TYPES OF WORK SHOES AND PROTECTION CLASSES
Safety shoes are used to protect the user against hazards and the risk that may arise when woriking in different enviroments. Different types of safety shoes have different protective properties and they must be clearly labeled so that it is easy to understand what risks the shoe protects the user against.
There are three categories of safety shoes that are based on the protective properties of the shoes. They are:
- Safety footwear for professional use (EN 345) = A sturdy safety shoe that has a protective toe cap that can withstand pressure up to 200 J. This type of safety shoe are available in several different classes. If they meet the basic requirements (toe cap and slip resistant), they are marked with SB. If they also protect against other types of risks, they are marked with S1 - S5, depending on the risks they protect against.
Below you will see a table where we present what the different protection classes have for properties.
- Protective footwear for professional use (EN 346) = Work shoes with a protective toe cap that has been tested to withstand a load of 100 J. If they meet the basic requirements, protective shoes are marked with PB. If they also protect against other risks, it is marked with P1 - P5 depending on the risks they protect against.
- Occupational footwear for professional use (EN 347) = Occupational footwear for professional use do not have a protective toe cap, but still provide protection against various types of risks. This type of shoe is marked with O if they meet the basic requirements. If they also protect against other risks, it is marked with O1 - O5 depending on the risks they protect against.