automatic shoe cover dispenser – Shoe Inn Machinations

A Primer on the Different Types of Shoe Inn Shoe Covers

There are many types of shoe covers available in the marketplace. Shoe Inn has taken most of the standard available shoe cover types and formatted them in cartridges for loading into and dispensing from our Shoe Inn Stay and Shoe Inn Fusion automatic shoe cover dispensers. We have nine different types of shoe covers and multiple color options available in one of the types. Below we discuss each type in terms of what it is made from; its characteristics in terms of traction, waterproofness, durability, and breathability; and when to use it and when to avoid it. Our website includes a helpful comparison chart of seven of the shoe cover types.

Plastic (7PLA-110HC, 1,650 shoe covers/825 pairs per case): Plastic shoe covers are made from a transparent blue polyethylene (PE). They have poor traction, are completely waterproof, and are on the lower end of the durability and breathability spectrums. Consider using these shoe covers when you need a waterproof shoe cover and/or when you are looking for the lowest cost option. Avoid them when you have smooth, slippery flooring.

28g Fabric (7FAB-100HC, 1,500 shoe covers/750 pairs per case): Our thinner fabric shoe covers are made from 28-gram polypropylene (PP). While not as slippery as plastic, their traction is not great. They are not waterproof and are on the lower end of the durability spectrum. On the plus side, they have the best breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a basic bootie at a low cost. Avoid them when you need a waterproof shoe cover.

28g Fabric with Traction (7FWT-100HC, 1,500 shoe covers/750 pairs per case): Our thinner fabric shoe covers with traction are made from 28-gram polypropylene (PP) with an industry standard latex traction pattern. They are not waterproof and are on the lower end of the durability spectrum. On the plus side, they have the best breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a basic bootie and traction is a consideration. Avoid them when you need a waterproof shoe cover.

40g Fabric (7FAB-80HC, 1,200 shoe covers/600 pairs per case): Our thicker fabric shoe covers are made from 40-gram polypropylene (PP). While not as slippery as plastic, their traction is not great and they are not waterproof. On the plus side, they are more durable than the 28g fabric and have excellent breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a more durable bootie at a relatively low cost. Avoid them when you need a waterproof shoe cover.

40g Fabric with Traction (7FWT-80HC, 1,200 shoe covers/600 pairs per case): Our thicker fabric shoe covers with traction are made from 40-gram polypropylene (PP) with an industry standard latex traction pattern. They are not waterproof but are more durable than the 28g fabric and have excellent breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a more durable bootie and traction is a consideration. Avoid them when you need a waterproof shoe cover. Note that we have this type in multiple color options other than the standard blue (currently yellow shoe covers and purple shoe covers), which may be helpful or desirable in certain situations.

Hybrids (7HBD-70HC, 1,050 shoe covers/525 pairs): Our Hybrid shoe covers are made from a base layer of 40-gram polypropylene (PP) with an outer layer, which covers most but not the entire base layer, of cast polyethylene (CPE). With the CPE layer, they are our most durable option and are mostly waterproof. The CPE layer decreases breathability while providing a good level of traction. Consider using this type when durability is critical and waterproofness is a consideration. Avoid them when cost is paramount.

Supers (7SUP-80HC, 1,200 shoe covers/600 pairs per case): Our Super shoe covers are made from a base layer of 30-gram polypropylene (PP) with an outer coating of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The LDPE coating gives this shoe cover superior anti-skid slip resistance and makes it waterproof. While breathability is at the lower end of the spectrum, the LDPE layer also increases durability. Consider using this type when traction is critical and waterproofness is a consideration. Avoid them when cost is paramount.

28g Fabric with ESD Ribbon (7FAB-100CS-ESD, 3,000 shoe covers/1,500 pairs per case): We also have our thinner 28-gram polypropylene (PP) fabric shoe covers with an ESD (electrostatic discharge) dissipative ribbon with a surface resistance between 3.5 x 10⁷to 1.0 x 10⁹ ohms. While not as slippery as plastic, their traction is not great. They are not waterproof and are on the lower end of the durability spectrum. On the plus side, they have the best breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a basic bootie that can handle ESD within the specified parameters.

