Outfitting employees with appropriate footwear reduces injuries. Protecting employees' feet with good industrial footwear cuts lost work hours, improves productivity, and heightens morale.
But how do you find the correct work boot standard at the company you work for?
To abide by federal regulations adopted and enforced by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), protective footwear is required for workers in industrial settings. OSHA has an abundance of rules and regulations regarding workplace safety, including section 29 CFR 1910.136 on occupational foot protection.
What Do the Standards Mean?
Protective footwear must comply with the ASTM International standard F2413 (current version: F2413-17). This is the Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear. ASTM International standard F2412 (current version: F2412-18) is the Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection. Both standards are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F13 on Pedestrian/Walkway Safety and Footwear.
ASTM International standards set forth minimum requirements for the performance of footwear to provide protection against a variety of workplace hazards. One such hazard is "impact," indicative of falling or dropping objects onto the foot. A weight of 50 pounds is dropped from an approximate height of 18 inches, delivering 75 ft-lbs of force onto the toe of the shoe. Test results meeting the performance criteria allow the shoe to be labeled as I/75.
Resistance to "compression" provides protection from rolling objects. A shoe that withstands 2,500 pounds of force onto the toe can be labeled as C/75.
ASTM F2413 requires compression- and impact-resistant shoes to have built-in toe caps (i.e., the safety toe caps are not removable). These shoes must be labeled as I/75/C/75. Beyond compression and impact resistance, shoes required for different types of jobs will reflect their own specific list of standards. For example, a shoe buyer might find an ASTM-certified product with the following designation:
ASTM F2413-17
M/I/75/C/75
Mt/75
What does this mean? The first line communicates that the shoe meets the ASTM F2413-17 standard. In the next line, the M stands for male, the I/75 stands for the impact rating, and the C/75 is the compression rating. The third line, Mt/75, indicates metatarsal protection of 75 ft-lbs of force. Refer to the following list of rating abbreviations:
- C/75 = Compression rating
- I/75 = Impact rating
- Mt/75 = Metatarsal rating
- CD = Conductive properties
- EH = Electrical hazard properties
- SD 100 = Static dissipative (1-100 megohms)
- SD 35 = Static dissipative (1-35 megohms)
- SD 10 = Static dissipative (1-10 megohms)
- PR = Puncture resistant
- M = Footwear designated for a male
- F = Footwear designated for a female
For more information about the proper work boot for your job go to this boot standards information website.
