CLASSES OF FOOTWEAR PROTECTION
Full Review Of ISO 20345
Understanding the Classification of Protective Footwear According to Norms
Before getting acquainted with various types of protective footwear, it’s important to understand the norms regulating the classification of occupational footwear. EN ISO 20344 is the standard that defines general requirements and testing methods for protective footwear. This footwear is then classified according to standards such as EN ISO 20345, EN ISO 20346, and EN ISO 20347.
Safety Footwear According to EN ISO 20345 – Marked with “S” (Safety)
Safety footwear, indicated by the letter “S” (Safety), possesses protective properties, including toe protection provided by toecaps. The strength of these toecaps is tested for impact energy of 200 J and compression force of 15 kN. The requirements for safety footwear are specified by the standard PN-EN ISO 20345 and PN-EN ISO 20345:2012.
Depending on the basic requirements, safety footwear can be divided into different levels: SB, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5. Additional optional features are indicated by specific abbreviations, which will be explained below.
Protective Footwear According to EN ISO 20346 – Marked with “P” (Protective)
Protective footwear, marked with “P” (Protective), also possesses protective properties, including toe protection provided by toecaps. The strength of these toecaps is tested for impact energy of 100 J and compression force of 10 kN. The requirements for protective footwear are specified by the standard PN-EN ISO 20346 and PN-EN ISO 20346:2014-08.
Occupational Footwear According to EN ISO 20347 – Marked with “O” (Occupational)
Occupational footwear, marked with “O” (Occupational), possesses protective features designed to protect against injuries that may occur during accidents in workplaces. They are intended for everyday use in situations where toe protection by toecaps is not required. The requirements for occupational footwear are specified by the standard PN-EN ISO 20347 and PN-EN ISO 20347:2012.
Types of Occupational Footwear Defined in EN ISO 20347 Include:
- OB – Basic properties, energy absorption in the heel area.
- O1 – Basic properties with a closed heel, resistance to hydrocarbons and diesel, anti-static properties of the sole, and energy absorption in the heel area.
- O1P – Like O1 with additional penetration-resistant sole (1100N).
- O2 – Like O1 with water impermeability.
- O3 – Like O2 with sole penetration resistance and additional tread pattern.
- O4 – Basic properties, anti-static properties, and energy absorption in the heel area.
- O5 – Like O4 with sole penetration resistance and tread pattern.
CLASS | Safety footwear EN 345/EN ISO 20345 |
Professional footwear EN 347/EN ISO 20347 |
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I, II | I | I | I | II | II | I, II | I | I | I | II | II | ||
CATEGORY | |||||||||||||
SYMBOL | PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES | SB | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | OB | O1 | O2 | O3 | O4 | O5 |
SB | Safety footwear, basic requirements (toe protection) | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
OB | Safety footwear, basic requirements (without toe protection) | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
A | Antistatic properties | x | x | x | x | x | o | x | x | x | x | x | |
E | Energy absorption in the heel area | x | x | x | x | x | o | x | x | x | x | x | |
WRU | Waterproof upper material | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
P | Puncture resistance | x | x | o | x | x | |||||||
Sole tread | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
C | Electrically conductive footwear | o | |||||||||||
I | Electrically insulated footwear | o | |||||||||||
WR | Water penetration and absorption resistance | o | |||||||||||
M | Metatarsal protection | ||||||||||||
CI | Cold insulation | o | |||||||||||
HI | Heat insulation | o | |||||||||||
HRO | Sole heat resistance to contact with hot surfaces | ||||||||||||
AN | Ankle protection | o | |||||||||||
CR | Cut protection | ||||||||||||
ORO | Oil resistance of the sole, included in SB (EN 345/EN 347) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
FO | (EN 345/EN 347) | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
SRA | Slip resistance on ceramic surface covered with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) solution | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # |
SRB | Slip resistance on steel surface covered with glycerol | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # |
SRC | Slip resistance on the above-mentioned surfaces (SRA+SRB) | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # | # |
x = mandatory requirements, o = should go beyond the basic requirements and meet one of these requirements, # = footwear must meet at least one of these requirements, |