Safety Shoes
Safety shoes are footwear (in the form of low shoes or boots) used as protective clothing. They are mandatory in industry, construction, landscaping, fire departments, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), and emergency medical services; even chefs must wear them.
They are equipped with a protective toecap made of steel, aluminum, titanium, or plastic, integrated into the front of the shoe (between the lining and the upper) to protect the toes. The upper is usually made of leather, and the sole is made of rubber, PU, or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).
Category, Protective Effect, and Requirements
According to the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) Regulation 191 (GUV-R 191), there are several standardized categories:
- SB – Basic requirements (FO)
- S1 – Additional requirements (A + FO + E)
- S1P – Additional requirements (A + FO + E + P)
- S2 – Same as S1, with additional conditional water resistance (A + FO + E + WRU)
- S3 – Same as S2, with additional puncture resistance (A + FO + E + WRU + P)
- S4 – Same as S1, but as a waterproof boot
- S5 – Same as S4, with additional puncture resistance
Additional Information:
- A – Antistatic shoes
- C – Conductive shoes
- E – Energy absorption in the heel area
- P – Puncture resistance
- CI – Cold insulation
- HI – Heat insulation
- FO – Oil and petrol-resistant sole
- HRO – Resistance to contact heat
- SRA – Slip resistance (ceramic tile / cleaning agent)
- SRB – Slip resistance (steel floor / glycerin)
- SRC – Slip resistance (SRA + SRB)
- WRU – Water penetration and absorption of the upper
The categories OB–O5 and PB–P3 are of minor importance in this country. Such footwear is either a low-cut shoe or an ankle-high boot. A steel, aluminum, or plastic toe cap (extending to the base of the toes) is embedded in the toe area, protecting it from crushing injuries caused by falling objects (up to 200 joules). A friction-reducing material (usually felt, Lefa, or rubber) is inserted between the toe cap and the upper to prevent unnecessary wear in this area.
The categories OB–O5 and PB–P3 are of minor importance in this country. The sole of the shoe is often insulating or antistatic and, in the case of S1P, S3, and S5 safety shoes, features a puncture-resistant midsole. In addition to steel midsoles, there are also puncture-resistant alternatives made of materials such as Kevlar or para-aramid; these are usually permanently integrated as insoles. The heavily treaded outsole is typically made of an acid- and oil-resistant, high-grip PU, TPU, or rubber compound.
The specific features of the footwear depend on the requirements of the respective work environment. For example, shoes for butchers should be largely waterproof, shoes for electricians insulating, and firefighters require footwear made of flame-resistant materials with a closure that can be fastened as quickly as possible (e.g., a zipper combined with laces). In industry, S2 and S3 shoes are the most common.
S1 safety shoes are protective footwear that require a toecap. As with S2 and S3 safety shoes, the toecap has an impact resistance of 200 joules. These requirements are regulated in EN 20345:2004 for safety shoes.
Furthermore, the soles of all shoes from safety class S1 upwards must be antistatic. The specific resistivity of the shoe, according to DIN EN 61340-4-3, should be greater than or equal to 10⁵ ohms and less than 10⁸ ohms. However, especially when overshoes or overboots are worn (product protection in clean work areas or cleanrooms), the resistivity becomes so high that the limit of 10⁸ ohms is no longer met. The current discrepancy between the requirements of the applicable rules/guidelines TRBS 2153 (Prevention of ignition hazards due to electrostatic charges) and the corresponding BGR 132, and actual practice, was examined in more detail in a practical study.
The requirements for S2 safety shoes, as with S1 and S3, include a protective toecap with an impact resistance of 200 joules. In addition to a protective toecap, S2 safety shoes offer a degree of resistance to moisture and wetness, which can be maintained through proper care.
S3 safety shoes are equipped with a protective toecap with an impact resistance of 200 joules (DIN EN 12568). In addition to the toecap, these safety shoes also feature a puncture-resistant sole. These safety shoes must also offer a degree of resistance to moisture and wetness, which can be maintained through proper care.
S1P safety shoes have the same features as S3 safety shoes, but they lack the conditional waterproof rating (60 minutes – water absorption < 30%).
Firefighter Boots
Puncture-Resistant Sole
Puncture-resistant soles are used in safety shoes and boots, such as those worn by firefighters. They protect the foot from penetration injuries caused by nails or other sharp objects.
Puncture-resistant soles used to consist primarily of thin steel sheets, which were incorporated into or inserted into the shoe. Today, various alternative insoles are used, usually made of technical fabrics such as Kevlar, Lenzi, Fibre-LS, or similar materials. Both textile and steel insoles meet the EN ISO 20345:2004 standard; textiles are additionally flexible, comfortable, provide insulation against both cold and heat, and cover the entire insole (which is not the case with steel).
The toe cap, also known as a steel toe cap, is used in safety shoes and protective footwear. It protects the toes from injuries, for example from falling objects, machinery (such as angle grinders), or similar hazards.
The toe cap can be made of sheet steel, but also of materials such as plastic, aluminum, or titanium.
The impact resistance of a toe cap is measured in joules. For safety shoes, the toe cap must protect against mechanical impacts of 100 joules, and for safety footwear, 200 joules.
Classes S1P, S3, and S5 are characterized by:
- Toe cap (200 joules)
- Antistatic properties
- Fuel resistance
- Closed heel area
- Energy absorption in the heel area
- Limited water resistance (60 min., water absorption ≤ 30%) (not applicable to S1P)
- Water absorption (30 min., > 2 g)
- Penetration resistance
- Profiled and slip-resistant outsole
Firefighter Safety Shoes
Firefighter safety shoes must meet specific requirements according to DIN EN ISO 20345 and accident prevention regulations (UVV). Additionally, shoes of protection class S3 or S5 (rubber boots) should be used for operational duty.
Firefighter safety shoes typically feature a quick-release fastener in the form of a zipper. The shoe is adjusted to the wearer once and then put on and taken off by opening and closing the zipper. This feature is, of course, not present in rubber boots. (Wikipedia)