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Guide to safety shoes and safety boots

Should I choose safety shoes with toe caps and penetration protection?

Choosing safety footwear can be a bit of a challenge, as there are many things to consider when looking for safe footwear or protective footwear for work. Many workplaces set specific safety class requirements for the safety shoes or safety boots that their employees must order and wear for work. Are you curious about the meaning of terms such as S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7 and other markings? Do you want general information about what the different abbreviations mean, and an understanding of how well your feet will be protected? Then you’ll find the answers in this guide.

Safety footwear is certified according to the European standard for safety footwear, EN ISO 20345. Then it can say 2011 or 2022. 2011 expires in 2028, and 2022 continues. LG, which means ladder grip, is a new approval on EN20345: 2022. Footwear certified according to this standard has toecap with the minimum protection, against falling items of 200 joules (J) and against compression of 15 kiloNewtons (kn). This basic safety shoe approval is called SB. All safety shoes, regardless of brand, are tested in the same way, and the method is EU regulated. The standard is called EN ISO 20347 and EN ISO 20345. After testing, the footwear will be CE marked, which is your guarantee that the product complies with EU legislation. All safety footwear on Cheap-workwear.com is of course CE-approved.

​​​Read further down the page to learn more about other approvals.

Safety shoes with toe caps protect your toes

The toe cap, or toe guard as it is also called, prevents the shoes from “caving in". This means that if something heavy falls on your toes, the toe cap will not collapse, helping to protect your toes from injury. Below, you can see the types of toe caps you can choose.

A steel toe cap has the advantage of being strong and thin. It does not take up much space in safety footwear. A steel toe cap can feel cold if you work in very cold conditions. You’ll find safety footwear with steel toe protection here.

An aluminium toe guard is 50 % lighter than steel.It is thin and has the same properties as steel. Find safety footwear with aluminium toe guards here.

Penetration protection shields feet if you step on nails and sharp objects

Penetration protection prevents sharp and pointed objects from penetrating the sole and injuring your feet. They can be made from steel, wood and fibre / composite, and they meet the same requirements. Find safety footwear with penetration protection here.

  • Steel nail guards are strong, and suitable if you run the risk of stepping on small, sharp objects.
  • Nail protection in fibre is flexible and metal-free, and does not transport cold.
  • Wooden nail guards are used in clogs, and are well suited for stationary work. Wood is cold insulating.

Non-slip safety shoes protect against falls

If you walk on slippery floors where liquids such as water, blood or oil may be spilled, then you must wear non-slip safety shoes. There are SRA, SRB, and SRC slip-tested safety shoes, collectively known as SR, and below you can see the difference.

ESD safety shoes discharge static electricity

All approved safety shoes have antistatic properties. ESD provides extra antistatic characteristics, and constantly dissipates static electricity evenly through the sole in a controlled and safe way. ESD-approved safety shoes and safety boots can prevent you from damaging sensitive electronic components and equipment.

Please note that a shoe is approved as a whole. If you choose to put another insole in the shoes, they will no longer be ESD-approved. The ESD function can be affected in other ways; for example, thick wool socks can reduce the shoes’ current-conducting ability. Therefore, you should use ESD-approved socks in your ESD-approved shoes, to take full advantage of the shoes' antistatic properties. Find ESD-approved safety footwear here.

Which requirements apply for the safety classes SB, SBP, S1, S1P, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 and S7?

Here, we briefly explain what approvals mean, and describe the requirements that safety shoes or safety boots must fulfil.

SB


SBP

  • Basic requirements for safety shoes with steel cap.
  • Provides protection against falling objects of 200 J (joule), as well as protection against compression (15 kN, kiloNewtons).
  • Penetration protection - in steel or Kevlar, 1100 Newtons.
  • Find SBP safety shoes here.


S1

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • Safety shoes in safety class S1 can be found here.


S1P

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors.
  • Penetration protection - in steel or Kevlar, 1100 Newtons.
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • Find S1P safety footwear here.


S2

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors.
  • Water resistant upper - waterproof safety shoes and waterproof safety boots (WRU).
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • S2 safety footwear can be found here.


