Understanding EN ISO 20345
25 June 2021
EN ISO 24035 is the specification for safety footwear with suitable characteristics for protecting the wearer from injuries that may occur in the professional settings for which the footwear is designed, with toe caps for impact protection. Footwear conforming to this standard is tested at an impact energy level of 200 joules (J).
There are two classes of safety footwear, defined by the materials with which the footwear is made:
Class I – Leather and other materials, excluding all-rubber and all-polymeric footwear
Class II – All-rubber and all-polymeric footwear
The footwear is then marked with the appropriate category depending on its class and safety features:
| Category | Class | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| SB | I or II | Pass the Basic Requirements for Safety Footwear |
| S1 | I | SB plus Closed Seat Region, Antistatic Properties & Energy Absorption of Seat Region |
| S2 | I | S1 plus Water Penetration & Water Absorption Properties |
| S3 | I | S2 plus Penetration Resistance & Cleated Outsole |
| S4 | II | SB plus Antistatic Properties & Energy Absorption of Seat Region |
| S5 | II | S4 plus Penetration Resistance & Cleated Outsole |
Some applications for safety footwear may also have additional requirements for the footwear to be compliant:
P – Penetration Resistance
CI – Cold Insulation of Sole Complex
C – Conductive Footwear
E – Energy Absorption of Seat Region
A – Antistatic
WR – Water Resistance
E – Electrically Insulating
M – Metatarsal Protection
HI – Heat Insulation
AN – Ankle Protection
Requirements for the Shoe Upper:
WRU – Water Penetration and Absorption
CR – Cut Resistance
Requirements for the Outsole:
HO – Resistance to Hot Contact
For more information about PPE & Workwear standards and specifications, you can download our PPE & Workwear Standards guide here.
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