Overview
ISO 20347:2021 - Personal protective equipment - Occupational footwear - defines basic and optional requirements for general-purpose occupational footwear used in the workplace. The third edition (2021) covers construction, ergonomics, material performance, and safety features for work shoes and boots, including provisions for customized insocks and individually manufactured customized footwear. It does not address high-visibility properties or job-specific extreme hazards (those are covered by complementary standards for firefighters, electrical insulating footwear, chainsaw protection, chemical or molten metal splash protection, motorcycle riders, etc.).
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 20347:2021 addresses a wide range of technical topics relevant to safety footwear design, testing and labeling:
- Whole-footwear requirements: constructional performance, leak proofness, ergonomic behaviour, seam strength and innocuousness (including pH and chromium VI considerations).
- Slip resistance: updated requirements and informative guidance (Annex C) for outsole traction on typical workplace surfaces.
- Materials and components:
- Upper, lining, tongue: thickness, tear and tensile strength, flexing resistance, water vapour permeability, resistance to hydrolysis.
- Insole/insock/footbed: thickness, water permeability, absorption/desorption and abrasion.
- Outsole: design, abrasion and flexing resistance, interlayer bond strength, resistance to hot contact and fuel oil (where applicable).
- Additional (optional) requirements: perforation resistance (references to ISO 22568 series replacing EN 12568 for inserts), electrical properties (antistatic/partially conductive), resistance to inimical environments, energy absorption in the seat region, water resistance, ankle protection, cut resistance, scuff cap abrasion, ladder grip (LG).
- Marking and information: standardized marking, manufacturer’s instructions (including electrical property details and insock guidance) and date of obsolescence.
- Annexes: Annex A (customized occupational footwear), Annex B (assessment by wearer), Annex C (slip resistance).
Applications and who uses ISO 20347:2021
ISO 20347:2021 is used by:
- Footwear manufacturers and designers to ensure work shoes meet ergonomic and safety performance criteria for general-purpose occupational use.
- Procurement and safety managers specifying compliant occupational footwear for workplaces such as warehouses, light industry, hospitality, healthcare and service sectors.
- Testing laboratories and conformity assessors performing performance tests and verifying marking and documentation.
- Occupational health and safety professionals advising on appropriate footwear selection where specialized protection (e.g., electrical insulation, chemical resistance) is not required.
Related standards
- ISO 22568-3 / ISO 22568-4 (perforation-resistant inserts) - referenced as replacing EN 12568:2010 for certain applications.
- Other ISO/CEN job-related standards for specific hazards (firefighting, chainsaw, electrical insulating footwear, chemical/melt splash) - consult relevant documents when special risks exist.
Keywords: ISO 20347:2021, occupational footwear, personal protective equipment, safety footwear, slip resistance, perforation resistance, customized insocks, work boots, footwear standard.
