Safety Footwear
The right safety footwear is essential for a safe workplace, helping to protect workers against slips, trips and falls and keep wearers comfortable and injury free throughout the work day. So whether the need is for slip resistance or to protect feet from cuts and punctures, we have an extensive selection covering leading brands like Dunlop®, Himalayan®, Perf®, PSF®, CAT®, Tuffsafe® and Ejendals®. There's dedicated footwear for the food industry and the foundry, there are boots with steel toecaps and steel mid-soles, whilst others are resistant to oils, acids, alkalis and heat. There are rigger boots and padded boots, wellingtons and safety trainers. Whatever style and protection you want, we're sure to have it in your size and budget. For more insights and guidance on safety footwear, visit our comprehensive guide.
What is safety footwear?
Safety footwear in the UK is classified as such by being tested to the standard EN ISO 20345. The standard has two valid variations to date; EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022.
Both variations of this standard are currently valid, as long as the certification is in date. Safety footwear certifications are usually valid for five years from the date of testing. Be sure to check the validity of your safety footwear and replace it when there are signs of damage or the certification has expired.
It's important to note that the EN standard EN ISO 20347 applies only to occupational footwear. Footwear that falls under this category has different testing parameters and the two are not to be used interchangeably, as they offer differing types of protection.
What does the EN ISO 20345 standard test for?
Within the EN ISO 20345 standard, safety footwear can be tested against numerous hazards, and given what is known as a safety classification dependent on the outcome of each test.
Safety classification range from SB to S5 as per the 2011 iteration of the standard. The 2022 update to the standard introduced new safety classifications, which go up to S7.
All safety classifications include mandatory presence of a protective toecap that protects up to 200J. As well as this, all safety classifications also requre a level of mandatory slip resistance, which can be reated from SRA to SRC as per the 2011 standard.
The 2022 iteration of the EN ISO 20345 standard added a minimum requirement for slip-resistance. If the safety footwear surpasses this basic requirement and is also tested for slip-resistance on a ceramic tile with glycerol, under the updated standard, it is rated as SR. This is a more rigorous level of slip-resistance than the new basic requirement.
What other markings or tests are included in the EN ISO 20345 standard?
Besides the mandatory basic tests and the more robust additional tests as safety footwear moves up in safety classification, there are also optional, additional tests that safety footwear can be tested againt.
There are 18 in total, as detailed and outlined below:
• PL - Safety footwear marked with PL signifies that the footwear has been tested for perforation resistance in a non-metallic insert, tested with a 4.5 mm test nail. This is a new addition as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.
• PS - Similarly to the above, the marking PS refers to perforation resistance except this time with a non-metallic insert, tested with a 3.0 mm test nail. This is also a new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.
• P - Part of the EN ISO 20345:2011 standard, P signifies that the safety footwear has been tested for perforation resistance (metal insert).
• C - A C marking denotes that the safety footwear has been marked categorised as partly conductive footwear.
• A - The letter A denotes that the safety footwear has been marked as anti-static.
• HI - Safety footwear with the marking HI means that it has been tested for heat insulation of the sole complex.
• CI - Similarly to the above, CI denotes that the safety footwear possesses cold insulation of the sole complex.
• E - Refers to energy absorption of the seat region of the safety footwear.
• WR - Signifies that the footwear has been tested for water resistance. This is the new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard, and means that no water penetration inside the footwear shall be detected for the footwear to achieve this marking.
WR is also used as per the 2011 iteration of the standard, but the 2011 test allows for 3cm cubed of water to penetrate the footwear. This means that the 2022 standard is more strict in defining safety footwear as water resistant.
• WRU - Part of the 2011 standard, WRU refers to water resistance of the upper part of the safety footwear only.
• WPA - Used to essentially replace the above marking WRU, as per the 2022 standard, footwear marked as WPA denotes that some water penetration and absorption of the footwear can occur.
• M - Refers to footwear with metatarsal protection.
• AN - Refers to footwear with ankle protection.
• CR - States that the footwear has cut resistance of the upper part.
• SC - A new optional requirement as per the 2022 standard, SC signifies that there is abrasion resistance of optional overcaps/scuff caps.
• SR - As mentioned previously, under the updated EN ISO 20345 standard, SR will be an optional slip-resistance test on top of the new minimum requirement of basic slip-resistance.
• HRO - Heat resistance of the outsole.
• FO - Fuel resistance and oil resistance.
• LG - The safety footwear has outsoles which provide hold on ladders, or 'ladder grip'. This is a new optional test as per the 2022 standard.