Safety Boots

Cromwell's range of safety boots delivers high-performance protection, comfort and aesthetic pleasure. Chosen with care and expertise, each boot is stylish and practical, with a variety of safety and convenience features, including the BOA® lacing system.

We offer boots to suit all settings, including metal-free and slip-resistant options and so much more. Choose from leading brands like DeWalt®, Cofra® and Himalayan®. For further information on Safety Footwear products, find more in our Safety Footwear Expert Guide.

What are safety boots?

Safety boots are durable boots engineered with a range of safety and comfort features. These include a reinforced toecap to protect against impact and crushing injuries, and a reinforced midsole to prevent puncture wounds.

Safety boots in the UK - like all footwear types classed as "safety" - have been tested to the EN standard EN ISO 20345. This safety standard outlines the requirements that a footwear product must meet to be classified and sold as safety footwear.

There are currently two iterations of the EN ISO 20345 standard applicable to safety boots - and safety footwear in its entirety - on the market; EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022. More information around the differences in these standards can be found further down this page.

Why safety boots?

A good pair of safety boots are ideal for wear in certain workplace settings. Used frequently in heated and welding environments, they protect the foot and ankle up to the mid-calf (depending on the style) from extreme temperatures and metal splash. Welders' boots are a close fit design to prevent hot materials from getting into the boot and in contact with the skin.

Workers exposed to harsh conditions also benefit from boots over safety shoes or trainers. The neck of the boot can be secured around the ankle to protect against rain and snow. This protects against discomfort and cold and gives the option for tucking in work trousers for added protection against gales and wind.

Safety boots can help to mitigate the likelihood of an accident occurring relating to slips, trips and falls as well as injuries sustained by dropping objects on the toe area.

Safety boots can also have specific additional safety features such as metatarsal protection, heat-resistant outsoles, higher levels of slip-resistance, fuel-oil resistance or electrostatic dissipative features. These added features can provide an extra layer of safety, particularly in specific job roles or industries.

When are safety boots used?

Widely used in heavy-duty environments, safety boots are popular with welders and tradespeople who frequently work outdoors and on building sites. The added protection around the ankle helps to stabilise workers who are frequently up and down ladders and who regularly lift and operate heavy agricultural machinery.

As per the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, employers must protect workers from health and safety risks. This means they must provide PPE free of charge if a risk assessment shows it is needed. This also includes making sure that the PPE is properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose, that it is maintained and stored properly, that employers are provided with instructions on how to use it safely and that any PPE provided by employers is used correctly by workers.

Employers must ensure workers have sufficient information, instruction and training on PPE use, which includes safety footwear provided.

Safety boot types

There are lots of different safety boots on the market. Safety ratings and classifications help to find the best one for you. However, when it comes to the material make up of the boots, there can be an awful lot of things to consider. So, we've broken it down for you to highlight the basic features of each material.

• Nitrile (N)   -   Resistant to fuel, oils, acids and gives greater puncture resistance than natural rubber

• Polyurethane (PU)   -   Resists heat up to 130°C, low concentrations of acid/ alkali, and solvents

• Rubber (R)   -   Resists heat up to 200°C (300°C if HRO marked), oil, low concentrations of acid/ alkali, and solvents

• Dual Density PU (DD)   -   Resists heat up to 200°C (300°C if HRO marked), oil, low concentrations of acid/ alkali, and solvents

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)   -   Resists heat up to 90°C, oil, low concentrations of acid/ alkali, and solvents

• PVC/Nitrile (PVN)   -   Resists heat up to 100°C, oil, low concentrations of acid/ alkali, and solvents

• Phylon (PH)   -   Lightweight and flexible

• Rubber/Phylon (RPH)   -   Lightweight and flexible

• Rubber/Polyurethane (RPU)   -   Rubber outsole combined with a PU interlayer for lightweight and hardwearing performance

• Thermo Plastic Urethane (TPU)   -   Abrasion and wear-resistant

There are also multiple styles of safety boots, from classic hiker boots through to derby or dealer boots, it's worth considering what style of boot will best suit the level of protection required and your own aesthetic preferences.