28g Fabric with Traction and ESD Ribbon (7FWT-100CS-ESD, 3,000 shoe covers/1,500 pairs per case): We also have our thinner 28-gram polypropylene (PP) fabric shoe covers with an industry standard traction pattern and an ESD (electrostatic discharge) dissipative ribbon with a surface resistance between 3.5 x 10⁷to 1.0 x 10⁹ ohms. They are not waterproof and are on the lower end of the durability spectrum. On the plus side, they have the best breathability. Consider using this type when you are looking for a basic bootie with traction and that can handle ESD within the specified parameters.

Hopefully the information above helps you to understand the different types of shoe covers we offer and will help you target in on the type or types that are best for your situation. As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at (877) 595-7463 or info@theshoecovers.com. We can always send samples to help you make your decision as well.

Automatic Shoe Cover Dispensers and Removers: Models Comparison

Disposable shoe cover dispensers and removers increase efficiency and productivity, promote safety, and improve compliance and cleanliness. Shoe Inn’s automatic shoe cover dispensers and removers can be simply and easily incorporated into virtually any workplace routine.

Shoe Inn Shoe Cover Dispensers

Shoe Inn’s line of automatic shoe cover dispensers offers a game changing way to increase efficiency/productivity and cut down on workplace injuries. Using a Shoe Inn automatic shoe cover dispenser is at least FOUR TIMES FASTER than putting shoe covers on manually. This significantly shorter gowning time equals increased efficiency that translates to increased productivity, meaning you are not wasting money paying your employees to put on shoe covers but instead are paying them in their work environment where they are being productive. Cumulatively, these small time saving increments add up to big savings for your business! On the safety side, eliminate issues with people potentially falling down while hopping around on one foot – what we call the “bootie hop,” which is a worker’s comp claim waiting to happen – or losing their balance while leaning against a wall to apply shoe covers. It is also worth noting that using automatic shoe cover dispensers increases health and sanitation compliance by facilitating hands-free, contamination-free shoe cover application.

Shoe Inn Stay

The Shoe Inn Stay is designed for medium to high volume usage areas where safety compliance is critical thanks to its built in handlebar. People can easily apply a pair of shoe covers in 5-10 seconds. One Shoe Inn Stay can cover up to 110 pairs of shoes at a time and requires no electricity, so it can be easily deployed at any suitable location.

Shoe Inn Fusion

The Shoe Inn Fusion is perfect for low to medium volume usage. Though it is almost the same footprint on the ground as the Shoe Inn Stay, the Fusion works in some tighter areas since it doesn’t have the vertical component and is also easier to transport. Users can easily apply a pair of shoe covers in 5-10 seconds. One Shoe Inn Fusion can cover up to 55 pairs of shoes at a time and requires no electricity, so it can be easily deployed at any suitable location.

Shoe Inn Shoe Cover Removers

Use of hands-free automatic shoe cover removers is the final piece to any health and safety routine in the workplace. Designed to prevent cross contamination, Shoe Inn offers two shoe cover remover options for safe, efficient, and sanitary removal of disposable shoe covers.

ASCR-33

Designed for medium to high volume applications, the ASCR-33 features a 33-gallon storage canister that holds 600-plus used shoe covers (depending on the type of shoe cover).

ASCR-10

Intended for low to medium volume uses, the ASCR-10 comes with a 10-gallon canister that holds 100 or more used shoe covers (depending on the type of bootie).

Automatically Apply and Remove Shoe Covers

If your business hasn’t started using automatic shoe cover dispensers and removers, it isn’t running as efficiently, cleanly, and safely as possible. Please contact Shoe Inn so we can help you to find a specific solution to fit your company’s particular needs. Contact us for a quote or demo and to learn more about how Shoe Inn’s automatic shoe cover system can benefit your business.

Seven Reasons to Utilize Revolutionary Automatic Shoe Cover Dispensers and Removers

There are multiple methods for businesses and organizations to keep their facilities clean and minimize or prevent contamination from the wide variety of contaminants that exist on shoes. The four most prevalent options are shoe covers/booties (disposable or reusable), dedicated/facility shoes, sticky/tacky mats, and chemical baths. The relative pros and cons of these will be discussed in a future blog post. This blog post focuses on shoe covers and a revolutionary technology for putting them on and taking them off.

