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ICC, 35 YEARS AT THE SERVICE OF FOOT SAFETY AND HEALTH

ICC - Indústrias e Comércio de Calçado, owner of the brand No Risk marks 35 years of specialization and constant innovation in the field of professional footwear and never before has it been so requested to help occupational medicine to solve challenges of foot health in the workplace. Considered as one of the most reputable European industries in the sector, a status to which the high number of patents and registries of public utility that it holds decisively contributes, ICC exports to more than 50 markets a wide range of models, designed to meet the requirements and challenges of different work environments. From industry to construction, including logistics, transport, maintenance, electronics, mining, health, forestry, firefighters and militarized forces. ICC, which was the first company in the professional footwear sector to hold certification in Research, Development and Innovation (IDI), differentiates, unlike the generality of its counterparts, the proposals for men and women, for which it is keen to develop models adapted to female physiology and biomechanics. These podiatric concerns have long been at the basis of the design and development of it’s professional footwear and never as in 2020, SPODOS, the Foot Science Centre created 10 years ago, was so requested to assist occupational medicine clinicians and hygiene, as well as health and safety technicians responding to so many and diverse challenges in the field of personal protection. Why? Because foot health and safety in the workplace has an impact on several areas of a company's activity: on the well-being, energy and productivity of employees; in the good working environment; respect for labour law; compliance of certifications; in compliance with the rules scrutinized by the economic inspection; in meeting production goals; and, ultimately, the financial results achieved by the companies. According to a study by “Nova Information Management School “(NOVA-IMS), on average, Portuguese people have missed almost six days (5.9) from work in 2018, which resulted in a loss of 2.2 billion euros. These results have been aggravated in recent years, especially in 2020, as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aware of the care to be taken with the foot in work environments, as well as SPODOS competencies in the fields of podiatry and biomechanics applied to the design, advice and use of professional footwear, «companies in the most varied sectors of activity rely increasingly on the collaboration of podiatrists and biomedical engineers from SPODOS », assures Teófilo Leite, chairman of the board, to advise the most appropriate professional footwear for each professional environment; format and guide training courses and / or awareness-raising actions tailored to the needs of the employees of each institution; provide technical advisory services in the field of foot health in the workplace; carry out chiropody consultations and develop professional footwear tailored to employees with therapeutic indications for that purpose.