Considerations when choosing a safety boot

• Upper - Available in a range of materials, consider your working environment when making this choice. Will you need waterproof material? Does the upper need to be scuff-resistant? Is a vegan or sustainable upper material preferable to traditional leather?

• Insole - An important contributor to overall comfort, a cushioned and supportive insole will protect against injuries and foot pain, align the feet, and support the foot arch. Wearing the right fit boot will help to mitigate the likelihood of injuries such as back pain or blisters from wearing the wrong size of fit safety boot.

• Midsole - A must-have where there are risks of puncture injuries, midsoles must resist 110kg minimum and pass a corrosion test. Available in a choice of materials, they can be flexible or weighty depending on user preference. Check the Safety Classification of the safety boots to ensure a midsole is present.

• Sole - Made from strong and durable materials, the type of sole required is usually dictated by the working environment. They're commonly made from rubber or polyurethane; however, a wide range of materials are now used to combat risks, including heat, chemical, and solvent exposure.

• Heel fit - Ensure this doesn't slip when walking, like all footwear, safety boots will give a little as they're broken in, so if they're slipping on the initial try-on, then you'll always have trouble with rubbing and blisters. A good tip is to wear the same socks you wear to work when trying on work boots to get a good feel on how they'll fit.

• Toecaps - Toecaps are made in a wide range of materials, each with its own benefits. However, all protective toecaps must give a minimum of 200 Joules protection against impact.

• Weight - Safety boots can be weighty anyway, but an aluminium or composite toecap and midsole will go a long way to reduce this.

Safety boot jargon buster

To help you navigate our range of safety boots a little better, we've put together an explanation of a key safety standard seen widely on technical datasheets.

What do the safety footwear standards EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 mean?

EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 are not as complicated as they first appear. They specify the safety requirements for protective footwear, including safety boots. As well as requiring a 200 joule protective toe cap, as a minimum, all safety footwear on the market must also meet a minimum slip resistance rating.

There are also several other requirements depending on the level of protection offered, including whether the safety footwear product features a fully enclosed heel, electrical resistance, energy absorption under the heel, puncture-resistant features, water penetration and absorption of the upper or fully water-resistant.

Let's break the EN ISO 20345 standards down...

• EN- The currently applicable standard across Europe

• ISO - The International Organisation for Standardisation define international safety standards

• 20345 - The assigned legislation number

• 2011 and 2022 - The year this safety standard was updated.

It's important to note that safety footwear products come with a five year certification as of the date they were tested. As a result of this, both the EN ISO 20345:2011 and EN ISO 20345:2022 are valid, as long as the certification of the safety footwear has not surpassed the five year certification date.

FAQs

What's the difference between safety shoes and safety boots?
Safety shoes and trainers usually stop just below the ankle, while safety boots provide coverage of the ankle as a minimum and can extend to mid-calf depending on the type.

Can I wear my safety boots that are tested to EN ISO 20345:2011 still?
Safety boots, like all safety footwear, come with a five year certificate marked with the date of purchase. This certificate is valid for five years, meaning that as long as the certification is still in date, safety boots that meet the older standard EN ISO 20345:2011 can still be worn.

The EN ISO 20345:2022 and EN ISO 20345:2011 will co-exist until 2028, by which point all footwear to the 2011 iteration of the standard have expired certification, meaning the 2022 version of the standard will supersede the 2011 version.

What are the limitations of safety boots?
Any limitations of safety boots are often based on personal preference. Not everyone likes the high-cut style around their ankles, which causes irritation and soreness for some. However, a lot of safety boot designs have evolved to combat this issue: look out for padded collars when shopping for safety boots, they really do make all the difference.

Overall, safety boots are bound to be heavier than safety shoes or trainers, purely because more material has gone into making them. The heavier the shoe or boot, the more tired the wearer will ultimately become. But for those where safety boots are a must for protection, metal-free versions are just as good, still offering the same level of protection, but without the weight of the metal.

