New Slip Resistance Standard for Occupational Footwear: Everything About EN ISO 20344:2021

The ISO standards (International Organization for Standardization) were established in 1946 to set quality levels for service provision, product development, and corporate management, allowing companies to demonstrate their excellence consistently. Thanks to these standards, defined by 781 committees and subcommittees across 164 countries, companies can compare themselves fairly. 

Like technologies and the needs of different markets, ISO regulations are constantly evolving to adapt to each economic sector. For this reason, they are reviewed periodically to keep pace with companies and consumer demands.

What standards did EN ISO 20344:2011 establish before the amendment?

The standard EN ISO 20344:2021 focuses on personal protective equipment, specifically test methods for occupational and safety footwear, and was published to replace and update EN ISO 20344:2011.

The basic requirements for occupational footwear establish minimum standards for design, resistance, flexing, permeability, slip resistance, thickness, materials, and ergonomics. Shoes that comply with the standard must be marked as follows:

• SB: safety footwear,
• PB: protective footwear,
• OB: occupational footwear.

Regarding slip resistance, the standard included three classifications for occupational footwear:

• SRA: slip resistance on ceramic flooring covered with a water-based lubricant,
• SRB: protection against slips on surfaces covered with greasy substances,
• SRC: resistance to slipping in both of the situations above.

To guarantee the suitability of different occupational footwear models, the standard required protection against slips to be assessed according to different foot positions on a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates no slip resistance and 1 represents a very high level of slip resistance.

Accordingly, the standards established by the latest 2011 regulation were as follows:

Surface type	Lubricant type	Foot position	Standard requirement
Ceramic flooring	Water-based lubricant	Heel sliding forward	0,28
		Flat sliding forward	0,32
Steel plate	Glycerin lubricant	Heel sliding forward	0,13
		Flat sliding forward	0,18

Changes to EN ISO 20344:2021

The EN ISO 20344:2021 standard was amended at the beginning of 2022 to improve the quality of occupational footwear against slipping, and it includes EN ISO 20345:2022, EN ISO 20347:2022, and EN ISO 13287:2020-02. With these changes, the SRA, SRB, and SRC categories are unified under standard 20344:2021, so special marking is no longer required. In addition, the SR marking for slip resistance appears, as an optional designation, and resistance to slipping on ceramic floors impregnated with sodium lauryl sulfate, found in most personal hygiene products, or glycerin solutions is assessed. This marking indicates that the shoes meet the following slip-resistance standards on these types of surfaces:

Marking	Surface type	Lubricant type	Foot position	Standard requirement
-	Ceramic flooring	Sodium lauryl sulfate	Heel sliding forward	0,31
			Flat sliding forward	0,36
SR	Ceramic flooring	Glycerin lubricant	Heel sliding forward	0,19
			Flat sliding forward	0,22

In addition to slips, the new standard takes other safety aspects into account:

• Puncture resistance, specifying the puncture-resistant material and the nail diameter used in testing.
• Protection levels, which increase from SB-S5 to SB-S7.
• Ladder grip, which no longer applies only to firefighters’ footwear.
• Additional requirements, which increase from 12 to 18:
  • PL: puncture resistance  with a non-metallic sole, for 4.5 mm nails.
  • PS: puncture resistance with a metallic sole, for 3 mm nails.
  • C: partially conductive footwear.
  • A: antistatic footwear.
  • HI: heat insulation 
  • CI: cold insulation
  • E: heel energy absorption.
  • WR: water resistance.
  • M: metatarsal protection.
  • AN: ankle protection.
  • CR: cut resistance.
  • SC: abrasion- and scratch-resistant toe cap.
  • SR: slip resistance.
  • WPA: resistance to water penetration and absorption.
  • HRO: resistance to contact heat.
  • FO: resistance to hydrocarbons.
  • LG: ladder grip

Shoes For Crews footwear and the EN ISO 20344:2021 standard

As leaders in the manufacture of occupational footwear and the development of a unique, patented sole that reduces workers’ slips and falls by up to 80%, at Shoes For Crews we subject our products to all the necessary tests to guarantee the quality and safety of your employees.

As expected, last August, Intertek Testing Services Shenzhen Ltd. tested our technology to verify that it meets the standards established by the regulatory changes. As on previous occasions, the results indicated that our patented sole, which is part of all our footwear models, far exceeds the minimums established by the standard:

If you are interested in receiving more information about our patented-technology slip-resistant soles, contact our customer service department and we will tell you all the details.