Nothing is better than having a loved one come home safe, that's why we asked some of our Safety Management Consultants to share their top gift choices for the holiday season.

"It's gotta be the shoes," says Peter Koch. Peter isn't talking Air Jordans, the premier holiday gift of 1988, he's discussing the timeless necessity of slip and fall prevention. Like car tires, your shoes keep you firmly attached to the surface and there are many different tread types designed for the specific environmental conditions you may encounter. The deeper and more widely spaced the tread pattern, the more loose material - like gravel or snow - it can accommodate and still contact the stable surface below. Because there are fewer contact points with the surface, this tread pattern isn’t great for hard wet/oily surfaces like tile or concrete. A deeply scored, but closely spaced tread pattern can readily squeeze out liquids and provide more surface area for contact with the surface underneath. Conversely, there is little room for bulky materials in the tread, allowing clogging and limiting friction. For those of you who don't love this excuse to buy more than one pair of shoes for the different conditions you encounter, you can look into traction enhancers that can be put on and taken off.

Tony Jones agrees on the importance of footwear, "When your feet hurt, you hurt all over." Tony offers tips on how to find the right fit. Not many people know it's best to buy shoes late in the afternoon when your feet are more likely to be swollen and at their maximum size. Selecting shoes made of leather or canvas, rather than synthetic materials, can also help in avoiding athlete's foot.

Ladders are like shoes says Scott Valorose, one size does not fit all and choosing the right kind of ladder for each task is important. If you see someone using a stepladder the wrong way, like folded and leaned in place of a straight ladder or using an aluminum ladder around electricity, then a gift of the right kind of ladder could literally be a life saver. Remember to choose a ladder that is capable of supporting not just their weight but also the weight of any tools, materials, and equipment they will be using.

Scott and Peter both agree that cut resistant gloves are a must-have for anyone who spends time in the kitchen around knives. For better kitchen ergonomics, Peter also recommends adjustable or telescopic handled scrubbers, dusters and sweepers to avoid overextending your reach or needing a ladder. That way no one can make an excuse when it is time to clean up after the holiday party that they are too short, tall, big or small.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow - if you have the right snow shovel says Allan Brown. Consider a shovel with a bent handle, this will reduce the amount of bending you’ll have to do when shoveling. Plastic is lighter than metal, so go light; the snow will provide plenty of weight and if the snow is so heavy you are worried it will bend or break the shovel then you are lifting too much weight. For that special someone who refuses to hire a professional for anything, get a roof rake for snow removal says Rod Stanley and declare the roof a no-go zone. For someone who uses a snow blower in the winter or a lawn mower in the summer, hearing protection is another must-have to prevent ear damage says John DeRoia (also useful for large, noisy family gatherings). For anyone hitting the slopes, the best accessory to match your skis or snowboard is a helmet says Peter.

At MEMIC, we believe safety truly is the gift that keeps on giving, so you can always find more safety tips right here on the Safety Net Blog all year round.