Testing safety footwear
“Safety footwear is designed to provide protection to the feet in various hazardous situations, but it is essential to ensure that these shoes are effective in doing so”, begins Peter Goodwin, Technical Specialist at James Heal. Peter continues, “Testing safety footwear is necessary to determine whether the shoes meet the required safety standards and specifications and can withstand various workplace hazards”.
What does testing help to identify? Here are some of the areas commonly evaluated in testing:
- Compliance with safety standards: Safety footwear must comply with specific safety standards such as EN, ISO, ASTM, OSHA, or ANSI. Testing ensures that the footwear meets these standards and can provide adequate protection. These standards may specify minimum requirements for factors such as impact resistance, compression resistance, puncture resistance and slip resistance.
- Defects and weaknesses: Testing can identify defects and weaknesses in the design or construction of the safety footwear. This information can help manufacturers to improve their products and ensure that they provide maximum protection.
- Durability: Safety footwear is expected to last for a specific period, and testing can help determine this period with the durability of the shoes. This information can be useful for workers and employers to make informed decisions on when to replace worn-out safety footwear.