S3

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors.
  • Penetration protection - in steel or Kevlar, 1100 Newtons.
  • Water resistant upper EN 20345:2022 - waterproof safety shoes and waterproof safety boots EN 20345:2011 (WRU).
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • See our range of S3 safety footwear here.

​​​​​​​S4

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors.
  • Water resistant upper - waterproof safety shoes and waterproof safety boots (WRU).
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • S4 safety footwear can be found here.


S5

  • The SB requirement - toe cap or toe protection, as it is called in technical language.
  • Full heel cap.
  • Antistatic properties - from 0.1M Ω to 1000 MΩ.
  • Shock-absorbing sole - safety shoes for concrete floors.
  • Penetration protection - in steel or Kevlar, 1100 Newtons.
  • Water resistant upper - waterproof safety shoes and waterproof safety boots (WRU).
  • Oil- and petrol-resistant sole (FO).
  • Take a look at the S5 safety shoes here.


S6

  • SB requirement - toe cap
  • WR: waterproof upper
  • Heel shock absorption, minimum 20J
  • Antistatic sole - from 0.1MΩ to 1000MΩ
  • Closed shoe


S7

  • SB requirement - toe cap
  • Puncture protection - metal
  • WR: waterproof upper
  • Heel shock absorption, minimum 20J
  • Antistatic sole - from 0.1MΩ to 1000MΩ
  • Closed shoe
  • Ribbed sole - pattern is at least 2.5 mm

 

EN ISO 20345:2022

Safety footwear

Waterproof boots

Safety footwear

Safety classes SB S1 S1P S1PL S1PS S2 S3 S3L S3S S4 S5 S5L S5S S6 S7 S7L S7P
SB
P X X X X X X X X X X X X X
PL X X X X X X X X X X X X X
PS X X X X X X X X X X X X X
WPA X X X X X - - - - X X X X
WR X X X X X X X X X - - - -
E X
A X
Profiled outsole X X X X X X X X

 

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T: Toe protection. Protects the toes against falling objects på 200 Joule and of at least 200 J (joule) and against crushing (at least 15 kN, kiloNewton)

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P: Penetration protection. Prevents sharp objects from penetrating the sole

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SR: The outsole has been tested on ceramic tile wetted with a glycerin solution

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SRA: Non-slip properties. The outsole has been tested on ceramic tile wetted with a soap solution

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SRB: non-slip properties. The outsole has been tested on steel with glycerol

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SRC: Non-slip properties. The outsole has been tested under SRA and SRB conditions

ESD

ESD. Diverts static electricity through the sole in a controlled and safe manner. The requirements are according to standard EN 61340-4-3 ≥ 0,1MΩ > 100MΩ and EN 61340-5-1 ≥ 0,1MΩ > 35MΩ

HRO

HRO: Tested and approved for contact heat up to 300 °C for 1 minute

HI

HI: Insulated against heat

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CI: Insulated against cold

WR

WR: Water-resistant

FO

FO: Oil and petrol-resistant outsole

ProNose

ProNose (SC). Is an extra toe reinforcement of the upper or rubber cap affixed to the shoe that makes the footwear suitable for work involving kneeling, as it reduces direct wear on the toe

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LG: Ladder grip


Requirements for cutting boots when working with chainsaws

Safety requirements for work with chainsaws

Safety footwear when using chainsaws is certified according to the European standard for safety footwear, EN ISO 17249:2013. The foot protection must be boots or high-top shoes with slip-resistant soles, a cut-resistant layer and a toe cap that protects against heavy objects that fall onto the foot. The steel toe cap must be at least class S. The cut-resistant layer should be at least protection class 2 or 3.

The boots are categorised by chain speed:

Class 1 20 m/s
Class 2 24 m/s
Class 3 28 m/s

Below you can see our selection of men’s and women’s safety shoes. Remember that we also have safety sandals, safety dealer boots, and safety boots.

Questions about choosing safety footwear?

If you are in doubt about what best suits your needs, you are always welcome to contact our customer service.

You can contact our customer service at info@cheap-workwear.com or on tel. 9674 2030.

They will be ready with suggestions to help you find just what you are looking for.