Shoe covers are essential in many applications for keeping environments clean and free from contamination. In some cases, you want to prevent whatever is on the floor from getting on your shoes. Other times you want or need to prevent contaminants on your shoes from getting on the floors in your environment for maintenance and sanitation, health and safety, infection control and other reasons. In the past people had to apply and remove their shoe covers manually, but this is time-consuming, can be dangerous, and is definitely not clean. Alternatively, many entities are now utilizing automatic shoe cover dispensers and removers to address these issues. Here are seven reasons why:

Speed: it’s faster

No bones about it, putting shoe covers on the old-fashioned way is time-consuming – the entire process, which includes grabbing a pair of shoe covers and finding a place to put them on, easily takes somewhere between 30 and 45 seconds each and every time. Removing them can take even longer, especially in an environment that requires more extensive hygiene practices. With Shoe Inn’s revolutionary automatic shoe cover dispensers and removers, the time is reduced to about five (5) seconds!

Efficiency = productivity = $$$

Applying shoe covers faster and more efficiently means employees can get to work faster. The Shoe Inn system makes the process of applying and removing shoe covers AT LEAST four times (4x) faster. This significantly shorter gowning time equals increased efficiency that translates to increased productivity, meaning you are not wasting money paying your employees to put on shoe covers but instead are paying them in their work environment where they are being productive. Cumulatively, these small time saving increments add up to big savings for your business!

Easy breezy

Putting shoe covers on is easy for some people, a walk in the park. However, for others it can be a real challenge for a variety of legitimate reasons. Many, many times we’ve been told by people at tradeshows (with colorful, choice words) how much they despise, detest, even flat out refuse to put shoe covers on. Employ automatic shoe cover dispensers, which make it so much easier to put booties on, and those challenges and objections will vanish, thereby increasing compliance. Same goes for the remover, just at the back end of the process.

Safety rules

Automatic shoe cover dispensers and removers keep employees and visitors safer by reducing the risk of injuring themselves while putting shoe covers on and taking them off. Instead of bouncing around while attempting to balance on one foot and lifting the other leg, which we have dubbed the “bootie hop” (see The Bootie Hop video), people can safely apply and remove their shoe covers in an ergonomically friendly manner. The handlebars found on the Shoe Inn Stay dispenser and both ASCR removers make it even safer and easier. Say goodbye to those workers’ comp claims!

It’s cleaner

Putting shoe covers on and taking them off by hand is dirty business. Your shoes, particularly the bottoms, are gross – just think about everything you’ve stepped in and on while walking around streets, parking lots, subways, parks, trails, public bathrooms, etc. It is almost inevitable that you’re going to touch your shoes while putting shoe covers on manually and thus contaminate your hands. Depending on the environment, used shoe covers can be soiled as well so automatic shoe cover removers do the dirty work for you.

Save precious space

Oftentimes wherever shoe covers need to be put on and/or taken off, space is at a premium. Gowning benches and chairs take up space and can be obstructions. Shoe cover dispensers and removers take up much less space, especially proportionately when factoring in how much more efficient they are in facilitating people getting through the process. Fewer benches and chairs mean more space for other necessities.

Dressed to impress

Manually putting shoe covers on and taking them off is so old school. While there will always be a place for doing certain things the old-fashioned way, why not look professional and impress your customers, visitors, regulators, inspectors and auditors? In fact, you can customize your Shoe Inn dispensers and removers with your corporate logo, motto/slogan, contact information, etc. to further cement your brand.

As you can see, there are many benefits to implementing an automatic shoe cover dispensing and removal system. Want to know more? Check out our line of shoe cover dispensers, shoe covers and removers or contact us. At Shoe Inn, we make putting shoe covers on and taking them off faster, easier, safer and cleaner!

USP 800 versus 797: New Guide for Handling Hazardous Drugs Includes Shoe Covers

USP <800>, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention’s new standard for handling hazardous drugs (HDs) in healthcare settings, includes significant safety standards for all healthcare workers, as well as patients and the general public, who have access to facilities where HDs are prepared. This includes pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, home health care workers, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians. Entities that store, transport, prepare, or administer HDs are also affected, including but not limited to pharmacies, hospitals, patient treatment clinics, physicians’ practice facilities, and veterinary clinics.

