Do you put on your safety shoes every day without thinking or do you sometimes wonder whether they still meet the safety requirements? Do your safety shoes still protect your feet sufficiently? How old are your safety shoes now? Have you ever had an accident with them? Do you work a lot on your knees? Have your work or working conditions perhaps changed? In short, do your safety shoes still meet the safety requirements that are necessary for your work? Check it out!
Protective nose or scuff guard
If you work a lot on your knees, your shoe toes sometimes have to endure even more than your shoe soles. If the leather around the safety toe is damaged, the steel or plastic protective toe can slide and your forefeet are no longer sufficiently protected. Buying new safety shoes is then the only solution. Make sure you buy a safety shoe with a safety toe, such as S1P, S2, or S3 safety shoes. Of course you can also opt for safety boots immediately S3 standard. Nowadays the lightweight safety shoes and safety sneakers also developed in such a way that they fully comply with the standards. To prevent wear, many safety shoes have a plastic toe cap and sometimes you can even have a toe cap mounted on your favorite safety shoe after purchase. This toe cap is also called a crawl toe cap and is usually made of Polyurethane (PU). Toe caps are ideal for tilers, construction workers, electricians, etc. Are your steel or plastic protective toe caps still protected by a toe cap or the leather of your shoe? Check it out!
Age and maintenance
No matter how strong your safety shoes are, they will lose their protective power over time. For example, the glue on your soles can come loose, allowing sharp objects to get between the shoe sole and the protective sole. The waterproofness can also decrease over time, especially if you do not maintain your safety shoes properly.
Some tips:
- Allow wet safety shoes to dry slowly. Get the insole out and stuff them with newspapers. Never place them near a heat source such as a radiator or in the sun. The leather will dry out and may crack.
- Even sweaty safety shoes must dry for at least 24 hours after each working day. Otherwise they will turn white and start to smell due to the accumulation of bacteria. Eventually the inside of your safety shoes will become hard and uncomfortable.
- Spray your dry safety shoes at least once a month with impregnating spray. In nice dry weather this is more than enough, but in heavy rain and/or snow we advise to do it more often. Apply the maintenance products when the shoes are dry and hold the spray can at a distance of approx. 35 cm from the shoe, in connection with possible inhalation of propellant gases.
- Also once or twice a month with shoe polish or leather grease greasing is not an unnecessary luxury. Smooth and waxed leather is more resistant to water and dirt and easier to maintain.
Please note: The impregnation is only fully active after 24 hours. Always use the impregnation spray first and then grease your safety shoes again. Impregnation fluid does not penetrate this somewhat greasy layer.
Accidents at work
Steel, plastic or aluminium toe caps protect your forefeet from falling objects. However, this protective power quickly diminishes once something heavy has fallen on your safety shoes or if you have been pinched somewhere. Therefore, preferably replace them after every accident or at least check whether your toe caps are still in shape and remain in place. So: are your shoes still safe for your feet? Check it!
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Working conditions and working environment
Have your activities or working conditions changed? Check whether your safety shoes still meet the necessary European safety requirements for these specific working conditions. Perhaps you now have enough with less strict standards or even higher ones. In catalogues for safety shoes you will find various codes: EN ISO standards, additional requirements for foot protection, requirements for slip resistance and requirements for the prevention of static electric charge (ESD) and extreme cold (CI). Below is a brief explanation:
EN ISO standard
The best-known European standard for safety shoes is EN ISO 20345. These shoes are also called safety shoes and offer the highest mechanical (toe) protection (up to 200 joules). An S-coding is used for this, from the English word Safety. If the requirements are less strict, you can also opt for shoes that have been tested according to EN ISO 20346, the so-called protective shoes with P-coding for toe protection (100 Joule). If you do not need toe protection, safety shoes that have been tested according to EN ISO 20347, with an O-coding for Occupational, will suffice. Learn more about the S-classifications of safety shoes.
Slip resistance
Safety shoes are subjected to an anti-slip test according to NEN standards:
- SRA: The slip resistance has been tested on a ceramic tile with a low level of cleaning agent
- SRB, the slip resistance is tested on a steel plate with glycerine (oil substance)
- SRC: the sole has passed both the SRA + SRB test
- Read extensive information about anti-slip standards here
ESD safety shoes
Safety shoes to prevent static electric charge by rapid discharge of static electricity can be recognized by the yellow/black ESD label. ESD stands for Electro Static Discharge, which means that ESD safety shoes have the ability to discharge an electrostatic charge. Throughout the day, you build up static electricity while moving. An ESD shoe discharges this again because they have a very low resistance. This keeps the electrostatic charge between the floor and the person the same. This is important when you work with fragile objects or equipment that can be damaged by shocks or sparks that arise as a result of built-up static electricity.
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Buy new safety shoes
If you want to buy new safety shoes after the above safety check, take a look at our safety shoes and safety boots. For questions or help choosing your new safety shoes or safety boots, you can contact us via the contact form or on weekdays between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm by calling 0223-661300.
