EN ISO 20345:2022
‘Personal protective equipment – Safety footwear
EN ISO 20345:2022 supersedes EN ISO 20345:2011.
EN ISO 20345 specifies basic and additional (optional) requirements for safety footwear used for general purpose. It includes, for example, mechanical risks, slip resistance, thermal risks, ergonomic behavior. It also specifies requirements for safety footwear equipped with customized in socks, customized safety footwear or individual manufactured customized safety footwear.
This standard does not cover the property of high visibility because of interaction with the clothing (e.g. trousers cover the footwear) and work area conditions (e.g. dirt, mud). Special risks are covered by complementary job-related standards (e.g. footwear for firefighters, electrical insulating footwear, protection against chain saw injuries, protection against chemicals and molten metal splash, protection for motorcycle riders).
It contains a series of changes, ranging from what could be classed as ‘minor’ amendments to ‘major’ alterations. Minor changes may be defined as those that would affect specific materials and/or specific markings, whereas major changes would be amendments which would impact most footwear that has already been tested and certified.
There have been two major changes. The first involves the requirements and testing of slip resistance, and the second affects the penetration resistant inserts for non-metallic materials which changed to perforation-resistant inserts for non-metallic materials, with additional markings.
Changes in test method for slip-resistance:
The test procedures for safety footwear slip-resistance and their corresponding certifications have been changed. The steel plate has been replaced by the ceramic plate for more consistent results.
The test in flat position has been superseded by a forepart position and backward movement.
Previous certifications consisting of ‘SRA’, ‘SRB’ and ‘SRC’ will no longer be used.
In order to obtain the “SR” label, in addition to the anti-slip test on ceramic tiles with a cleaning agent, an additional anti-slip test must be carried out on ceramic tiles with glycerine.
Testing footwear on tile flooring best imitates real-life workplace situations.
The slip resistance basic requirements do not apply to shoes designed for particular purposes,
equipped with spikes, metal studs or similar elements, and intended for very specific
workplaces (soft floors, for example: sand, mud, undergrowth, etc.). In addition, this type of
shoe must be marked with the symbol “ø”.
The following minimum standards must be achieved:
| Marking | Type of surface | Lubricant | Position | Direction | Requirements |
| Basic Requirement
(no marking) |
Ceramic tile | NaLS | Heel | Forward | ≥ 0.31 |
| Forepart | Backward | ≥ 0.36 | |||
| Additional requirement SR | Ceramic tile | Glycerine | Heel | Forward | ≥ 0.19 |
| Forepart | Backward | ≥ 0.22 |
Changes in perforation resistance:
The term penetration resistance for describing safety footwear with inserts as a part of their construction will now be replaced by the phrase perforation resistance.
While only a 4.5mm diameter nail was used in EN ISO 20345:2011, the revised EN ISO 20345:2022 standard offers 3 types of nail protection available.
Testing of steel inserts is carried out with a 4.5mm diameter nail, marked ‘P’.
There are two nail protections available regarding non-metallic inserts: ‘PL’ and ‘PS’. The PL nail has a diameter of 4.5 mm. The PS nail, with a diameter of 3.0 mm, is a new version that companies can test additionally.
Footwear is classified according to the following classes:
- Class I: footwear made from leather and other materials, excluding all-rubber and all-polymeric footwear (S1, S2, S3, S3L and S3S)
- Class II: all-rubber (i.e. entirely vulcanized), all-polymeric (manufactured in one piece), (S4, S5, S5L and S5S)
- Hybrid: SBH = polymeric footwear with another material that extends the upper
| Classification changes (from 5 categories to 7 categories) | ||
| Category | Class I / Class II | Additional requirements |
| SB | Class I / Class II | Basic requirements |
| S1 | Class I | As SB plus:
· Closed heel area · Energy absorption of seat region · Antistatic |
| S2 | Class I | As S1 plus:
· Water penetration and absorption |
| S3 (metal insert type P)
S3L (non-metal insert type PL) S3S (non-metal insert type PS) |
Class I | As S2 plus:
· Perforation resistance according to the type · Cleated outsole |
| S4 | Class II | AS SB plus:
· Closed heel area · Energy absorption of seat region · Antistatic |
| S5 (metal insert type P)
S5L (non-metal insert type PL) S5S (non-metal insert type PS) |
Class II | As S4 plus:
· Perforation resistance according to the type · Cleated outsole |
| S6 | Class I | As S2 plus:
· Water resistance of whole footwear |
| S7 (metal insert type P)
S7L (non-metal insert type PL) S7S (non-metal insert type PS) |
Class I | As S3 plus:
· Water resistance of whole footwear |
| Note 1: For ease of marking, this table categorizes safety footwear with the most widely used combinations of basics and additional requirements | ||
| Note 2: Special-purpose footwear containing spikes, metal studs or similar, designed to enhance performance on soft ground (sand, sludge, forestry timber, etc.) should be marked with ” Ø “. The symbol ” Ø ” indicates that the footwear has not been tested for slip resistance. | ||
| Additional marking codes according to EN ISO 20345:2022 | ||||
| Requirement | Code | Class I/ Class II | Additional information | |
| Perforation resistance (metal insert Type P) | P | Class I/ Class II | 4.5 mm diameter nail | |
| Perforation resistance (non-metal insert Type PL) | PL | Class I/ Class II | 4.5 mm diameter nail | |
| Perforation resistance (non-metal insert Type PS) | PS | Class I/ Class II | 3.0 mm diameter nail (new) | |
| Partially conductive footwear | C | Class I/ Class II | Can only be either partially conductive or antistatic | |
| Antistatic footwear | A | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Heat insulation of outsole complex (footwear with soles resistant to hot environmental conditions) | HI | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Cold insulation of outsole complex | CI | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Energy absorption of seat region | E | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Water resistance | WR | Class I | ||
| Metatarsal protection (requirement related only to safety and protective footwear) | M | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Ankle protection | AN | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Cut resistance | CR | Class I/ Class II | ||
| Scuff cap abrasion | SC | Class I | ||
| Slip resistance (ceramic floor tile with glycerine) | SR | Class I/ Class II | No marking if tested just to 5.3.5.2
SR marked if tested in line with both 5.3.5.2 and 6.2.10 Ø marked if no slip resistance test completed (studded/spiked footwear) |
|
| Water penetration and absorption | WPA | Class I | Upper test | |
| Resistance to hot contact | HRO | Class I/ Class II | Outsole test | |
| Resistance to fuel oil | FO | Class I/ Class II | Outsole test (not mandatory anymore for classes S1 to S5) | |
| Ladder grip | LG | Class I/ Class II | Outsole test (new) | |
| Not tested for slip resistance | Ø | Class I/ Class II | Special-purpose footwear containing spikes, metal studs or similar, designed to enhance performance on soft ground (sand, sludge, forestry timber, etc.) should be marked with “0”. The symbol “0” indicates that the footwear has not been tested for slip resistance. | |
Safety shoes approved according to EN 20345:2011 may be sold until the current certificate for the product expires. This means that safety shoes under both norms are permitted until 2027.
