our foot protection guide

Our foot protectionguide.

2014Issue1

Foot Protection

PPE Selection Guide 2014

Current standards

Recent changes in legislation have resulted inthe improved EN ISO 20345:2011 standardbeing introduced to replace the older EN 345standard, although products tested to thisolder standard remain available and may stillbe sold. The relevant standard will bemarked on the product either on a label orprinted directly onto the footwear.

Areas of protection

While all safety footwear offers toe protectionto some degree, there are other areas of thefoot which may need additional protection.For example penetration of the sole by sharpobjects such as nails or the top of the foot(metatarsal). The type of protection can alsoinclude protection from extreme heat, cold,slipping, liquids, chemicals etc. It goeswithout saying that the preferred option isalways to remove a hazard first and only usePPE as a last line of defence when all otheroptions have been explored.

Marking

To comply with regulations all safetyfootwear must be marked with a simple codewhich gives a basic indication of theprotection offered. The basic types offootwear most commonly in use are detailedbelow. There is a huge range of otherfootwear available for more specialisedapplications such as fire fighting, extremecold, chemical protection etc. which arebeyond the scope of this simplified guide andonly the more common industrialapplications are discussed below.

Our foot protection guide.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Answering common questions ina handy guide.

S1

Combines the SB protection with an energyabsorbing heel, oil resistant sole and Anti-Static properties. It is worth noting that theAnti-Static properties incorporated aredesigned to reduce the static build up butmay not eliminate it. This becomesimportant if the footwear is used in explosiveatmospheres or when handling electroniccomponents where additional measures willbe required. (eg Our BS1 shoe)

S1P

In this case the P indicates penetrationresistance and the footwear is the same as S1footwear with the addition of a metal orcomposite mid-sole. (eg Our BB1/SM Boot)

S2

Similar to S1 footwear but with a waterresistant upper. The important point to notehere is that a water resistant upper is notdesigned to be immersed in water andshould not be considered as waterproof. (egOur SNMT2 shoe)

S3

This type of footwear is the same as S2footwear but with the addition of apenetration resistant mid-sole.(eg OurBR2/S3 rigger)

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OUR REF: BR2/S3

● Tan apollo leather upper.

● Warm fleecy lining.

● External leather loops.

● Dual density PU sole.

● 200 joule steel toe cap.

● Shock absorber heel.

● Anti static properties.

● Oil resistant outsole.

● Steel midsole.

● Wide fit.

More information available online atwww.ultimateindustrial.co.uk

Class Features and benefits

SBSafety basic, 200 joules Toe Protection, Oil Resistant outer sole. (MinimumRequirement)

SBP As SB plus Mid-Sole for penetration resistance.

S1 As SB plus Anti-Static properties and fully enclosed Energy Absorbing heelarea.

S1P As S1 plus Mid-Sole for penetration resistance.S2 As S1 plus resistance to Water Penetration and absorptionS3 As S2 plus Mid-Sole for penetration resistance and cleated outsole

S4 200 joules Toe Protection. All rubber or polymer construction (waterproof).Anti-Static properties, Energy Absorbing heel area.

S5 As S4 plus Mid-Sole for penetration resistance and cleated outsole.

EN 20345:2011S3 SRC

Foot Protection


Waterproof upper

While the above standards generally coverleather shoes and work boots to which awaterproof membrane can be added(identified by adding WM or WP to the abovemarkings), the standards below apply tofootwear made from rubber and polymerswhich are designed to be waterproof, insimple terms wellingtons or similar.

S4

Offers 200 joule toe protection and must bewaterproof. It also has anti-static properties(though not 100% anti-static) and an energyabsorbing heel area. It is generally the loweststandard found on safety wellingtons. Wewould usually recommend this level ofprotection for use indoors, for example in thefood industry. (Eg. Our WEL/S4 white)

S5

This gives the same protection as S4, butadds a penetration resistant mid-sole andcleated outsole. This is generally the type ofwellington we would recommend for use onconstruction sites.(Eg. Our WEL/S5)

Composite toe caps and mid soles

Traditionally safety footwear has always hada metal toe cap, usually made of steel orsometimes aluminium with a thin steel mid-sole for penetration protection. This type ofconstruction has certain disadvantages incertain applications as footwear can beheavier to wear and may also affect securitymetal scanners, for example if working atairports.

To overcome these issues, modern compositematerials can be used to replace the metalcomponents with no loss of protection. Thisdevelopment produces lighter footwearwhich is not detected by security metalscanners, making this type of footwear idealfor secure environments. (Eg. Our BINMT)

Our foot protection guide.

DID YOU KNOW?

Slip resistance to waterproofuppers.

