna setup a testing procedure to determine which shoes are "hospital safe" it's a little silly to just ban crocs. heck they should investigate all the different scrubs their staff are wearing too. or maybe even their underwear just to be safe.

on that note, it's known that certain individuals are more prone to static discharge so perhaps there should be a testing procedure to determine who is "hospital safe". people who do not qualify should not be allowed in hospitals.

...or they could just implement the standard discharge plates/wriststraps found in every electronics manufacturing facility in the world today.

KMBERLE

10 Posts

http://jezebel.com/gossip/frightening-footwear/killer-crocs-the-summers-fugliest-shoes-banned-296699.php

...nurses have now been banned from wearing Crocs -- in addition to the static electricity and the chance that a syringe will fall through the holes, poke them and give them a deadly disease, UK bosses say "they look unprofessional." Nurses, who can walk up to five miles in a 12-hour shift, are not happy.

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sirI, MSN, APRN, NP

17 Articles; 44,729 Posts

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Post #26 merged with existing thread.

KMBERLE

10 Posts

thanks I'm a newbie!:welcome:

Specializes in ICU, CCU, ER, PACU, tele, PSYCH.

:idea:has anyone noticed that it only seems to be in europe that the recent cases of cell phones turning off equipment and static from shoes doing the same. seems pretty weird to me.

bighousenurse

28 Posts

Specializes in most anything's in corrections.

i wear croc-like shoes, called "comfort clogs"--they are on allheart.com. i can't wear the brandname "crocs" because they are too wide for me. they are the best! you can buy them without the holes all over, just vent holes on the sides. the only draw back is your feet will smell terrible after you do a 12 hr. or a double shift. my co-worker told me one time that my feet smelled like "zesty dill pickles"! i usually wash my feet sometime during the big shifts since he told me that. another thing thats nice about them is you can throw them all in the washer with detergent and a little bleach...they come out like brand-new. nurses feet are important, it's a shame all the bad publicity these shoes are getting. hopefully, the companies making these shoes will redesign them to comply with the negatives that have been arising.

bekindtokittens

353 Posts

Specializes in Psych..

I wonder if the weather is dry in these areas of Croc/static electricity "problems". My husband and I shock each other all the time, especially in the wintertime here (Colorado). We have to ground ourselves by touching something else before touching each other...or, you know, shock the other on purpose because it's funny. And my poor cats, you should see their little faces when they get shocked when we forget to ground ourselves before giving them pats...

Specializes in Renal, Max-Fax.

Well it seems like we're the latest victims of another media induced knee-jerk reaction. Our hospital have jumped on the band-wagon & have just banned Crocs just like most other hospitals in the UK. The main reasons (apart from being ugly) are the holes and the risk of bodily fluids and sharpes exposure if accidentally dropped.

The third reason is the ever discussed static electricity. While I agree with the holes issue and the risk it may pose to the practitioner I have yet to find any articles confirming that any patients have actually suffered from the discharge of the static electricity. In a dry, chilly climate like Norway, Canada & Sweden you will get a lot more static electicity in the winter but this is true regardless of wearing Crocs or not (being swedish myself I do know). I thought that medico-technical equipment surely must be earthed and therefore not at risk of an electical discharge to it's cover. The discharge should simply disappear into the ground via the earthed cover but hey who am I to say.

Hey, lets come up with something new they can cause a fuss over & ban, shall we?? ;)

cmo421

1 Article; 372 Posts

Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.

Many years ago,part of the dress code for nursing was covered feet,meaning no holes in the top of ur shoes. This seems to have gone by the way side. But once when bringing in a tray to an isolation pt,it was styroform(spelling),it tipped,the hot water went on my foot. Good thing it was 10 yrs ago,cause I actually jumped into the pt's sink and turned on the cold water,,,lol, could not do that now. But I did get 2nd degree burns on my foot. I had on clogs with a top vent. So I for one am leary about wearing anything with all those holes on the top. Basically, I could care what someone weras for shoes,as long as they r clean,comfortable and they can run and do stairs fast and safely. I can see how the powers that be might frown on crocs.

I got one for ya. Did u know that is is policy in many hospitals that nurses wearing dresses or skirts have to wear nylons,not teds due to "fall out"?

Altra, BSN, RN

6,255 Posts

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
why don't they ban static electricity instead?

...

on that note, it's known that certain individuals are more prone to static discharge so perhaps there should be a testing procedure to determine who is "hospital safe". people who do not qualify should not be allowed in hospitals.

:yeahthat: :smokin:

FLOBRN

169 Posts

Specializes in NICU,MB,Lact.Consultant, L/D.

Respectfully, Croc's are not rubber. True rubber is actually latex and is a natural product. Croc's are made of a specific resin and which is chemically created.

Specializes in Med Surg; Emergency Room; Long Term Car.

Okay. My small rural hospital is considering banning Crocs and similar shoes. The first concern I agree with is because of the open holes. the second concern is the Static Electricity causing Ventilator malfunctions. In my research I have noticed the following:

1. the only hospital this has been an issue with -- as far as I can determine -- is the single Swedish hospital.

2. How many ICU and CCU nurses in the States have been wearing Croc-type shoes, and how many ventilator malfunctions have there been?

3. I don't see any evidence based practice at this time, but would love to see real research and evidence.

4. How sensitive ARE ventilators to static electricity, anyway? since this is such an important safety item, wouldn't they come prepared to deal with the incoming shocks? Static electricity is going to happen no matter what is worn, so I cannot believe that the manufacturers did not take this into consideration.

I am okay with banning Crocs from the hospital, because the dress code has always required closed shoes. But let's do it for the right reasons. Lets do it because of proper research. Let's do it because we are Nurses who prefer Evidence Based Practices.

Thank you\

Dulcinurse

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