Safety shoe

Category S3 safety boots

Category S3 safety shoe

Safety shoes are low shoes and boots that are used as protective clothing . These are prescribed, for example, by the employers' liability insurance association in industry, craft, construction and gardening and landscaping as well as by the fire brigade , technical aid organization , rescue service and the police ; even cooks have to wear them.

Safety shoes are equipped in the front part of the shoe (between the lining and the outer upper) with a protective cap made of metal or plastic to protect the toes. The upper material is usually leather and the shoe sole is made of rubber , polyurethane or thermoplastic elastomers . According to DGUV regulation 112-191, safety shoes, in contrast to work shoes, have to have a protective toe cap, work shoes only have a protective component, but not necessarily a protective cap.

Category, protection and requirements

Overall, there are several standardized categories according to DGUV rule 112-191 (formerly the trade association rule for safety and health at work 191 or GUV -R 191):

SB - basic requirements
S1 - additional requirements (A + FO + E)
S1P - additional requirements (A + FO + E + P)
S2 - like S1, additionally conditional water tightness (A + FO + E + WRU)
S3 - like S2 and also anti-puncture (A + FO + E + WRU + P)
S4 - like S2, but as a waterproof boot
S5 - like S4, also anti-puncture

Additional information:

A - antistatic shoes
AN - ankle protection
C - conductive shoes
CI - cold insulation (sample at −20 ° C)
CR - cut resistance
E - energy absorption in the heel area
FO - oil and petrol resistant sole
HI - thermal insulation
HRO - behavior towards contact heat (heat resistance of the sole at 300 ° C in minutes)
I - electrical insulating footwear
M - metatarsal protection
P - penetration security
SRA - slip resistance (test method: ceramic tile / cleaning agent)
SRB - slip resistance (test method: steel floor / glycerine)
SRC - slip resistance (test procedure: SRA and SRB passed)
WR - resistance of the entire shoe to water penetration and absorption
WRU - resistance of the shoe upper to water penetration and absorption

The category classifications OB-O5 and PB-P3 play a subordinate role in Germany. Such footwear is designed either as a low shoe or as an ankle-high boot. A steel, aluminum or plastic cap (reaching to the root of the toe ) is embedded in the toe of the shoe and protects the toe area from being crushed by heavy objects (up to 200 joules ) falling on it . A friction-reducing material (usually felt , leather fiber or rubber ) is embedded between the protective toe cap and the outer shaft so that the shaft is not unnecessarily stressed in this area. The bottom of the shoe is often equipped with insulating or antistatic properties, and the S1P, S3 and S5 have a penetration-proof midsole. In addition to penetration-resistant soles made of sheet steel, there are now penetration- resistant insoles made of alternative materials such as Kevlar , ParaAramides etc .; mostly these are firmly incorporated as an insole. The heavily profiled outsole mostly consists of an acid and oil-resistant, well-adhering PU, TPU or rubber mixture.

The details of the shoe equipment result from the requirements in the respective work area. Shoes for butchers, for example, should be largely waterproof, for electricians insulating, firefighters need shoes that are made of materials that are largely flame-resistant and that can be fastened as quickly as possible (see picture: zipper that can also be adjusted with a lacing). In the industry, shoes of the class S2 and S3 are most common.

Safety shoes S1 are protective shoes with the requirement that a toe cap is available. As with safety shoes S2 and S3, the toe cap has a load capacity of 200 joules. These requirements are regulated in EN 20345: 2004 for safety shoes.

In addition, the soles of all shoes from protection class S1 upwards must be antistatic. The specific volume resistance of the shoe according to DIN EN 61340-4-3 should be greater than or equal to 10 ⁵ ohms and less than 10 ⁸ ohms. However, especially when wearing overshoes or overshoes (product protection in clean work areas or in the clean room ), the volume resistance becomes so high that the limit value of 10 ⁸ ohms is no longer complied with.

As with S1 and S3, the requirements for safety shoes S2 are the protective cap, whose load capacity is 200 joules. In addition to the protective cap, S2 safety shoes have a certain resistance to moisture and wetness, which is maintained through appropriate care.

S3 safety shoes are equipped with a protective cap with a load capacity of 200 joules (DIN EN 12568). In addition to the protective cap, the safety shoes are equipped with a penetration-proof sole. These protective shoes must have a certain resistance to moisture and wetness, which can be maintained with appropriate care.

Shoes of protection class S1P have the same characteristics as shoes of protection class S3, but they lack the necessary waterproofness (60 '- water absorption <30%).

Fire fighting boots, protection class S3

Penetration resistant sole

A penetration-resistant sole is used in safety shoes and boots, such as those used by the fire brigade. It protects the soles of the feet from penetration injuries from nails and other sharp objects.

