Are you wearing the proper shoes for your job and the weather conditions in which you work?

Safety shoes are considered Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and they must meet the criteria established by European Directive EEC 89/686 in order to obtain the CE mark of compliance.

Let’s look at the rules that cover safety shoes in order to understand why they are so important and to no longer have any doubts when choosing the shoes for your work or your company. 

1. WHY CHOOSE SHOES THAT ARE SAFE AND SUITABLE TO YOUR WORK STANDARD?
2. SAFETY SHOES: DIFFERENCE, CLASSIFICATION AND PROTECTION
3. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN STANDARDS FOR SAFETY SHOES?
4. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHOES S1, S1P, S2, S3, S5

WHY CHOOSE SHOES THAT ARE SAFE AND SUITABLE TO YOUR WORK STANDARD?

Choosing safe shoes that comply with the standard for your work environment is essential for various reasons, that go far beyond simply complying with the rules. 

Above all else, shoes must be designed to guarantee workers the greatest protection during their daily activities and possible bad weather. 

Safety at work is an absolute priority for any responsible company and investing in footwear that meets the regulatory standards is one concrete way to ensure that employees are safe and protected from potential risks.

Opting for footwear that meets the standards can also prevent sanctions and fines from being applied by the competent authorities. 

Furthermore, shoes must be designed not only to prevent injuries and accidents at work, but also to resist adverse weather conditions. 

In a climate with abundant precipitation, it is essential to opt for water-repellent shoes of adequate height to protect your feet from humidity and water ingress.

Investing in compliant footwear is, then, an intelligent, long-term process for the safety, health and sustainability of the company and or its work.

SAFETY SHOES: DIFFERENCE, CLASSIFICATION AND PROTECTION

Safety shoes are classified on the level of their protection and their characteristics. 

The difference lies in compliance with the specific standards, which define the basic requirements for the various levels of protection. 

These levels show how safe the footwear is: pierce-resistance, protection from falling heavy objects, and anti-static and anti-slip properties. 

Generally, the categories of safety shoes required depend on the working environment and on the specific risks to which workers are exposed:

• ✔ SB for warehouse workers and technicians in laboratories who perform tests on components.
• ✔ S1P for workers using machine tools and specialist operators in the mechanical sector.
• ✔ S3 for plumbers and electricians. 
• ✔ S4 for outdoor workers.
• ✔ S5 for builders, carpenters and workers who mainly work outside with the risk of shoes being punctured.

When it comes to understanding the differences between the safety classifications of safety footwear, such as SB, S1, S1P, S2, S3 and S5, it is important to bear in mind, not just the standard, but also the specific climatic conditions and work needs.

Whenever abundant rainfall is common, it is a priority to opt for appropriate footwear, which is breathable and water-repellent, in order to face adverse weather.

U- Power has developed advanced technologies to meet the needs of workers:

• ✔ AIRTOE: is an innovative toe cap that, in addition to protecting the toes from the risk of crushing, also meets the need for safety shoes to be breathable.
• ✔ INFINERGY®: is the technology developed for the world of running, which transforms traditional cushioning into dynamic cushioning by exploiting the movement of the foot to store energy as it hits the ground and to return that energy when the foot pushes forward. Infinergy® is ideal for any professional who works on their knees or crouching, who are accustomed to frequently moving by foot over short and long distances, repeatedly going up and down stairs or maintaining the same posture for long periods of time and performing the same gestures repeatedly.
• ✔ PUTEK: is the new, super lightweight, extremely robust and highly protective fabric. It transforms your safety shoe into a true armoured shield, thin, incredibly light, waterproof, breathable and extremely flexible.
• ✔ WINGTEX: is the ultra-breathable air tunnel lining that guarantees the ideal micro-climate, dispersing excess humidity and preventing blisters and skin lesions.

Choosing the right shoes means, then, protecting yourself at work and respecting the regulations, thereby creating a safe and efficient working environment.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN STANDARDS FOR SAFETY SHOES?

The European standards, such as UNI EN ISO 20345:2011, 20346:2014 and 20347:2012, establish the minimum requirements that safety footwear has to meet in order to be considered safe and compliant with the safety standards. 

These standards define the requirements for footwear identified with the letter S (Safety), P (Protective) and O (Occupational), depending on the standard protection and the specific characteristics. 

Let’s look at these standards in detail and see how they differ:

• ✔ EN ISO 20346:2011 concerns “Protective footwear”, similar to safety footwear but marked with “P” rather than “S”, with a toe cap that can protect against a 100 J impact and compression of 10 KN. 
• ✔ EN ISO 20347:2012 identifies safety footwear with “O” instead of an “S” or a “P”. These shoes do not have a protective toe cap and are identified with 01, 02, 03. The non-mandatory FO resistance to hydrocarbons must be identified if necessary on the marking.
• ✔ UNI 11583:2015 guarantees specific requirements for safety shoes, protective shoes and occupational shoes for workers on sloped roofs, offering a valuable guide to adequate protection in these specific circumstances.

Learn more about the European standards for safety footwear HERE.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHOES S1, S1P, S2, S3, S5

As we have seen, safety footwear must comply with the European standards in order to guarantee the necessary protection on the basis of the working environment and the level of safety required. 

It is essential that the Health and Safety Officer, duly informed, ensures that workers use the proper footwear.

Safety shoes must be suitable for the working environment as well as the climatic environment in which they are used. 

For example, shoes with classification S1P offer superior protection, ideal for working environments most exposed to atmospheric agents. 

Their penetration-resistant sole protects against sharp objects, whilst the resistance to water penetration makes them suitable for rainy days.

U-Power has created, for each working and climatic need, a range of safety footwear which is ideal for every level of safety required by the European standard: 

• ✔ The RED LION range, in standard protection S3 SRC is ideal for use in humid environments, in transport and logistics, in the tertiary and services sectors. These safety shoes ensure a high level of comfort thanks both to the innovative Infinergy® system as well as to the lightness of the aluminium U-Power AirToe. The ULTRA is a pair of lightweight safety shoes from the RED LION range, innovative because the shoes can guarantee all the parameters required for safety footwear in standard protection S1P. They have been conceived, analysed and designed to work in every situation in which body thermoregulation factors play a fundamental role in the quality of perceived comfort, not only for the feet, but for the entire body.
• ✔ RED LEVE is a range of super-light safety shoes that uses a new-generation sole and an ultra-light insole which drastically reduces the shoe’s total weight. The initials “CI” on some styles indicate that the sole is particularly protected against the cold and makes these styles most suited to rainy seasons or humid working environments.
• ✔ RED UP PLUS is the range of U-Power safety shoes in safety standards S1P, S2 and S3, that unites the Red Up technology with the Red Carpet technology and comprises 20 styles in total, of which 16 are low-cut and 4 are high-cut with protection for the ankles.
• ✔ RED INDUSTRY in standard protection S3 CI SRC ESD, with particular protection against the cold, is characterised by its special insole with “WOW” effect and is made up of high-cut and low-cut styles: two styles in Putek Plus highly resistant to abrasion, water-repellent and breathable.

If you would like to know more about the European standards for safety footwear read the European standard that we have summarised on our website.

READ THE EUROPEAN STANDARD