When it comes to working outdoors or in potentially hazardous environments, investing in a reliable pair of safety shoes is paramount. Whether you’re an electrician, construction worker, or involved in chemical or mining industries, the right safety boots can significantly mitigate risks and protect your feet from harm. In this guide, we’ll delve into the different types of safety shoes available, how to choose the best ones, and recommendations for the latest models that offer both safety and comfort.
Main Factors to Look for When Choosing Proper Footwear for Your Job
When choosing the right safety shoes, check your working environment and the kind of job you perform for any of the following safety hazards:
WALKING SURFACES
In workplaces with smooth, wet, or slippery walking surfaces such as kitchens, you will need non-slip shoes or safety shoes with anti-slip soles which give you maximum grip under conditions caused by polishing, water, ice, oil, or any substance that will cause you to lose your balance. For uneven surfaces such as milling sites, look for ankle-high safety shoes that will protect your ankle from sprains. Make sure the walking surfaces are properly maintained as well.
PROTRUDING OBJECTS
In workplaces where sharp-pointed objects such as nails or scrap metal are commonly found on the walking surface, such as workshops, safety boots with thick soles that are resistant to punctures are required.
FALLING OBJECTS
In workplaces such as construction sites, where injuries from falling objects such as bricks or tools can occur, steel toe boots are a necessity.
ROLLING OR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
Steel toe boots should also be worn in workplaces such as warehouses that have heavy rolling equipment such as forklifts and trollies. Workplaces such as assembly factories with mechanical equipment that perform punching and crushing tasks such as scrapyards also require steel toe boots.
THERMAL
In work environments that have working conditions with extremely hot materials or temperatures such as foundries, or extremely low temperatures such as refrigerated warehouses, thermal boots must be worn. Wearing the proper safety boots will protect workers against burns or frostbite.
ELECTRICAL
In a work environment where electricity is a hazard, work boots with non-conductive soles and heels must be worn. This will protect workers against electric shock.
CHEMICAL
Chemical resistant boots must be worn in workplaces that deal with harmful or corrosive substances such as bleach or acid. These boots are made knee-high to protect against accidental splashes.
BIOLOGICAL
Biological hazards such as allergies, rashes, and germ growth, are usually found in wet or outdoor working environments. Safety boots are designed to be waterproof and chemical resistant.
Once you have selected the right safety shoe for your workplace’s environment, check them for these minor but important details:
What are the work, safety and protective shoe norms?
Safety shoes must meet the EN ISO 20345 norm which requires:
- 200 joule impact resistance at the front of the shoe,
- anti-slip soles on smooth and greasy floors in industrial environments (XPS 73012 norm),
- closed back of the shoe.
The EN ISO 20345 norm is then divided into different categories corresponding to specific protections indicated by the letters:
- A: anti-static footwear
- Fo: hydrocarbon-resistant soles
- E: heel and sole energy absorption
- P: perforation-resistant soles
- Wru: upper part of the shoe resistant to water penetration and water absorption
- Wr: water-resistant shoes
EN ISO 20345 compliant safety shoes:
What kind of shoes are appropriate for my work environment?
Safety shoes must be worn in all industries where there is a risk of foot injury. You have to determine the type of shoes you will need for the work environment:
- For indoor and outdoor work, for example on construction sites and in mines, it is better to favor S3 shoes or potentially S5 if it is necessary to intervene in a flooded environment regularly.
- In the agri-food industry, generally work is done indoors and in a dry environment. In this case, it is possible to switch to S1 safety shoes or S1P shoes if there is a risk of perforation of the soles. Depending on the type of floor covering, you may also need to provide anti-slip protection such as SRA or SRB, or soles insulated against cold or heat.
- In some laboratories, especially for the chemical industry, you will need to provide safety shoes, for example to prevent risks related to products used. In this case you can choose S1, or S2 if there is a spray risk.
- On construction sites, often S1 or S1P shoes provide the necessary protection, but you will of course have to adapt the type of protection to your specific risks.
- For the automotive industry, shoes must often meet specific risks such as those related to welding. In this case, you can for example look for S1 shoes that are also classified Hro.
Where to find stable safety shoes suppliers for your business?
Choosing the right safety shoe doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task because we are here to help! Our extensive range of brands and shoes and our many years of experience makes meeting your requirement easy and speedy.
As the world’s largest industrial nation, China boasts competitive quality and prices for industrial safety products on the international stage. SSS provides stable Chinese supply chain and logistics services to small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa. Our partnered factories strictly adhere to ISO 20345 standards , offering high-quality and affordable products.
Fashionable safety shoes with ISO standards sponsored by Shopshipshake (SA Warehouse Available):
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