Safety Footwear Codes [1]
Safety footwear codes represent the level of protection of the respective footwear and assure the user that the footwear meets all the requirements of a given safety level.
REGULATIONS FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT:
In the European Union, the regulation that defines the legal obligations of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of March 9, 2016 for Personal Protective Equipment.
It is very easy to find out if an PPE complies with this regulation by checking if it has a CE marking.
WHAT DO THE CODES MEAN?
SB - stands for basic security, as such it is the lowest security level in this standard. The SB rated footwear is non-slip and has a safety toe cap that protects your feet against impacts of up to 200J.
S1 - Footwear S1 has all the characteristics of the SB, has a closed heel region, as well as energy absorption in the heel and is antistatic and oil resistant.
S2 - Has all the characteristics of S1 and prevents water penetration and absorption.
S3 - It has all the characteristics of the S2 and has a protective insole, which prevents sharp objects from penetrating the sole and causing an injury.
S4 - It has all the characteristics of the S1, but the shoe uppers must be made of rubber or polymeric materials.
S5 - Has all the features of the S4 and a protective insole.
The following codes belong to the EN ISO 20347 standard, which means that they are occupational footwear codes.
OB - OB shoes meet the basic requirements of having only non-slip soles.
O1 - It is non-slip, has a closed heel region, as well as energy absorption in the heel and is antistatic.
O2 - Has all the characteristics of O1 and prevents water penetration and absorption.
O3 - Has all the features of O2, and has a protective insole.
O4 - It has all the characteristics of the O1, but the shoe uppers must be made of rubber or polymeric materials.
O5 - Has all the features of the O4 and a protective insole.
If you need shoes for construction - which is an environment with several risks where heavy materials can fall on your feet, or you can end up stepping on a sharp object - you have to look for shoes with a toe cap and a protective insole, which means you have to choose between an S3 or an S5.
NON-SLIP SOLE CODES
Having a non-slip sole is extremely important to protect you in your day to day work. A small fall can cause serious injuries. To prevent this from happening and you getting hurt, safety shoes are tested and then classified into three different non-slip categories.
- SRA Footwear passed the test on ceramic flooring with detergent.
- SRB Footwear passed the test on stainless steel flooring with glycerin.
- SRC footwear has passed both anti-skid tests, so it's at the highest level.
ADDITIONAL CODES
A - Antistatic
E - Energy Absorption in the Heel
P - Resistance to Penetration of the Protective Insole
C - Driver Footwear
WRU - Upper Resistant to Water Penetration and Absorption
WR - Water Resistant Footwear
CI - Cold Insulation
HI - Heat Insulation
HRO - Heat Resistance
FO - Sole Resistance to Oils
M - Metatarsal protection (only for EN ISO 20345)
AN - Ankle Protection
CR - Upper Cut Resistance
[1] Article modified from https://www.dikamar.com/pt/not...