USP <800> provides facilities with direction on how to set policy and identify what needs to be done for employee safety while compounding and dispensing HDs. These new safety standards expand upon USP <797>, which focused primarily on minimizing the risk of contaminating medicines when compounding sterile IV preparations. USP <800>, on the other hand, is aimed primarily at addressing the entire life cycle of an HD so that all who might come in contact with it are protected.

USP <797> and <800> are related in that each refer to a chapter in the US Pharmacopoeia. USP <800> is not just limited to chemotherapy but also many drugs that now fall under the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) list. USP <800> has a minor component that currently falls under USP <797> this year but will become fully enforceable in December 2019 and will require full cleanroom and garbing precautions. USP <797> is under revision; therefore the current version will hold until at least the next year. This is the year the Joint Commission and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring compliance with USP <797>. Since this is the first year that the CMS plans to enforce the IV compounding regulations, most facilities are scrambling to meet compliance.

Health Effects Resulting from Exposure to Hazardous Drugs

Growing evidence, which has been accumulated over decades by the USP, Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, Oncology Nursing Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that occupational exposure to the more than 200 HDs commonly used in healthcare settings can cause acute and chronic health issues. In addition, over 100 studies have documented evidence of HD contamination in the workplace, including the presence of HDs in workers’ urine. With nearly 8,000,000 healthcare workers exposed to HDs each year, USP <800> aims to prevent associated acute and long-term health effects.

Required Upgrades Under USP <800> Include Shoe Covers

Personal protective equipment (PPE)(gowns; head, hair, and shoe covers; and two pairs of chemotherapy gloves) is required for compounding both sterile and non-sterile HDs, and two pairs of such gloves are required for administering antineoplastic HDs. Facilities also need to develop standard operating procedures regarding appropriate PPE for any workers who otherwise handle HDs.

Both USP <797> and <800> include several references to shoe covers as detailed below.

Compliant Shoe Covers + Automatic Shoe Cover Application and Removal

Shoe Inn’s shoe covers meet USP <797> and <800> guidelines. If you want to take make putting shoe covers on faster, easier, safer and cleaner, go with an automatic shoe cover dispenser like the Shoe Inn Stay. You can even take it a step further by implementing an automatic shoe cover remover. These products help eliminate workplace injuries, prevent contamination, and save precious time (see just how quick and easy in our application and removal videos).

USP <800> became effective on July 1, 2018.

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USP <797> references to shoe covers

Appropriate personnel protective equipment (PPE) shall be worn when compounding in a BSC or CACI and when using CSTD devices. PPE should include gowns, face masks, eye protection, hair covers, shoe covers or dedicated shoes, double gloving with sterile chemo-type gloves, and compliance with manufacturers’ recommendations when using a CACI.

After donning dedicated shoes or shoe covers, head and facial hair covers, and face masks…

When compounding personnel exit the compounding area during a work shift, the exterior gown may be removed and retained in the compounding area if not visibly soiled, to be re-donned during that same work shift only. However, shoe covers, hair and facial hair covers, face masks/eye shields, and gloves shall be replaced with new ones before re-entering the compounding area, and proper hand hygiene shall be performed.

Appendix I: Order of compounding garb and cleansing in ante-area: shoes or shoe covers, head and facial hair covers, face mask, fingernail cleansing, hand and forearm washing and drying; non-shedding gown.

Appendix III: Dons shoe covers or designated clean-area shoes one at a time, placing the covered or designated shoe on clean side of the line of demarcation, as appropriate.

Appendix III: Removes shoe covers or shoes one at a time, ensuring that uncovered foot is placed on the dirty side of the line of demarcation and performs hand hygiene again. (Removes and discards shoe covers every time the compounding area is exited).

USP <800> references to shoe covers

Gowns, head, hair, shoe covers, and two pairs of chemotherapy gloves are required for compounding sterile and non-sterile HDs.

Head and hair covers (including beard and moustache, if applicable), shoe covers, and sleeve covers provide protection from contact with HD residue. When compounding HDs, a second pair of shoe covers must be donned before entering the C-SEC and doffed when exiting the C-SEC. Shoe covers worn in HD handling areas must not be worn to other areas to avoid spreading HD contamination and exposing other healthcare workers.

