Do you put on your work shoes every day without thinking or do you sometimes wonder whether they still meet the safety requirements? Do your work shoes still protect your feet sufficiently? How old are your work boots now? Have you ever had an accident with it? Do you work on your knees a lot? Have your duties or working conditions changed? In short, do your work shoes still meet the safety requirements required for your work? Check it out!
Protective toe cap or scuff guard
If you work on your knees a lot, your shoe toes sometimes have to endure even more strain than your shoe soles. If the leather around the safety toe is damaged, the steel or plastic toe cap can slide and your forefeet are no longer sufficiently protected. Buying new safety shoes is then the only solution that's left. Make sure that you buy a safety shoe with a safety toe such as S1P, S2, or S3 standard safety shoes. Of course you can also go for safety boots with the 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 and tear many safety shoes have a plastic toe cap and sometimes you can even have a toe cap fitted to your favorite safety shoe after purchase. This toe cap is also called a scuff guard and is usually made of polyurethane (PU). Toe caps are ideal for tilers, construction workers, electricians, etc. Are the steel or plastic safety toes still protected by a scuff guard or the leather of your shoe? Check it out!
Age and maintenance
No matter how strong your safety shoes are, over time they really lose their protective power. For example, the glue on your soles can loosen, 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.
A few tips:
- Allow wet safety shoes to dry slowly. Get the insole out and put newspapers in it. Never place them near a heat source such as a radiator or in the sun. The leather then dries out which can cause it to crack.
- Sweaty safety shoes must also dry for at least 24 hours after each working day. Otherwise they turn white and start to smell due to the accumulation of bacteria. Ultimately, the inside of your safety shoes becomes hard and uncomfortable.
- Spray your dry safety shoes at least once a month with impregnating spray. In nice, dry weather this is more than sufficient but in case of a lot of rain and/or snow we recommend doing it more often. Apply the maintenance products when the shoes are dry and keep the spray can approximately 35 cm away from the shoe due to 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 impregnating spray first and then grease your safety shoes again. Impregnating fluid does not penetrate this somewhat greasy layer.
Accidents at work
Steel, plastic or aluminum safety toes protect your forefeet against 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, it is best to replace them after every accident or at least check whether your protective toe caps are still in shape and remain in place. So: are your shoes still safe for your feet? Check it out!
Working conditions and working environment
Have your duties or working conditions changed? Check whether your safety shoes still meet the necessary European safety requirements for these specific working conditions. Perhaps less strict standards or higher ones are now sufficient. In safety shoe catalogs 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 of the word Safety is used for this. 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, you will need work shoes that have been tested according to EN ISO 20347, with an O-coding of Occupational. More information about the S-classifications of work 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 layer of cleaning agent
- SRB, the slip resistance has been tested on a steel plate with glycerine (oil substance).
- SRC: the sole has passed both the SRA + SRB test
- Read detailed information about anti-slip standards here
ESD work shoes
Work shoes to prevent static electric charges due to rapid discharge of static electricity can be recognized by the yellow/black ESD label. ESD stands for Electro Static Discharge, which means: ESD work shoes have the ability to discharge an electrostatic charge. Throughout the day, you build up static electricity as you move. An ESD shoe removes this because they have very low resistance. This way the electrostatic charge between the floor and person remains the same. This is important when working with delicate objects or equipment that can be damaged by shock or sparks caused by built-up static electricity. Read here extensive information about ESD work shoes
Buy new work shoes
If you want to buy new safety shoes after the safety check above? View our safety shoes and safety boots here. For questions or help choosing your new safety shoes or safety boots, please contact us through our contact form or on business days between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. via tel. no. 0223-661300.