Safety Boot Ratings & Codes Explained – EN ISO 20345:2022

Buying a pair of work boots or trainers should be simple.  However, with various safety boot rating codes, it can be very confusing.  Here, we explain precisely what each code means.

Safety Boots are an essential part of your PPE when working on site – whether it be someone’s home, garden or on a construction site.

When it comes to work boots there is so much to choose from – and how do you know if what you are choosing is the right thing considering that many worksite requirements vary from site to site?

We wanted to find out more, so we spoke to industry experts and workwear manufacturers to find out what every safety rating code means.

This article is the result of all that work, we hope this guide will help you decide what will work for you, and also clear up what each safety code means.

What Are The Legal Requirements for Safety Boots In The UK?

Before getting into the nitty gritty of the article it’s good to know why this all matters. All footwear in the UK must be EN ISO 20345:2022 compliant, and while that looks like a load of mumbo jumbo it makes sense when you break it down.

EN – Standard code for safety footwear across Europe.
ISO – This stands for International Organisation for Standardization. This means all products must meet their minimum standards.
20345 – This is the footwear legislation number.
2022 – Footwear standards were updated in 2022 and became much stricter. All footwear must have toe protection with at least 200 Joule impact protection as standard.

In 2022, the marking codes were updated from 2011 to give a better and more in-depth understanding of what each boot offers. The 2011 marking codes have either been expanded on or in some cases, replaced.

What are the Safety Boot Rating codes & Their Meanings?

Before you even enter any building site, demolition site or work site, there will be a sign explaining the different requirements you need to fulfill before entering.  One of these requirements is safety boots. 

Different sites, or even different areas of one site, will require that you wear the appropriate footwear to protect your feet in case of accidents. This list not only highlights each code but explains each one.

Basic Requirements

Each pair of safety boots will have one basic safety code assigned to it.  This is to let you know what the footwear is capable of, and what level of protection it delivers. Below is a table of the different ratings.

Additional Features

These additional features have, in some cases, been incorporated into the basic safety code.  They also highlight further safety features on the boots which can be useful for the job.

How Can I Use This Information to Make a Buying Decision?

Each job will have a different requirement for safety footwear as not every job is going to be the same.  You can now use this table to find the precise boots or trainers you need for a job.

You now know that S1 boots are made from leather and other materials, have a closed heel area, and have been tested with 200J impact and 15KN compression force.  Further, they are anti-static and offer heel energy absorption for additional comfort.

You also know that AN relates to Ankle Protection, SR is Slip Resistance and LG ensures a Ladder Grip on the soles.

Knowing this information allows you to make an informed decision when purchasing safety boots. For example, if you’re going to be working with water pumps or pressure washing equipment you’ll want a waterproof boot – using the table we can see that we want a boot with the WR additional feature.

Another example would be working in hot environments, for example, welding or glass making. We ideally want shoes that protect our feet from high-temperature accidents, so using the table we can see that HI or HRO will offer me varying levels of heat protection.

Real World Examples

Still confused? OK, let’s put this into perspective. Below are examples of shoes and trainers that we have picked out to help explain what to look for with safety codes.

Apache Brampton Suede Safety Trainers (Black) Safety Code Explained

Lets take the Apache Brampton Suede Safety Trainers (Black) as an example. The safety codes on these trainers are S3S, SR, ESD This means;

Safety Code	Explanation
S3	Class I – Footwear made from leather and other materials Closed heel area, Tested with 200J impact and 15KN compression force, Anti-Static, Heel energy absorption, Water penetration resistant upper, Metal Penetration resistant outsole –  value shall not pass less than 1100N with no separation of layers Cleated Outsole
C	Slip Resistance. Tested on ceramic floor tile and glycerine. This replaces SRA, SRB & SRC
ESD	Electro-static dissipative footwear

S3 Tells us these trainers are made from leather and other materials with a closed heel area and have been tested with 200J impact and 15KN compression force. 

The ESD rating lets us know they’re anti-static, have comfortable heel cushions, and offer water resistancy on the top of them.  There is a metal penetration protection and a cleated outsole.

Finally, C shows they are slip-resistant and can be used in/around electricity.

Milwaukee ARMOURTRED S7S Safety Boots Safety Code Explained

Here’s a heftier example, a recent and popular arrival is the Milwaukee ARMOURTRED S7S Safety Boots. These have a safety code of
S7S, CI, AN, HRO, SC, FO, LG, SR. This means;

Safety Code	Explanation
S7S	Class I – Footwear made from leather and other materials Closed heel area, Tested with 200J impact and 15KN compression force, Anti-Static, Heel energy absorption, Water penetration resistant upper, Non Metal Penetration resistant outsole – Average penetration value shall not pass less than 1100N Cleated Outsole Water Resistant
CI	Cold Insulation – Protection against the cold for 30mins at -17°C
AN	Ankle Protection – 10N impact mean transferred force shall not exceed 10Kn and no single value shall exceed 15kN
HRO	Heat Resistant Outsole compound – withstands 300°C for 60secs
SC	Scuff Cap Abrasion
FO	Resistant to Fuel Oil
LG	Ladder Grip
SR	Slip Resistance. Tested on ceramic floor tile and glycerine. This replaces SRA, SRB & SRC

These boots hold an S7S rating so they are made from leather and other materials with a closed heel area and have been tested with 200J impact and 15KN compression force.  They’re also anti-static, have comfortable heel cushions, and offer water resistancy on the top of them.  There is a metal penetration protection and a cleated outsole all while keeping your feet warm as well as protecting your ankles from side impacts (AN).

They can be worn across hot surfaces (HRO), offer protection against scuffs (SC) if scratched across an abrasive material along with helping keep you balanced if you walk through oil (FO).

They are also slip-resistant (SR) and have a defined grip to keep you secure on ladders (LG). Basically, they’re pretty darn good boots.

You can see why, after this, you need the codes.

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