Hospital Employee Safety: Slips and Falls

Hospitals are one of the most hazardous places to work according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, hospital injuries occurred at almost twice the rate for private industry as a whole in 2011. In terms of lost-time rates, it is more hazardous to work in a hospital than in manufacturing or construction.

Hospitals have unique risks (lifting/repositioning patients, needlesticks), slippery surfaces, and a variety of other hazards. Also, some caregivers feel it is their ethical duty to put their patients’ safety and health before their own.

For 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that fully one quarter (25%) of all hospital caregiver injuries was from slips, trips and falls! Considering the slippery floors in hospitals and the body positioning and movements that caregivers employ in performing their jobs, this statistic is somewhat understandable. Injuries from slipping can impact employees’ ability to do their jobs, and result in decreased productivity, lost workdays, and expensive worker compensation claims.

As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a guide for Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention for Healthcare Workers. Though the guide does not address shoe covers, hospital EH&S/safety/risk managers can go the extra mile by implementing the Shoe Inn automatic shoe cover dispensing system with non-slip/high-traction shoe covers. Shoe Inn can help keep your employees safe by reducing slips and falls associated with putting shoe covers on as well as using superior traction shoe covers.

Sell that House!

Have you ever walked into an open house and been asked to take your shoes off? The realtor’s top priority is to sell the house and, in order to do that, they should keep it as clean as possible. They’re far more likely to sell it faster and for the most money if it is clean and in the best shape.

Let’s face it: our shoes are dirty! The usual suspects like dirt, leaves, mud, gum, sap, and a variety of disgusting things can get all over the floor. Some shoes also scuff up the floor so the realtor has to spend valuable time cleaning after everyone leaves. No wonder that as soon as you walk into the house for sale you may be asked to remove your shoes.

Picture this: you crouch down in front of strangers and spend a minute unlacing your shoes and adding them to the fleet of other peoples’ shoes. Alternatively, maybe you try to balance on one leg while taking each shoe off, successfully or perhaps not so much. Or maybe you put your hand on the wall for balance, thereby leaving a hand print. Then you walk around the house in your (dirty?) socks, which can be quite awkward with other people around. Plus, you can’t walk to the backyard or outside at all because your socks will get dirty (dirtier?) and then you’ll track dirt back into the house. When leaving you have to do the reverse process: more time, more balancing acts, more hand prints on walls.

Does it have to be this way?

Of course not. The solution? Shoe covers. You can simply have visitors put them over their shoes and the floors won’t get dirty, scuffed or scratched. Unfortunately, there is a catch: regular shoe covers can be difficult to put on and you still have the issue of finding a place to sit down or balancing or leaning on a wall. This can create a bit of a traffic jam at the entrance and cause people to get impatient.

This is why Shoe Inn provides automatic shoe cover dispensers, which make it faster, easier, safer and cleaner to put shoe covers on. Nobody has to sit down, balance precariously while trying to avoid falling, leave hand prints on walls, or walk around in their socks. Visitors will be much happier, sufficiently impressed, and more apt to buy the home.

Get your automatic shoe cover dispenser here today!

Who Needs an Automatic Shoe Cover Dispenser?

An automatic shoe cover dispenser, who needs that? When it comes to putting on shoe covers, you don’t think much about it — you just do what you’ve always done, sitting on a bench or balancing on one leg while trying to put a shoe cover on the other foot (what we call the “bootie hop”). Sounds simple, but for many people it is not. If you find it difficult to bend over and tie your shoes or to balance on one leg, then you know how challenging it can be to put shoe covers on. Quite frankly, most people who have to wear shoe covers despise putting them on. Also consider workplace injuries happening during the process of putting them on — they do happen. In fact, the “bootie hop” is a worker’s comp claim waiting to happen. Last but not least, what about the bottleneck that is created when you have a lot of people who need to put them on at the same time? Shoe Inn can help alleviate all of these issues. Shoe Inn automatic shoe cover dispensers are ideal for use in a variety of environments such as manufacturing and food processing plants, laboratories and clean rooms, medical and healthcare facilities, and anywhere else people need to put shoe covers on faster, easier, safer and cleaner. There is no doubt that you will benefit from the ease of use, time savings, and added safety from using Shoe Inn automatic shoe cover dispensers.

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