Footwear for professional use is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed and manufactured to protect the worker’s feet from various risks: mechanical (slipping, impact, compression, puncture, cut etc.), chemical (contact with hydrocarbons, mineral oils etc.), physical (moisture, water, heat, cold etc.) and electrical (antistatic properties, conductive properties etc.).
It is subject to the essential requirements set forth by EU Regulation 2016/425 for ergonomics, harmlessness, comfort and efficacy. The protective features of the footwear vary according to the specific needs of use. The selection of the right footwear for professional use depends on its protective features and on the risks in the workplace.
Available in a variety of materials, footwear for professional use is divided into two classes:
Footwear in leather or other materials, excluding shoes entirely in rubber or polymers (e.g., shoes with leather uppers and sole in polyurethane or rubber).
Footwear entirely in rubber or polymers (e.g., boots entirely in rubber or PVC).
Both classifications may also be divided into a further 3 types, based on the protection features:
Safety footwear fitted with protective toecap against impacts with energy up to 200 J or a compression load up to 15 kN (in compliance with European harmonized standard EN ISO 20345).
Protective footwear fitted with protective toecap against impacts with energy up to 100 J or a compression load up to 10 kN (in compliance with European harmonized standard EN ISO 20346).
Work footwear without protective toecap (EN ISO 20347).
All footwear for professional use must comply with some basic requirements concerning duration, comfort and harmlessness of the materials.
They must also assure slipping resistance with specific protection concerning the reduction of the slipping hazard on wet surfaces, divided into three levels:
SRA. Test carried out on ceramic floor covered with water and detergent.
SRB. Test carried out on steel floor covered with glycerine.
SRC. Both the tests described above (SRA + SRB).
In addition, supplementary protection may be required against specific risks (mechanical, chemical, physical and electrical risk), such as: antistatic properties, energy absorption in the heel area, sole resistance to hydrocarbons, water penetration and absorption through the upper, penetration resistance of the outsole, heat or cold insulation, metatarsal protection.
Finally, certain supplementary protection categories are set out which sum up the most common protective features, divided into several markings:
S1. includes closed heel area, antistatic properties, energy absorption properties in the heel area and sole resistant to hydrocarbons.
S2. like S1 + penetration resistance and water absorption through the upper.
S3. like S2 + puncture resistant outsole and deep sole grooves.
S4. like S1 (only valid for class II entirely rubber or polymer footwear).
S5 like S4 + puncture resistant outsole and deep sole grooves.
The protection features offered by the footwear can be understood from the markings on the footwear, providing the following indications:
marking;
shoe size;
manufacturer’s name or logo;
article code;
manufacturing date;
benchmark standard;
symbols and/or category of the protection offered.
Each pair of shoes also comes with an information note indicating the correct methods of use, storage and maintenance, cleaning and/or disinfection/decontamination, explanation of the marking and specific information for certain protection categories.
For specific risk situations, special footwear with specific additional protection is required. This includes footwear with cut protection from portable chainsaw, electrically insulating, for firefighters, ESD.
EN ISO 20345
Products for this standard
KISS LOW SHOE
MB3115

MONZA LOW SHOE
MB3017

BOYER LOW SHOE
MB1324

PARTNER ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB1325

MAXIMUM FIREWORKS SHOE
MB2317

DIVINA LOW SHOE
MB3111

SIENNA LOW SHOE
MB3113

ENERGY ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB3114

FUNKY ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB3116

MYTHOLOGY ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB3117

MANHATTAN ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB3015

MAIA LOW SHOE
MB3012

TONGA LOW SHOE
MB3013

TURKANA LOW SHOE
MB3014

SNAKE ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB3016

JET LOW SHOE
MB3011

SIMI LOW SHOE
MB2911

RODOS ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2921

METAL FIGHTER ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2214

NEW OVERCAP BSF PLUS BOOT
MB2814

ECLIPSE ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2213

MAXIMUM OASIS SHOE
MB2311

MAXIMUM PRIMA ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2313

MAXIMUM MOTOR BOOT
MB2314

MAXIMUM VECTOR BOOT
MB2316

FORESTIER BOOT
MB2413

FIREFIGHTER BOOT
MB2415

DIELECTRICAL BOOT
MB2416

U2 BOOT
MB2511

UB40 BOOT
MB2512

SAFETY WAIDERS
MB2517

SAFETY BLOOD REP BOOT
MB2611

PU-BOOT
MB2711

PU-BOOT
MB2713

JUMBO BOOT
MB2714

PETROL BOOT
MB2715

NEW OVERCAP BSF REX SHOE
MB2812

NEW OVERCAP BSF MAX SHOE
MB2813

NEW OVERCAP BSF FAST SHOE
MB2823

NEW OVERCAP BSF INFINITY BOOT
MB2825

MONITOR SANDAL
MB1517

NAOMI LOW SHOE
MB1518

MALIBU LOW SHOE
MB1520

MALIBU LOW SHOE
MB1521

MONIX LOW SHOE
MB1522

PLUS BOOT
MB1524

SANTOS HIGH SHOE
MB1527

WINTER FENICE HIGH SHOE
MB1529

NEW METAL TOP METATARSO SHOE
MB1530

NEW METAL TOP OVERPROTECTION SHOE
MB1531

BINOMA SHOE
MB1812

CAMARO BLACK SANDAL
MB1815

SIERRA SHOE
MB1817

SEDAN SHOE
MB1822

ZENIT SHOE
MB1823

PLATINUM SHOE
MB1824

SETA ULTRA LIGHT SHOE
MB2011

FANTASY ULTRA LIGHT SHOE
MB2012

FACTOR ULTRA LIGHT SHOE
MB2013

K-PLUS LOW SHOE
MB2014

K3-PLUS LOW SHOE
MB2015

DIELECTRIC ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2016

ULTRALIGHT LIME ARMOUR SHOE
MB2017

ULTRALIGHT RED ARMOUR SHOE
MB2019

CAMBERRA WR ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB2020

EVOK MOCCASIN
MB1311

PRELUDE MOCCASIN
MB1313

SILVER FOBIA LOW SHOE
MB1314

GREY FOBIA LOW SHOE
MB1315

MAGIC FOBIA LOW SHOE
MB1316

LOW BLACK FOBIA SHOE
MB1317

CLIMA BLACK CLOG
MB1318

KARIM FOBIA ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB1319

CLIMA CLOG
MB1320

WHITE FOBIA LOW SHOE
MB1321

RAPID FOBIA ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB1322

CHAMPION FOBIA ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB1323

ARGON CLOG
MB1414

ANACONDA CPS LOW SHOE
MB1511

ANACONDA LOW SHOE
MB1512

FENICE CPS ANKLE HIGH SHOE
MB1513

FENICE HIGH SHOE
MB1514
