What standard must safety toe footwear meet for employees?

Safety toe footwear is designed to provide protection to the feet against various workplace hazards, such as falling objects or compression. The correct answer highlights that safety toe footwear must meet the standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI sets performance criteria for protective footwear, including specifications for toe protection, impact resistance, and puncture resistance, ensuring that shoes designed for safety effectively protect wearers in occupational settings.

While OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and does regulate workplace safety, it references ANSI standards regarding safety footwear but does not establish new testing or performance criteria. Meanwhile, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) focus on international safety standards and environmental protection, respectively, which are not specific to the safety and performance attributes of footwear used in workplace safety contexts. Therefore, ANSI is the appropriate standard governing the requirements for safety toe footwear used by employees.