FOOTWEAR SYMBOLS FOR INDUSTRIAL USAGE

Puncture-resistant (marked as P or S3) - Please note that the puncture resistance has been laboratory-tested in using a spike of 4.5 mm in diameter and a force of 1.100 Newton. A greater force or thinner spikes could increase the risk ofpenetration. When necessary, alternative preventive measures must be taken into consideration.
 A revision of the EN ISO 20344 et seq. series of standards will be published at the turn of the year 2022. If you have any questions about any of the upcoming changes or additions, please contact your sales representative. .

Any model certificated after December 2007 must meet one of the three criteria below and be marked with the corresponding symbol

 √  May satisfy the standard though not required in this case
 ○  Meets the specified requirement

If a shoe carries a CE-label, This indicates the following: the product meets the requirements of European Regulation 2016/425 regarding personal protective equipment. This CE-standard EN ISO 20345: 2011 has recently renewed. The new CE-standard EN ISO 20345: 2022 consists of two parts. The basis label means that a product meets a number of basic requirements. If the product also meets certain additional requirements, this is indicated by a symbol on the shoe.

Below an explanation of the symbols:
The old standard :2011 remains in force for safety shoes that are already on the market and for which the certification is still valid. A safety shoe certificate is valid for 5 years. Safety shoes introduced after 30 March 2023 will be tested according to the new standards. This means that in the coming years there will be a transition period in which safety shoes comply with either the old or the new certification. On our website you will find more information about this topic.

VPROTX footwear offers a number of safety and protection specifications. in order to facilitate understanding of these specifications, we use various pictograms. below is the list of those pictograms and their meaning.

	Protective steel toe cap Provides protection against falling objects up to 200 J and compression of up to 15,000 Newton in accordance with the EN 20345 standard
	Non-metallic protective toe cap Provides protection against falling objects up to 200J and compression of up to 15,000 Newton in accordance with the EN 20345 standard | 100% antimagnetic| comfortable due to its ergonomic shape| extra wide | 20% lighter than a conventional steel toe cap | conducts less heat and coldthan a metal toe cap
	Non-metallic  penetration-resistant midsole  Resistance to penetration up to 1,100 Newton in accordance with the EN 20345 standard | 100% composite | flexible | antimagnetic | protects 100% of the surface of the foot (as opposed to 85% on average for steel soles) | lighter than steel soles | conducts less heat and cold than a metal sole
	Stainless steel penetration-resistant midsole  Resistance to penetration up to 1,100 Newton in accordance with the EN 20345 standard
	Resistance to water penetration WRU (water-resistant upper) or WR (water-resistant) in accordance with the EN 20345 standard
	100%metalfree The entire shoe is free of any metal parts
	Insole with thermal insulation  Insulation against heat and cold
	Resistance to contact heat (HRO) Resistance to temperatures of up to 300°C in accordance with the EN 20345 standard
	Energy absorption heel area 20J (≥20J)
	Fuel &oil resistant outsole (≤ 12% )
	Slip resistance (SRA+SRB)
	ESD Meets the ESD specification with volume resistance under 35 megaohms

ELECTRICAL FEATURES

Safety shoes with electric shock resistant sole.These shoes pass the test required by the Canadian CSA Z-195/14standard, i.e. in a dry environment a shock of 18000 V (AC), 60Hz will be applied and must pass the test with no discharge to the ground and the current 
leakage must not exceed 1.0 mA. 
Their use is recommended with the aid of primary personal protection equipment (gloves, footboards or other) that will protect the user from contact with open circuits, so as to minimize the risk for the operator to suffer an electric shock. Protection can be compromised if the shoes get wet,dirty, with too worn soles or metal particles stuck in the sole. The properties of these shoes could be compromised if they are used in too humid 
environments. Wearers must always check the electrical properties of the shoe before entering a risk area.

Antistatic footwear should be used if it is necessary to minimize electrostatic build-up by dissipating electrostatic charges, thus avoiding the risk of ignition of in flammable substances and vapors, for example, and if the risk of electric shock from any electrical apparatus or live parts has not been completely eliminated. It should be noted, however, that antistatic footwear does not guarantee sufficient protection against electric shock, as it only introduces electrical resistance between the foot and the floor. If the risk of electric shock has not been completely eliminated, additional measures to avoid this risk are essential. Such measures, as well as the additional tests mentioned below, should be a routine part of the accident prevention programmed at the workplace. Experience has shown that, for antistatic purposes, the discharge path through a product should normally have an electrical resistance of less than 1000 MΩ at any time throughout its useful lifetime. A value of 100 kΩ is specified as the lowest limit of resistance of a product when new, in order to ensure some limited protection against dangerous electric shock or ignition in the event of any electrical apparatus becoming defective when operating atvoltages of up to 250V. However, under certain conditions, users should be aware that the footwear might provide inadequate protection and additional provisions to protect the wearer should be taken at all times. The electrical resistance of this type of footwear may be altered significantly through fixing, contamination or moisture. This footwear will not perform its intended function if worn in wet conditions. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the product is capable of fulfilling its designed function of dissipating electrostatic charges and also of giving some protection during the whole of its lifetime. The user is recommended to conduct an electrical resistance test on the spot and use it at regular and frequent intervals. If worn for prolonged periods and in moist and wet conditions, class I footwear can absorb moisture and become conductive. If the footwear is worn in conditions where the sole material becomes contaminated, wearers should always check the electrical properties of the footwear before entering a hazard area. During use, no insulating elements should be placed between the inner sole of the footwear and the wearer’s foot; the electrical properties of the footwear/insole combination should be checked.

ESD footwear discharge static electricity and avoid damaging surrounding objects;they are designed in compliance with the following standards: IEC EN 61340-5-1:2016 - IEC EN 61340-4-3:2018 - IEC EN 61340-4-5:2018.An electro-statically charged object tends to discharge static electricity and create conditions that could damage any objects nearby. Devices sensitive to electrostatic conditions (ESD - electrostatic discharge) with low sensitivity threshold may be affected.Critical situations, where anti-static electricity shall be kept under control are the following:−if there is a possibility of triggering a free due to the presence of substances etc.); 
−there could be attraction between two materials that create dangerous situationsor damages; interfere with or damage devices sensitive to electrostatic conditions.
−in the areas protected against electrostatic charges (EPA) where no object or activity carried out could cause significant damages to the devices sensitive to electrostatic conditions. 
In these areas, there is a local ESD coordinator who is responsible for all the problems related to the protection of the ESD.