Safety in the workplace is a top priority for all professionals. An essential part of personal protective equipment (PPE) is safety footwear. But how can you be sure that your footwear meets the safety standards required for your profession? In this article, we’ll explain some of the safety standard codes to help you understand what they mean.
1. Certifications and standards
The first step is to check that your safety footwear has the appropriate certifications.
EN ISO 20344:2011 – Test methods for footwear designed as Personal Protective Equipment.
EN ISO 20345:2011 – Refers to the requirements for safety footwear.
Specification for safety footwear for general use: Footwear with appropriate characteristics to protect the wearer against injuries that may arise from accidents in the sectors of work for which the footwear is designed, equipped with appropriate toecaps to provide protection against shocks, with a level of protection for energies of 200 Joules.
EN ISO 20347:2012 – Refers to the requirements for occupational footwear that does not expose the wearer to any mechanical risk, such as impact or compression.
Specifications for occupational footwear: Footwear with appropriate characteristics to protect the wearer against injuries that may arise from accidents in the work sectors for which the footwear is designed. (They are not provided with special protections for the toes.).
ASTM F2413-18 – Safety shoes and boots tested and approved at a voltage of 18000V at 60Hz for one minute.
2. What the symbols mean
Check that the footwear offers adequate resistance to the risks present in your working environment. For example, if you work in a place where there is a risk of heavy objects falling, make sure that the footwear has a protective toe cap accordingly. Also, check that the footwear has a non-slip sole to prevent slips and falls.
You can see all the standards and what they mean here .
Remember that safety at work is paramount and safety footwear plays a crucial role in protecting you. Now you can more easily identify if the footwear you own or want to buy meets the necessary safety standards.
Feel free to contact us at (+351) 253 527 163 or email support@toworkfor.pt if you need any help or have any questions!
We hope to see you in our shop soon!
Portuguese
English
French
German
Spanish