STANDARD

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Safety standards

Safety shoes (or work shoes) obviously appear to be safe. A toe cap and a midsole provide protection for feet. However, there are different safety standards for work shoes. It is even mandatory to wear safety shoes with a minimum standard in certain fields. Below, we explain which standards these are and exactly what this standard entails.

A new standard for safety shoes from 2023

As of 2023 (with 2022 being the transition year), there will only be one legal ISO standard for new safety shoes. The ISO standard is the CE hallmark that applies to safety shoes in Europe. Safety shoes that comply with the old ISO standard (EN ISO 20345:2012) are still equipped with this hallmark for a maximum of five years. Safety shoes labelled with this old standard in 2022 are therefore still compliant until 2027.

Prior to 2023, the following safety standards applied for safety shoes:

The EN ISO 20345:2012 standard: this is the standard for work shoes, with mandatory toe protection (This standard may be used for a maximum of five years from the 2022 transition year.)
The EN ISO 20347:2012 standard: this is the standard for occupational shoes, without mandatory toe protection.

The new European EN ISO 20345:2022 standard and EN ISO 20347:2022 standard are the only applicable standards for new safety shoes. The old standards are also still valid for another five years. This EN ISO 20345:2022 standard comprises a number of basic requirements that are abbreviated with the letters SB. These basic standards are mandatory for acquiring the standard.

What does the mandatory SB standard of the EN ISO 20345 entail?

Our safety shoes are equipped with the EN ISO 20345 standard. The shoes are mandatorily equipped with toe protection in accordance with this standard. The new safety standard, which applies from 2023, contains a number of 'basic requirements' (SB). These include the following requirements:

Shock and crush-resistant toes (200 joules - the pressure of 20 kilos of weight that the toe must be able to withstand);
Strength, safety and efficacy of the materials used;
Ergonomics and comfort of the shoe;
Slip resistance.

The new standard includes a number of new categories. A number of (old) categories will also remain.

Updated standards for safety shoes

In addition to the fact that safety shoes and safety boots must be equipped with the basic requirements (SB) from 2023, a number of updates can be found in the standards. Below, we detail these new safety requirements that apply to the shoes in our range.

New standard for slip resistance (SR)
SR indicates the new standard for slip resistance, this standard has been added to the basic requirements (SB).

New standards for penetration-resistant soles (PL and PS)
The P, PL and PS standards refer to the penetration resistance of the soles of safety shoes. The P stands for penetration-resistant. The sole is resistant to penetration. The P is not new, however PL and PS are. The soles of safety shoes with a PL standard are resistant to penetration by objects up to 4.5 millimetres. The soles of safety shoes with a PS standard are resistant to penetration by objects up to 3 millimetres.

New standard for abrasion resistance (SC)
SC is a new standard and stands for Scuff Cap, or protective scuff cap.

Questions about these safety standards? Contact us: we would be delighted to advise you!