EN ISO 20345 is the primary international standard for safety footwear, widely adopted across Europe and many other global markets. It sets out the basic and additional requirements for safety footwear used for general purposes, ensuring protection against various workplace hazards.
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the EN ISO 20345 standard to help you understand its safety classifications and codes.
🛡️ Core Safety Requirements (The Basics)
To be classified as a safety shoe under this standard, the footwear must first meet the fundamental “SB” (Safety Basic) requirements. This means every pair must have a protective toe cap capable of withstanding:
- Impact Resistance: At least 200 Joules of impact energy (equivalent to a 20kg weight dropped from 1 meter).
- Compression Resistance: At least 15,000 Newtons (or 15 kN, approx. 1.5 tons) of static pressure.
👟 Safety Categories (SB to S7)
Beyond the basic SB level, the standard defines several safety categories (S1 to S7) that build upon each other by adding specific protective features:
- SB: Basic safety requirements (200J toe cap).
- S1: SB + Antistatic (A) + Energy Absorption in the heel (E) + Closed seat region.
- S1P: S1 + Penetration resistance (P) (e.g., a Kevlar or steel midsole).
- S2: S1 + Water penetration and absorption resistance of the upper (WRU).
- S3: S2 + Penetration resistance (P) + Cleated outsole.
- S4: Same as S2 but for waterproof, all-rubber/polymer boots.
- S5: Same as S3 but for waterproof, all-rubber/polymer boots.
- S6: S2 + Full shoe waterproofing (WR).
- S7: S3 + Full shoe waterproofing (WR).
(Note: S6 and S7 are newer categories introduced in the latest 2022 version of the standard).
🔡 Additional Performance Codes
Manufacturers can add specific letter codes to indicate that a shoe has passed extra tests for specialized hazards. Common codes include:
- A: Antistatic footwear (dissipates static electricity).
- E: Energy absorption of the seat region (cushioning in the heel).
- P: Penetration resistance (protects against sharp objects like nails).
- WR: Water resistance of the entire shoe.
- WRU: Water penetration and absorption resistance of the shoe upper.
- FO: Fuel and oil resistance of the outsole.
- HRO: Heat resistance of the outsole (tested against contact heat up to 300°C).
- CI: Cold insulation (protects against cold down to -17°C).
- HI: Heat insulation (protects against radiant heat up to 150°C).
- SC: Scuff cap abrasion resistance.
- LG: Ladder grip (special outsole design for climbing ladders).
📝 Understanding the Latest Standard (EN ISO 20345:2022)
The standard was recently updated to EN ISO 20345:2022. If you are sourcing or selling in the EU, it is crucial to be aware of these key changes:
- Slip Resistance Update: The old slip resistance codes (SRA, SRB, SRC) have been removed. The new standard introduces a single, more rigorous slip resistance test marked simply as SR. If a shoe does not pass this test, it must be marked with a special symbol (Ø).
- New Categories: As mentioned, S6 and S7 were added for fully waterproof safety shoes.
- Penetration Resistance: For non-metal midsoles (like the Kevlar in your shoes), the standard now distinguishes between protection against large nails (4.5mm, marked PL) and smaller nails (3.0mm, marked PS).
⚠️ Important Note on Compliance
EN ISO 20345 is a harmonized standard under the EU’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation (EU) 2016/425. To legally sell safety shoes in the European market, the product must undergo testing by a Notified Body and carry the CE Mark. Any modification to the certified shoe (like swapping out the original insole) can void its compliance and safety certification.