The safety shoes you choose will depend on the level of protection you need while taking into account comfort, aesthetics and price criteria.
All shoes that are EN ISO 20345:2011 compliant are equipped with an anti-crushing toe cap that resists an impact of 200 joules. Safety shoes must also be a minimum anti-slip on smooth and greasy floors in industrial environments and the soles must be hydrocarbon resistant. It may be necessary to check whether the soles are classified anti-perforation in particular for interventions in mechanical workshops, anti-static in particular for workshops likely to have electrostatic discharges, or fire-retardant, for example in welding workshops. The shoes must also show good wear resistance to avoid premature wear.
Once the necessary types of protection have been determined, one of the first criteria for choosing the most comfortable shoes possible is to determine whether the employees concerned can wear low shoes or whether they should wear high shoes. Then you can decide whether the shoes can be leather or fabric, or if they need to be made of polymeric materials to ensure waterproofness. The material chosen will often determine the weight of the shoes: the lighter the material, the more comfortable they will be. Another vital element to consider when it comes to the comfort of the shoes is the type of material used for the toe cap.
Generally, safety shoe sizes are a bit big, but you should avoid ordering smaller shoe sizes than usual as manufacturers anticipate that they will be worn with thick socks in order to improve the user’s comfort.
The right safety footwear is crucial not only for worker safety but also for increasing productivity and cost-effectiveness. But how do you choose the most appropriate safety shoes to protect workers against workplace hazards, keeping them safe, comfortable, and productive?
This article will discuss the latest updates to the safety footwear standards, along with ways to evaluate the risks that workers are exposed to and how to select safety footwear for different industries and workers. Finally, we will list cases and examples to explain what critical criteria needs to be considered to maximize comfort and safety.
Safety shoes must meet the safety footwear standard, EN ISO 20345, for the protective equipment (PPE) in order to be designated as safety shoes. The standard aims to protect users from impact, crushing, slipping, falling objects, water, electric shocks, triggering explosions, stepping onto sharp objects, and extreme heat and cold with certain limits.
EN ISO 20347 governs occupational footwear for low-risk work areas. EN ISO 20347 does not require a toe cap, but the footwear must have at least one protective component.
The revised version of ISO 20345 was published in June 2022. After a transition period, the previous standard will be withdrawn. Harmonization and publication in the Official Journal of the EU Commission are still required for general use as a basis for certification under the PPE Regulation.
EN ISO 20345:2022 is valid from the date of harmonization by the European Commission. A date has not yet been published. Safety shoes already on the market do not have to comply with the new standard until the existing type of examination certificate expires. The EU-type examination (certificate) is valid for 5 years.
Based on the requirements and the application, safety shoes are divided into the following protection classes according to EN ISO 20345:2021:
Choosing the right safety shoes boils down to what workplace hazards your workers encounter. Therefore it is vital to undergo a risk assessment for companies with a large workforce spread across multiple working areas.
During the on-site inspection, the specialists will identify potential hazards in the workplace, Based on the results, the safety specialists will choose the most suitable safety shoes for each worker.
At ERIKS, our PPE application engineers will identify hazard areas alongside the company's safety officers on-site. By investigating all different work areas, our engineers can determine the best safety shoe assortment for each area and worker to ensure that all risks are covered for better standardization. For example, if sharp objects were identified which could penetrate the shoe, then S1 safety shoes are insufficient for nail protection, so safety shoes with midsole protection for penetration resistance are required for that specific work area.
Examples of workplace hazards include:
The work environment must be re-evaluated to identify potential risks because it impacts the requirement for safety shoes after a change is made. For example, if the dry walking surface is replaced with a wet floor with falling metal objects, the safety shoes should have slip-resistant soles with steel toe caps and moisture protection.
“The biggest accident in the workplace is people tripping and falling over their shoes. It often happens because people think they need to wear a bigger size because they have a toe cap. They think the toe cap needs more space.”
Companies with multiple sites often experience ordering process misalignment. ERIKS safety shoe specialists can ensure your safety program is streamlined and up to industry standards, reducing costs and manual labour.
In one example, ERIKS PPE specialists developed a bespoke online portal allowing guided buying through the ERIKS webshop and viewing each site's portfolio and users. As a result, the online portal streamlined the ordering process for cost information, delivery, and invoice verification processes.