Does my employer have to supply steel toe boots?

The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 clearly states that an employer is responsible for providing a safe environment for their employees. Risk assessments should be carried out, and if there are risks of injury from impact or puncture from sharps, then safety boots must be provided.

Can I wear my own safety boots at work?
Employers provide safety footwear to control the risk of injury. This footwear will be new and suitable for the environment where risks are posed. You may prefer your own, worn in safety boots, but they may not protect you from the hazards of your environment

What does the EN ISO 20345 standard test for?
Within the EN ISO 20345 standard, safety footwear can be tested against numerous hazards, and given what is known as a safety classification dependent on the outcome of each test.

Safety classification range from SB to S5 as per the 2011 iteration of the standard. The 2022 update to the standard introduced new safety classifications, which go up to S7.
All safety classifications include mandatory presence of a protective toecap that protects up to 200J.

As well as this, all safety classifications also require a level of mandatory slip resistance, which can be rated from SRA to SRC as per the 2011 standard.

The 2022 iteration of the EN ISO 20345 standard added a minimum requirement for slip-resistance. If the safety footwear surpasses this basic requirement and is also tested for slip-resistance on a ceramic tile with glycerol, under the updated standard, it is rated as SR. This is a more rigorous level of slip-resistance than the new basic requirement.

What other markings or tests are included in the EN ISO 20345 standard?
Besides the mandatory basic tests and the more robust additional tests as safety footwear moves up in safety classification, there are also optional, additional tests that safety footwear can be tested against.

There are 18 in total, as detailed and outlined below:

• PL   -   Safety footwear marked with PL signifies that the footwear has been tested for perforation resistance in a non-metallic insert, tested with a 4.5 mm test nail. This is a new addition as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.

• PS   -   Similarly to the above, the marking PS refers to perforation resistance except this time with a non-metallic insert, tested with a 3.0 mm test nail. This is also a new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard.

• P   -   Part of the EN ISO 20345:2011 standard, P signifies that the safety footwear has been tested for perforation resistance (metal insert).

• C   -   A C marking denotes that the safety footwear has been marked categorised as partly conductive footwear.

• A   -   The letter A denotes that the safety footwear has been marked as anti-static.

• HI   -   Safety footwear with the marking HI means that it has been tested for heat insulation of the sole complex.

• CI   -   Similarly to the above, CI denotes that the safety footwear possesses cold insulation of the sole complex.

• E   -   Refers to energy absorption of the seat region of the safety footwear.

• WR   -   Signifies that the footwear has been tested for water resistance. This is the new marking as per the EN ISO 20345:2022 standard, and means that no water penetration inside the footwear shall be detected for the footwear to achieve this marking.

WR is also used as per the 2011 iteration of the standard, but the 2011 test allows for 3cm cubed of water to penetrate the footwear. This means that the 2022 standard is more strict in defining safety footwear as water resistant.

• WRU   -   Part of the 2011 standard, WRU refers to water resistance of the upper part of the safety footwear only.

• WPA   -   Used to essentially replace the above marking WRU, as per the 2022 standard, footwear marked as WPA denotes that some water penetration and absorption of the footwear can occur.

• M   -   Refers to footwear with metatarsal protection.

• AN   -   Refers to footwear with ankle protection.

• CR   -   States that the footwear has cut resistance of the upper part.

• SC   -   A new optional requirement as per the 2022 standard, SC signifies that there is abrasion resistance of optional overcaps/scuff caps.

• SR   -   As mentioned previously, under the updated EN ISO 20345 standard, SR will be an optional slip-resistance test on top of the new minimum requirement of basic slip-resistance.

• HRO   -   Heat resistance of the outsole.

• FO   -   Fuel resistance and oil resistance.

• LG   -   The safety footwear has outsoles which provide hold on ladders, or 'ladder grip'. This is a new optional test as per the 2022 standard.

For more information on safety boots see our Safety Footwear Guide... https://www.cromwell.co.uk/info/safety-technical-safety-footwear