New Safety Footwear Standard - ISO 20345

Standards set out requirements that regulates the characteristics of personal protective equipment (PPE) in different regions. These standards are reviewed from time to time and previous versions are replaced.

The EN ISO 20345 standard defines the requirements for Safety Footwear . The new international version of ISO 20345 has recently been published.

Slip-resistant safety footwear

Until now, in ISO 20345, there have been three requirements to be able to say that it is slip-resistant safety footwear: SRA, SRB and SRC This label disappears.

The new features include: it must be a slip-resistant shoe, there will be a new SR marking, this Ø symbol, and the areas of the foot that will be tested for slip resistance.

The test carried out to obtain the old SRA marking is maintained: footwear is tested on ceramic floors with water and detergent (SLES or sodium lauryl sulphate) as a lubricant.

The update is that all safety footwear on the market will have to pass the old SRA test, making it a fundamental requirement, with no need to mark it on the footwear.

New additional anti-slip marking SR

The old SRB marking stated whether the shoes had been tested on steel floors with glycerine as a lubricant. As steel floors are not very common in the industry, the change will be in the type of floor tested.

SR slip-resistant footwear will be tested on ceramic floors using glycerine as a lubricant. If the footwear passes the test, it will be SR safety footwear.

Footwear with the Ø symbol

If slip-resistance has not been tested, the footwear shall be marked with the symbol Ø. The slip-resistance test is not applicable for footwear designed for special purposes (footwear with spikes, metal studs and for use in sand, mud…).

Areas of the foot to be tested for slip resistance.

Previously, slip resistance was tested on the heel and sole of the foot. With the new standard this test will be carried out on the heel and forefoot.

Footwear with puncture resistant soles

Until now, the P symbol represented that the footwear met the additional requirement of puncture resistance. Passing the puncture resistance (P) test was necessary to be marked as S1P or S3 safety footwear.

The new ISO 20345 clarifies the type of material offering protection against penetration. With both metallic and non-metallic soles, the test consists of measuring the resistance to puncture when driving a nail of a given width. With the new update, the P symbol remains, but refers to the footwear having a steel anti-puncture sole (S1P). In the case of non-metallic anti-puncture soles, two sizes of nails will be tested.

- Safety footwear P: anti-puncture steel sole. Nail diameter in test: 4.5 mm. Marked S1P.

- PL safety footwear: non-metallic anti-puncture sole. Nail diameter in test: 4.5 mm. Marked S1PL (L for "large nail").

- PS safety footwear: non-metallic anti-puncture sole. Nail diameter in the test: 3 mm. Marked S1PS (S for small).

S1 safety footwear may therefore have these subtypes: S1P, S1PL (new) or S1PS (new). Safety footwear types S3, S5 and S7 may have S(N)PL or S(N)PS subtypes added too.

Under the previous standard, safety footwear had a marking ranging from SB to S5 footwear with different sub-levels. With the latest developments, two new categories appear: S6 and S7 footwear.

- S6 footwear. Type S2 + Waterproof (WR marking).

- S7 footwear. Type S3 + Waterproof (WR marking). The sub-type will be indicated according to the puncture resistant sole it has.

S6 and S7 safety footwear shall be made of a water-resistant material on the upper area (formerly WRU marking) and shall be fully water-resistant (formerly WR marking).

Footwear with breathable upper

Footwear will need to have certain breathability characteristics in the instep area. This will prevent damage due to moisture accumulation in the foot and make a more comfortable safety footwear. If the footwear has waterproof materials in the forefoot area, these should cover no more than 25% of the instep.

If the non-breathable parts cover less than 25%, the footwear has specific requirements for water vapour permeability. In the instep area, the toe area, the fastening system, the collar, and the parts in contact with the sole shall not be considered.

New additional requirements for safety footwear

Some of the new additional requirements refer to the shoe grip on the stairs, the footwear water resistance or the resistance to hydrocarbons.

- Gripping on ladders: This is an additional, non-mandatory requirement. If it passes the test, the footwear will be marked LG (Ladder Grip). The part of the sole in contact with the steps must meet certain abrasion requirements with grooves to prevent slipping on stairs. The sole must also have specific dimensions.

- Water Resistant Footwear: The WRU marking disappears: Water Resistant Upper Material. The Water Resistance (WR) test is kept. In addition, the WPA marking is created: Water Penetration and Absorption.

- Resistance to hydrocarbons: The resistance of the sole to hydrocarbons (FO marking) was previously a mandatory requirement. It is now an optional requirement.

Changeover date for safety shoes: When?

When a new European PPE standard is published, each country must adopt it as a national standard within a maximum of six months (time for translation and management). In the UK, the British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body responsible for this. After this version is harmonised, new safety footwear will have to be manufactured according to the new 2022 standard.

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