Reading a safety boot specification

A buyer's guide from Hanekom Innovations · Reading time about 6 minutes

The one thing every class has in common

Every boot certified to EN ISO 20345 — from the cheapest SB to the most specified S7 — has a toecap that withstands a 200 joule impact. That is the definition of “safety footwear” under the standard. Footwear with a lower-rated toecap is certified to a different standard (EN ISO 20346 protective footwear, 100 J, or EN ISO 20347 occupational footwear, no toecap at all) and should not be sold as a safety boot.

So the toecap is not what separates a K800 boot from a K1,950 boot. Everything else is.

The class ladder: SB to S5

Each class builds on the one before it. Read it as a stack, not as a menu.

A practical rule for most Zambian industrial sites: S3 for general work, S5 for wet work. If a supplier offers you SB or S1 for a plant environment, they are quoting the cheapest thing that can legally be called a safety boot.

The extra markings

After the class you will often see additional letters. These are the ones worth knowing:

• P — penetration resistance using a steel midsole. PL and PS denote non-metal (textile) penetration resistance tested with a 4.5 mm and a 3.0 mm nail respectively; PS is the higher protection.
• A — antistatic. Dissipates static charge. Not the same as electrical insulation.
• E — energy absorption in the heel region. Matters on concrete over a twelve-hour shift.
• HI / CI — heat insulation / cold insulation of the sole complex.
• HRO — outsole resistant to contact heat. Ask for this around hot slag, ash or hot metal.
• WR — whole-boot water resistance (a much stronger claim than upper water resistance).
• WPA — water penetration and absorption of the upper. In older certification this appeared as WRU.
• M — metatarsal protection, over the top of the foot. Specify this where heavy items are handled at foot height.
• AN — ankle protection. CR — cut-resistant upper. SC — scuff cap abrasion resistance.
• ESD — electrostatic dissipative, a tighter resistance range than plain antistatic. Specified in electronics and some process environments.

What changed in the 2022 revision

The 2022 revision of EN ISO 20345 made slip resistance mandatory for every class. Previously slip resistance was an optional extra marked SRA, SRB or SRC depending on the test surface. Those codes are now retired — the marking is simply SR.

The revision also introduced new class codes: S6 (S2 plus full water resistance) and S7 (S3 plus full water resistance), plus the L and S variants for non-metal penetration resistance, and LG for ladder grip.

In practice, a lot of Southern African manufactured stock is still certified to the earlier edition and still carries SRC on the label. That is not a defect — it is a different, still-valid certification. What matters is that you and your supplier quote the same edition. Ask for the specification sheet, not the marketing description.

The Zambian position

Safety footwear is one of the products covered by a compulsory standard in Zambia: ZS ISO 20345, administered through the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency. This is not optional guidance. If you are buying safety boots for a Zambian workforce, the footwear must meet that standard.

Much of the safety footwear sold into Zambia is manufactured in South Africa and certified to the SANS adoption of ISO 20345, with NRCS approval. That is a legitimate and substantively equivalent certification — but check it is stated on the specification sheet for the exact model, not claimed generally for the brand.

Buying well

• Specify the class, not the price. “S3, HRO, sizes 6–12” gets you a comparable quote from every supplier. “Safety boots” does not.
• Buy for the actual floor. Wet and washed down? S5 gumboot. Hot work? HRO outsole. Long shifts on concrete? Energy absorption and a decent midsole matter more than another 200 J of toecap you already have.
• Size properly and size widely. A boot that does not fit gets replaced with a personal shoe. Order a spread of sizes and allow for fitting.
• Set a replacement interval. A worn-through outsole has lost its slip resistance whatever the label says.
• Keep the documentation. When an inspector or a client audit asks, the certificate for the supplied model is the answer.