Foot protection
The foot has to be primarily protected against mechanical impacts (shocks, bruises, piercing, cutting), slipping, extreme heat effects, chemical effects, electric shocks and static charging.
General requirements and markings associated with devices of foot protection:
Category | General requirements | Complementary requirements | Formal design of footwear | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Safety footwear | Protective footwear | Working footwear* | Marking | Interpretation | ||
SB | PB | OB | I or II | A | shoes | |
S1 | P1 | O1 | I | Closed shell, antistatic properties, energy absorption through the heel | B C | B: ankle boot C: mid-calf boot |
S2 | P2 | O2 | I | as per S1, P1 or O1, water permeability, water absorption | D | knee-high boot |
S3 | P3 | O3 | as per S2, P2 or O2, penetration resistance, patterned outsole | D | knee-high boot | |
S4 | P4 | O4 | II | Antistatic properties, energy absorption through the heel | E | over-the-knee boots (with variable bootleg lengths) |
S5 | P5 | O5 | II | as per S4, P4 or O4, penetration resistance, patterned outsole | E | over-the-knee boots (with variable bootleg lengths) |
Markings used in relation to footwear belonging to Group I:
A | antistatic properties | I | o | x | x | x |
E | energy absorption through the heel | I | o | x | x | x |
WRU | resistance of the upper part to moisture | I | o | o | x | x |
P | protection against piercing | I | o | o | o | x |
HI | resistance to heat |
CI | resistance to coldness |
HRO | resistance to contact heat |
M | protection of the center of the head (only as per MSZ EN ISO 20345/A1:2008) |
C | electrically conducting footwear |
I | electrically insulated footwear |
WR | resistance of the footwear to moisture |
CR | resistance of the upper part to cutting |
AN | ankle protection |
FO | resistance to fuel oil |
F1, F2, F3 | protection against the threats of fire fighting operations |
Major standards pertaining to personal protective equipment for foot protection:
Number of the standard | Designation of the standard |
|---|---|
MSZ EN 50321 | Electrically insulated footwear for work to be performed in low-voltage electric equipment |
MSZ EN ISO 20344 | Personal protective equipment. Footwear testing methods (ISO 20344:2004) |
MSZ EN ISO 20345 | Personal protective equipment. Safety footwear (ISO 20345:2004) |
MSZ EN ISO 20346 | Personal protective equipment. Protecting footwear (ISO 20346:2004) |
MSZ EN ISO 20347 | Personal protective equipment. Working footwear (ISO 20347:2004) |
MSZ EN 15090 | Footwear for fire fighters |
Protecting footwear should always ensure the movement of the toes.
The footwear used for fire fighting and against cutting may not be of "A" shape design.
The toe cap has to be incorporated in the footwear so that it cannot be removed without crashing the footwear.
For protection against cutting by hand-held chainsaws, only footwear of "C" shape design with at least 195 mm leg height, or footwear of "D" or "E" shape design should be used.
For the anti-slip feature, the walking surface of the sole and heel may contact flat surfaces only in 50% at the maximum.