How do you tell if a particular boot meets the proper standards for your work crews and their tasks? Protection standards or safety boot ratings should be at the front of your mind when you are looking to purchase new boots. CHARNAUD® explains how to read and interpret SB ratings.

UK/ EU Safety Boot Standards

South African safety boot manufacturers mainly subscribe to the UK/EU safety boot standards. Under this standard, all boots, regardless of their specific function, must be able to protect toes against a 200-joule impact. All safety footwear falls under these same standards, from wellington boots to CHARNAUD®’s FIRE-SAFE® boots for use by firefighters. Each boot is marked with a set of guidelines and codes – and these follow the same format on all types of boots.

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Reading the Safety Standard Code

Each boot is marked with a string of letters and numbers that indicates its specific safety code. CHARNAUD® FIRE-SAFE® boots, for example, are marked EN 15090: 2012. This is not as complicated as it may at first appear. Here is a breakdown of what the code is telling you.

EN is the current applicable standard across Europe;
15090 is the assigned legislation number;
And 2012 is the year the safety standard was updated (this update includes the 200-joule impact requirement).

In addition to this generic safety standard, each boot will also be marked with one or more accepted abbreviations that indicate the exact function of the boot. These are often accompanied or substituted by an icon that depicts this function. To return to the example of CHARNAUD® FIRE-SAFE® again, these boots are marked as follows:

  • CI – Cold insulation of sole complex.
  • SRC – Slip resistance of whole footwear.
  • WR – Water resistance of whole footwear.
  • WRU – Water penetration and water absorption.
  • HRO – Outsole resistant to hot contact.
  • FO – Outsole resistant to fuel.
  • E – Energy absorption of seat region.
  • P – Penetration resistant.
  • A – Antistatic property.

Another important safety metric is a boot’s ability to insulate against heat. This is indicated with an HI number. CHARNAUD® FIRE-SAFE® boots are marked HI3, meaning that the boots are insulated against heat level 3, i.e. 40 minutes in a sand-bath at 250°C.

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Come to CHARNAUD® to Get the Perfect Safety Footwear for Your Workplace

CHARNAUD® is a supplier of quality PPE for a variety of industries. We can help equip your staff for their daily duties and potential risks ensuring that they are all fitted with the correct footwear to keep them safe and prevent injury. Contact us for advice and quotations on PPE for your business.

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