Following the on-site inspection, the overall shoe stock was significantly reduced from 35 to six styles, easing the administrative burden of the procurement process.
There are very strict standards that must be met in cleanrooms. A cleanroom environment requires close collaboration between the safety officer, the hygiene officer, and the application engineer responsible for personal protective equipment.
Specific and relevant safety shoes can be chosen depending on cleanroom activity. White shoes are often used in a cleanroom. Moreover, special shoes are essential in clean rooms because they protect the product or the premises from contamination.
The main hazard for electricians is probably electric arcing. According to the electrical properties, safety shoes are divided into two requirements:
To have maximum safety, electricians should wear safety shoes manufactured for Electrical Static Discharge (ESD) requirements because they already contain a higher proportion of conductive materials (antistatic agents) in the sole construction in order to comply with the reduced upper limit value even under unfavourable conditions.
S1 to S7 safety shoes are antistatic, but the electrical resistances are highly influenced by temperature, humidity, and the individual wearing situation (sweating, wetness, pressure, bending, soiling). They can fulfill the electrical values of the ESD requirement only under normal climatic situations.
Logistic workers choose safety shoes based on their type of work, which has different requirements. For example, an employee working in goods receiving and palletizing will need different safety shoes than an employee who packs small products in the small parts warehouse.
However, what can be ensured is that with weight-related heel cushioning, back strain is minimized, and employees are thus supported in an ergonomically correct way. In turn, this leads to improved workplace ergonomics, increasing safety and efficiency.
Comfort is an influential factor when choosing safety shoes for your workers. After long hours of physical labour, workers may experience constant wear and tear on their bodies. Safety shoes can still be ill-fitted despite adequate protection due to the wearer's different foot widths and weights.
“Having the options of different widths and weights make a huge difference, especially for companies with 1000 people on the floor with three different areas. This way, workers can easily switch to the right safety shoes when entering different areas and reduce the purchase cost of additional pairs.”
Some wearers often choose one or two shoe sizes larger to fit their feet width. This is not only uncomfortable but also unsafe. Every fit is different, safety shoes should be adapted to wearers’ weight and width for just not comfort but for safety and productivity.
The risk of stumbling and falling increases if the safety shoe does not provide proper support. For instance, too-tight shoes often cause forefoot problems, leading to an unstable stance.
Steitz Secura, a European safety shoe manufacturer, offers safety shoes that can be individually adapted to four different shoe widths, XXB, XB, NS, and S, for all shoe models and shoe lengths.
Safety shoes that fit well allow the wearers to work flexibly for long hours without having to change to different insoles. This can also save time spent switching shoes in different work areas.
Chronic lower back pain is one of the most prevalent workplace-related injuries. Incompatible weight can add to the physical pressure of the wearer, thus impacting the effectiveness of the workers. Safety shoes with cushioning weight modules in the heel area can significantly relieve and protect joints and the musculoskeletal system.
The SECURA VARIO system offers five inter-changeable cushioning weight structures based on body weight from 57 kg to 105 kg.
Safety shoes with added health benefits can also holistically protect workers' musculoskeletal systems, delay fatigue, and promote regeneration. Consequently, employers can benefit from greater trust, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
One good indicator of such safety shoes is to check if they are certified by recognized health organizations, such as Aktion Gesunder Rücken, a research institute devoted to developing and preventing back pain. Safety shoe suppliers that meet their requirements provide safety shoes that target back pain relief.
Certified and tested by Aktion Gesunder Rücken, the European manufacturer of safety shoes, Steitz Secura provides safety shoes that can reduce the heel's pressure load by one-third. In addition, Steitz Secura also offers customized health solutions, including extra-wide protective toe caps, type-tested shoes, orthopaedic inlays, and other medical solutions.
"The difference in price level often is reflected in the added health value of the safety shoes the manufacturers offer."
Protection level, comfort, and health benefits are paramount to selecting optimal safety shoes. Review your safety shoe portfolio with ERIKS experts to ensure it is optimized for workplace hazards and regulations while balancing comfort, safety, and cost.
In the long term, employers can decrease the cost of risks, accidents, and additional costs that stem from unfit safety footwear, resulting in happier, more productive employees.
Tamara Santucci
International Product Director TMS
Tamara.santucci@eriks.com
International Product Director TMS