Slip hazards

While safety footwear can help protect thefoot from injury, another common accidentcan simply involve the wearer slipping onwet or oily floors. This has largely beenoverlooked in the past but has become moreimportant in recent years with theintroduction of EN ISO 13287. This standardis becoming more common on newerfootwear as modern soles can be engineeredto improve grip in a variety of situations. Thisstandard covers the slip resistance offootwear in two basic scenarios, eitherindividually, or combined, and is outlinedbelow.

SRA slip resistance

This basically tests the footwear for slippingon a ceramic tiled floor coated with a soapsolution. There are two tests involved tocover a “flat slip” and a “heel slip” andfootwear carrying the SRA marking mustachieve a minimum* coefficient of friction inboth tests.

SRB slip resistance

Similar to the SRA test but a steel platecoated with glycerene is used Instead . Thereare two tests involved to cover a “flat slip”and a “heel slip” and footwear carrying theSRB marking must achieve a minimum*coefficient of friction in both tests.

SRC slip resistance

Footwear rated as SRC has been tested toSRA and SRB and achieved at least theminimum coefficient of friction in both tests.

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UCi are one of the largestindependent wholesalersand distributors of PPE inthe UK.


Our selection guides to eyewear,head protection, respiratoryprotection, work at height, hearingprotection, workwear and clothing andhand and arm protection.

Information about certification of newPPE products.

Foot Protection


Slip hazards - points to note

These slip ratings give an indication of thesort of grip you can expect and allowcomparison of different footwear, but theyare carried out under laboratory conditionsso may not replicate real life situations.

Additional information

This guide deals generally with the EN 20345Standard which applies to all our footwear,however there are other standards you maycome across when considering purchasingfootwear. Some of the more commonstandards as well as additional informationon markings are included below forinformation purposes only.

EN ISO 20346

While similar to the more common EN ISO20345, this standard only requires thefootwear to have 100 joule impact protectionto the toes so is not normally used inindustrial applications. While this may besuitable for some applications such as shopor office workers, it should not be used unlessa specific risk assessment has been carriedout. UCi do not currently supply footwear tothis standard.

EN ISO 20347

Not widely used in industry as it offers no toeprotection, but may be suitable forspecialised applications. It is used to provideprotection against specific hazards (P, C, A, E,CI, AN, WR or HI from the table to the right)

Footwear markings

You may also come across other marking onfootwear and a brief list of the mostcommon abbreviations is shown below:

HRO –Heat resistant outsole compound

tested at 300ºC

P – Penetration resistant outsole tested at

1100 newtons

A – Electrical resistance between foot and

ground of between 0.1 and 1000 mega ohms

C – Electrical resistance between foot and

ground of less than 0.1 mega ohms

AN – Ankle protection – mean transmitted

force <10kN when tested at 10J

CR – Cut resistant upper – cut index >2.5

CI – Insulation against the cold – temperature

drop less than 10°C when tested at -17°C

HI – Insulation against heat – temperature

increase less than 22°C when tested at 150°C

E – Energy absorption of the seat region

tested at 20 joules

WRU -Water resistant upper leather

WR – Water resistant footwear

WP or WM – Indicates footwear with an inner

waterproof membrane.

M – Metatarsal protection – tested with 100J

impact

FO – Oil-resistant outsole (applies to EN ISO20347 only)

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Slip resistance ratings for industrial PPE footwear in Europe, EN ISO 13287

Marking Slip resistance

Minimum Coefficient of Friction for

Forward heel slip Forward flat slip

SRA Ceramic tile with 0.5% SLS*solution

0.28 0.32

SRB Steel with 90% glycerine 0.13 0.18

SRC Both of the above Both of the above on respective surfaces

Slip resistance ratings .


19,250+Pairs of footwear in stock atany one time

HOW LONG SHOULD THEY LAST?

How long safety footwear should lastis very difficult to quantify. An officeworker may have shoes lasting foryears, a construction site worker amatter of weeks. While the mostcommon component, leather, isextremely tough and durable, if it isnot maintained, its life can beshortened considerably. Exposure towater, concrete, oils, excessiveabrasion and other environmentalfactors can seriously reduce servicelife, as can the physical characteristicsof the wearer. While manufacturingdefects within a reasonable period arecovered by our standard replacementprocedures, excessive wear anddamage by water or chemicals is not.

Ulimate Industrial Limited, Victoria House, Colliery Road, Wolverhampton.WV1 2RD. United Kingdom ©2014 Ultimate (Cleaners) Industrial Ltd. Thisdocument replaces all previously published guides and is the exclusiveproperty of Ultimate (Cleaners) Industrial Ltd. All information provided isgiven for informational purposes and do not constitute a contractualagreement nor warranty of merchantability..

T: +44 (0) 1902 451 451 F: +44 (0) 1902 451 276E: [email protected]

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