Wearing the correct Safety footwear is essential when working in an environment that requires safety from potential hazards such as a contruction site or a factory.
Safety footwear is meticulously tested to ensure that they comply with EN ISO 20345 as a minimum safety standard for safety footwear. Safety boots have additional safety features, including steel toe-caps, anti-penetration midsoles, and slip-resistant sole units.
Protecting your feet can help prevent injuries from falling objects or compression and can be worn throughout the working day. Your safety footwear should be inspected every time they are being worn, to look for any damage such as holes, dirt and buckles. When not being worn safety footwear should be cleaned and stored in a clean, dry space.
Footwear certification explained:-
In addition to the minimum level of protection covered by EN ISO 20345, there are various additional safety features that your footwear may offer.
| Rating | Meaning |
| SB | Safety Basic, conformant to EN ISO 20345 |
| SBP | As SB, with the addition of midsole penetration protection |
| S1 | As SB, with the addition of a closed energy absorbing seat region, anti-static properties and resistance to fuel & oils |
| S1P | As S1, with the addition of midsole penetration protection |
| S2 | As S1, with protection against water penetration and absorption resistance |
| S3 | As S2, with the addition of midsole penetration protection |
| S4 | As S1, moulded entirely from polymer/rubber. Leak-proof & waterproof. |
| S5 | As S4, with the addition of midsole penetration protection |
In many working environments it is also vital to wear footwear that will prevent you from slipping on flooring. The certifications and explanations for these classifications is below:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| SRA | Tested on ceramic tile wetted with sodium lauryl sulphate (a diluted soap solution) |
| SRB | Test on steel with glycerol |
| SRC | Tested under both SRA & SRC conditions |
You can learn more about slip resistant footwear by visiting the HSE website here
Click on our logo below to view our full range of Safety Footwear.
