A What components and features must a shoe have to provide effective protection against chemical and mechanical hazards? A look inside reveals all!
Depending on the type of footwear, various toe caps are available which meet different minimum requirements. A protective toe cap on safety footwear must withstand test energy of 200 J under a drop test and 15 kN in a static pressure test. A total of 100 J or 10 kN are mandatory for protective shoes, while occupational shoes do not require caps. Steel, aluminium and plastic caps are currently all used in safety footwear, with the same minimum requirements for all materials
A flexible, puncture-resistant midsole is a must in any work boot used where the risk of 'sharps' may occur. Anyone on or around a construction site or recycling plant should ensure their footwear has a midsole.Penetration-resistant insoles come in steel or textile variants. Here, too, the same demands are placed on both product types: penetration-resistant metal and textile inserts must be able to resist penetration from a test nail with a diameter of 4.5 mm under a specific force of 1.1 kN. Steel inserts are placed between the insole and the outsole. A penetration-resistant textile insert usually replaces the existing insole. This is just one of the differences between the two materials.
Given that steel inserts are manufactured in standard sizes and are not specially adapted to individual models of shoes, some areas around the edges of the insole may remain unprotected. Conversely, a textile insert replaces the insole. This means the entire foot is protected. It is also more lightweight, more flexible and prevents cold bridges between the cold floor and the shoe inner. However, the steel insert has the advantage of being resistant even to thinner nails. Steel is the material of choice in the construction industry, where the danger of sharp objects being misplaced is relatively high.