The penetration-resistant sole used to consist only of sheet steel that was incorporated or inserted into the shoe. Modern soles are made from a technical fabric such as Kevlar, Lenzi, Fiber-LS or similar. The fabric and steel core must meet the EN ISO standard 20344: 2011. Fabric soles are more comfortable to wear because they are more flexible and insulate against cold and heat. They also cover the entire insole, which is not the case with steel.

Toe cap

The toe cap , colloquially “steel toe ”, is used in safety shoes and protective shoes. It protects the toes from injuries, for example from falling objects, machines (power cutter) or the like. The cap can be made of sheet steel or of materials such as plastic, aluminum or titanium. The resistance of a toe cap is given in joules . In the case of protective shoes, the cap must protect against mechanical effects of 100 J, in the case of safety shoes, 200 J.

Winter safety shoes

Winter safety shoes are available for outdoor work in winter. These mostly meet the minimum standards CI and SRC, as well as WR or WRU. For the inner lining, for example, a Thinsulate material is used or another abrasion-resistant synthetic fur, while the upper material is made of a hydrophobic or water-repellent smooth leather. However, the material primarily depends on the protection class. Safety shoes in classes SB to S3 are made of leather or other materials, whereas shoes in classes S4 and S5 are completely molded or vulcanized. This is because they are designed for areas with a lot of water and moisture.

Winter safety shoes are available with conventional steel toecaps and soles (inexpensive versions) or with aluminum or plastic toecaps or with no-metal soles (better cold-insulating protection).

Chainsaw protection

Chainsaw boots

For use in forestry, cut protection shoes are available that have special protection against cuts with chainsaws .

Classification

The classes S1P, S3 and S5 are characterized by

Toe cap (200 joules)
antistatic properties
Fuel consistency
closed heel area ,
Energy absorption capacity in the heel area,
Conditional water resistance (60 min. not greater than 30%) (not S1P)
Water absorption (30 min.> 2 g)
Penetration security
profiled and therefore non-slip outsole

Fire brigade safety shoes

Fire brigade safety shoes must meet certain requirements according to EN 15090: 2012 and the accident prevention regulations (UVV). Shoes for emergency services must comply with protection class EN 15090: 2012. This standard contains further subdivisions.

The fire brigade usually has a quick release fastener in the form of a zipper as a further feature . The shaft width of such boots is adjusted once to the wearer by means of lacing, so that the boot can be put on and taken off quickly only to open and close the zipper. In rubber boots , this feature is not necessary.

Fashion

Steel toe boots have been popular as a fashion item since the 1970s. This trend stems from the skinhead scene, whose members began to wear heavy boots (steels) outside of working hours in order to outwardly emphasize their alleged or actual origin from the English working class . This fashion also became popular in other youth cultures , for example in the punk , metal , industrial and wave scenes ( EBM , Gothic etc.), as well as in parts of the BDSM culture.

Other aspects that helped determine the popularity of steel toe boots as casual footwear are the ability to use steel toes in physical disputes or the desire for a "tough" image . In fact, steel toe boots were temporarily banned as weapons in English football stadiums . When Pogo these boots are useful because they protect the feet when others step on the shoe.

Another aspect is walking safely on the grounds of open-air music festivals, which are often wet and muddy from exposure to the weather; In addition, safety shoes offer protection against tent pegs, glass splinters and beverage cans as well as other objects and uneven terrain that are intentionally or negligently incorrectly disposed of. The cushioning of safety shoes also prevents heel bruises. Safety shoes are usually lighter than mountain boots, which makes dancing easier.

In addition to the original Doc Martens boots, there are a number of manufacturers who make Rangers , steel toe boots that are very similar to army combat boots. A wide range of colors and shapes is available, including those with various buckles or chains, from ankle-high street shoes to boots that reach above the knee. The height of such shoes is indicated in the number of holes for the laces on one side; common sizes are 3 or 4 holes (low shoe), 10, 14 (boots), 20 (high boots), 30 (very high boots).

If you take a closer look, imitations of safety boots miss many details of real safety shoes in boot versions. Traditionally, there are still a relatively large number of manufacturers (for example WESCO, Red Wing Shoes and White's) of safety shoes as boot variants in a wide variety of equipment and designs adapted to the respective application requirements (for forest workers, postmen, etc.). What is striking are the full leather boots that are still widespread there, because of the shoe climate and because of their durability and ability to be repaired (no inner shoe equipment with synthetic fibers or similar) that are sewn (flexibly sewn, welted or double-sewn).

Closely related to pure safety shoes in boot versions, with or without steel toecaps, are the work boots of American cowboys ( western boots) and some types of motorcycle boots (the latter mostly without a steel toe, which would make it difficult to operate the foot switch ).

Fashion has also become an important factor for safety shoes that conform to standards. They therefore often no longer have the character of work shoes, but are fashionably designed. For example, there are elegant safety shoes for women with heels for women who have to cross safety areas in “business outfits” (production managers, security staff at airports, etc.).