Expiration date standards safety footwear

End of 2011, the new standard EN ISO 20345:2011 Safety footwear was published and has replaced the old standard EN ISO 20345:2004.
The most important changes of this new standard, the requirements imposed on safety footwear which is provided with an inner sole which provides protection against penetration.

It concerns safety footwear in the S3 and S5 classification or with the symbol “P” (Penetration resistence). In both metals and non-metallic protective soles are now stricter requirements.
The tip of the test nail may, in no way, penetrate the sole or protrude the material of the sole.
Furthermore, more demands are made on the corrosion resistance of the metal protective sole.
The other changes in the new standard relate generally more to textual adjustments.

Expiration of old standard
From July 1st 2013 the new standard EN ISO 20345:2011 gives exclusively presumption of conformity with the EU Directive 89/686/EEC for personal protective equipment.

In practice, this means:

■ New safety shoes will be assessed on the new standard EN ISO 20345:2011 (EC type examination).
■ Safety Footwear with the older standard EN ISO 20345:2004 may still be produced by manufacturers until June 30. 2013.
■ Safety Footwear with the old standard delivered by the manufacturer before June 30, 2013, can still be sold to users through distributors.