Matthias Jönsson has been working at Boliden Bergsöe in Landskrona for nine years. A typical working day involves many hours at the shaft furnace, where used lead batteries are melted down and recycled. Splashes and sparks from the furnace reach temperatures of 1,200 degrees, so wearing safety footwear that can withstand the heat is incredibly important.
‘The working environment is extremely hot. It's important to make sure that the melting happens where it's supposed to, and nowhere else. We focus heavily on everyday risks and are constantly working on improvements,’ says Matthias.
As part of its work on everyday risks, Boliden Bergsöe decided several years ago that in this hot environment there is no alternative: safety footwear from Arbeskos Oxelösund series must be used. Quite simply because they are the only ones that can withstand the extreme heat.
"If a spark hits the safety footwear, it can burn a hole. I've had that happen to me before, and believe me, I don't want to experience it again. Now I use the Oxelösund 550, which is the boot model. It comes up high on the leg and can withstand the tough environment we work in. Another advantage is that it ventilates the foot well, which is important when you work in such a hot environment as we do.
Heat resistant with high comfort
In other hot environments at Boliden Bergsöe, Oxelösund 650, also known as the welder's shoe, is used. It is not as high as the boot but is also heat resistant down to the smallest detail and protects against liquid metal, for example.
‘Safety shoes take a lot of wear and tear, and in addition to being heat resistant, Oxelösund also has an aluminium toe cap that protects the foot from spikes and hard beams. As an added bonus, the boot fits perfectly on the foot right away, and I don't have to walk around for weeks with blisters because of a stiff safety shoe that needs to be broken in first. Awesome,’ concludes Matthias.
Facts about Boliden Bergsöe
Boliden Bergsöe in Landskrona is the only lead recycling facility in the Nordic region and one of Europe's largest recyclers of used lead batteries. Every year, lead is recycled from around four million used car batteries, and at least 70 per cent of the lead produced is sold to the battery industry in Europe, where it is reused. Lead is 100 per cent recyclable and can be recycled over and over again without losing its properties.
