Foot protection - Top protection with every step

Your employees’ feet require protective footwear

Over the course of a lifetime, a person will roughly walk the equivalent of four times around the world. Your feet support your entire body and – literally – carry heavy loads on a daily basis. For this reason, suitable footwear is important to protect the feet at all times, especially at the work place. Modern safety shoes provide protection without stressing the feet. An optimum fit and excellent wearing comfort increase well-being, the entire musculoskeletal system is relieved of stress and long-term injury is prevented.

Safety shoes are nowadays standard in pretty much all areas of both the manufacturing and service industry. Regardless of whether it is engineers, factory workers or logisticians – there is hardly any type of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is as widely accepted as foot protection. With the right products, work accidents can be avoided and safety at the work place can be increased.

Ideal foot protection prevents injuries caused by the following hazards:

• Physical: falling objects, crushing, penetration
• Thermal: molten metal splashes, heat, weather conditions, cold
• Electrical: touching live equipment, spark formation in dangerous areas due to electrostatic build-up
• Chemical: acids, alkalis, oils, greases, fuels
• Commuting accidents: twisted ankles, slipping, tripping.
• Long-term injuries: back and knee complaints

Foot protection can basically be split into two categories: Work shoes and safety shoes. The difference is in the toe protection cap, which used to be mostly made of steel and nowadays is also made from aluminium or high-grade composite materials. Safety shoes have a cap; work shoes do not. The latter variety therefore is primarily used in the medical professions, in gastronomy, in the police force and in the military. Safety sandals, shoes or boots offer a higher degree of protection. Both categories are split into various protection classes in order to meet the different requirements at the work place. Business safety shoes are a separate sub-category and come in elegant designs.

What foot protection is required depends on which area an employee works in, which dangers he/she is subjected to and which legal requirements the employer has to comply with. Furthermore, wearing comfort, the material and heel shock absorption all play a role.

Find the right safety class for you

For work shoes, the following classes apply according to EN ISO 20347: 0B, 01, 02 and 03.
Safety shoes are divided into the following classes according to EN ISO 20345: SB, S1, S1P, S2, S3 and S5.

Class S3 safety shoes meet several requirements, which include the following:

• Energy absorption of the toe cap: 200 joules
• Closed heel area, antistatic, energy absorption in the heel area
• Protection against water ingress and water absorption
• Penetration-resistant outer sole

Sole types for work and safety shoes

A basic distinction is drawn between single-layer (mono) and double-layer (duo) soles.

Advantage of single-layer soles:
The special advantage of the single-layer sole is that a single material with a lower density can be sprayed on. This creates a lightweight sole which can easily adapt to the floor characteristics.

Advantage of double-layer soles:
With double-layer soles, two different materials with different properties can be used. For instance, the sole tread may be of rubber but the intermediate sole of polyurethane. This combines the benefits of both materials: the exceptional heat-resistance of rubber and the comfortable damping characteristics of polyurethane.

The work and safety shoes included in the Hoffmann Group product range not only impress through their highly modern technologies and materials but also through their attractive designs. This includes work shoes , safety shoes for women and men in the form of shoes, boots and sandals , business safety shoes as well as fitting accessories for the foot protection of notable manufacturers. In this way, we are staying true to our mantra – Quality-driven since 1919: For us, quality and personal consulting are the top priority.

Can foot protection be combined with any kind of insoles (e.g. lambskin soles)?

Only the shoe inserts offered by the shoe manufacturer are permitted. Otherwise they will deviate from their prototype version approved under the standard and may no longer offer the requisite protection.

What resistance does the toe protection cap offer against lateral stresses?

Only the shoe manufacturer of the model in question can answer this question, or the resistance must be analysed through appropriate tests. The reason for this is that, according to the applicable standards, impact and pressure perpendicular to the footprint and the remaining height under the toe protection cap are measured, but there is no requirement for lateral stress of the cap defined in those standards.

Are penetration-resistant inserts made from non-metallic materials really penetration-resistant?

Yes, if the prototype version was tested according to the relevant standard and the penetration resistance was confirmed. According to EN ISO 20344, the minimum force in the test process is 1,100 N. This equates to the force that a human weighing 80 to 90 kg exerts on the ground when walking. The tip of a 4.5 mm-thick test needle must not penetrate the test specimen. The test is considered to be passed if the tip of the test needle does not protrude through to the inside of the test specimen. This can be determined by means of a visual inspection and cinematographic or electrical detection.

Personal protective equipment also includes: breating protection, hearing protection, eye protection, hand protection, head protection, protective work wear, work clothing, fall protection and skin protection. This takes you to the overview.