ISO 20345:2022 Guide: Why Safety Shoes Are Not Just Equipment — They Are Insurance for Your Feet

 
Most workplace injuries don’t begin with a big accident. They start with something small. A dropped tool. A wet floor. One careless step.

And suddenly, a foot is crushed, burned, or worse.

That is why safety shoes are not just another item on the PPE checklist. They are the first line of defence between a worker and a permanent injury.

Safety Shoes: The Real Foundation of Workplace Protection

In environments like warehouses, factories, and airports, the risk to the feet is constant. Heavy loads move overhead. Forklifts cut across lanes. Metal edges, sharp objects, live wires — all part of a normal shift.

Reinforced safety shoes absorb that risk.

My son, Talha Khubaib, Head of EHS and Fire Safety at Changan Pakistan, often says that safety culture does not begin with slogans. It begins with equipment that actually protects people. As a Level 6 qualified HSEQ professional, his priority is simple: the right protection, every time.

For many workers, this means footwear that is:

• Anti-static

• Non-conductive

• Slip resistant

• Water resistant

• Designed for long hours on hard surfaces

Under ISO 20345:2022, certified safety footwear must include a toe cap that can withstand:

• 200-joule impact

• 15 kN compression

That is the difference between a scare and a serious injury.

Understanding ISO 20345:2022 Categories

Not every workplace needs the same level of protection. The standard classifies safety shoes based on risk:

• SB – Basic toe protection and slip resistance

• S1 – SB plus antistatic features and energy-absorbing heel

• S2 – S1 plus water resistance

• S3 – S2 plus puncture-resistant midsole and deep-tread outsole

Choosing the wrong category is like wearing a helmet without a chin strap. Protection exists, but not where it matters.

Ergonomics: The Injury You Don’t See Coming

Foot injuries are not always dramatic. Sometimes the damage builds slowly.

Poor footwear leads to fatigue. Fatigue affects posture. Posture strains the knees, hips, and lower back. Over time, workers carry the cost in chronic pain.

Quality safety shoes provide arch support, shock absorption, and stability. Workers stay balanced, especially on uneven or slippery surfaces.

The 2022 update also strengthens slip-resistance testing on ceramic tiles. Another useful feature is the optional Ladder Grip (LG) marking, designed to improve stability on ladder rungs.

Small details. Big difference.

The Real Question

Companies often ask how much safety shoes cost.

The better question is:
How much does one injury cost?

Medical treatment. Lost workdays. Compensation. Reduced productivity. And the human cost — which no audit ever captures.

Talha’s approach remains straightforward: protective equipment is not an expense. It is the foundation of a resilient workforce.

Because in industrial environments, accidents rarely announce themselves.

They just happen. And when they do, your shoes are either protection — or regret