Your Press
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email »
Electricity shoes spark ban demand at hospital
10:30am Thursday 6th September 2007
Comments (16)UNION chiefs at York Hospital have called for an immediate ban on staff wearing Croc shoes after it was revealed that the fashion items could kill patients.
The alert was raised after static electricity from the trendy footwear caused a life-saving respirator machine in a Swedish hospital to go on the blink.
Bosses at York Hospital said a review was under way to assess the pros and cons of the controversial Crocs - which are made of a rubbery resin called Croslite.
But Edna Mulhearn, Unison representative at York Hospital, said the shoes were a danger to lives and should be banned immediately.
She said: "There is a lot of technical equipment around hospitals and any interference with that could kill somebody.
"If there is the slightest possibility that the static electricity produced by these Croc shoes could interfere with the equipment, then they must be banned."
Banning the shoes would be a blow to a large number of hospital staff, who find the super-comfy Crocs help them survive long hours spent on their feet.
It is understood nurses can walk up to five miles during a 12-hour shift.
But Mrs Mulhearn said: "I understand Crocs are comfortable, but I think health and safety is far more important."
Hospital chief executive, Mike Proctor, said: "The use of Croc shoes is under review at the moment. It has been discussed at the last couple of nursing meetings. We will be taking advice from the back care co-ordinator and others.
"They are meant to be well-fitting and comfortable shoes, which is very important because nurses spend a lot of time on their feet. But because they are slip-on shoes there are health and safety issues.
"There is also the question of appearance and what is in line with the hospital dress code."
He said infection control was another issue to be considered because the shoes' holes meant items like dropped syringes could pierce feet.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust is also considering a ban on the shoes.
Your Say YourYork Press
Jason, says...
10:32am Thu 6 Sep 07
Rust_Never_Sleeps, says...
10:43am Thu 6 Sep 07
Electricity shoes spark ban demand at hospital
Possibly the best headline ever in The Press. I nearly spilt my tea over my keyboard.
Rust_Never_Sleeps, says...
10:50am Thu 6 Sep 07
UNION chiefs at York Hospital have called for an immediate ban on staff wearing Croc shoes after it was revealed that the fashion items could kill patients.
Never mind MRSA and superbugs! Watch out for the killer shoes!
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
11:12am Thu 6 Sep 07
Somebody, York says...
11:13am Thu 6 Sep 07
infection control was another issue to be considered because the shoes' holes meant items like dropped syringes could pierce feet
Maybe these numpties at the hospital should look at the crocs website - they would see that there are actually crocs professionals, which do not have holes all over them.
And frankly unless someone threw a syringe atyour feet like a dart there's not much chance of it going through the shoe.
What a load of croc!
arlan, york says...
11:20am Thu 6 Sep 07
Dachande07, York says...
11:23am Thu 6 Sep 07
Using there logic, a human creates more static than 1 million of these shoes combined, should we ban humans from hospitals?
Axe Man Jack, York says...
12:06pm Thu 6 Sep 07
ohsotired, york says...
12:21pm Thu 6 Sep 07
opinion_on_everythin
g, York says...
12:37pm Thu 6 Sep 07
MissConstrood, york says...
1:11pm Thu 6 Sep 07
Peenjay, Fromere says...
2:16pm Thu 6 Sep 07
Gypsum Fantasic, York says...
6:13pm Thu 6 Sep 07
nimrod, says...
7:08pm Thu 6 Sep 07
hard working dad of 2, my own house-york says...
8:44pm Thu 6 Sep 07
In this section
- Hundreds object to proposed location of new big wheel in York
- Transport minister to face York rail HQ meeting
- Information plea following Sherburn-in-Elmet crash
- Coroner blasts carers’ firm over death of grandfather
- ‘Most residents will have caught swine flu before Christmas’
- Drunk ‘idiot’ sparks alert over Claudia Lawrence body claim
- Experts in plea over River Ouse porpoise sightings
- York woman picks up uninvited hitch-hiker... a snake
- York Station ticket barriers plan set to be approved
- Community urged to report suspicions of domestic abuse
Sponsored Links
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Rust_Never_Sleeps, says...
10:32am Thu 6 Sep 07
By this logic all rubber soled shoes should be banned?
What aload of pathetic Elf 'n Safety hogwash.