Safety footwear manufacturers urged to meet new standard

    With changes to the EN ISO 20345 safety footwear standard due to come into force on 1st July, SATRA is urging manufacturers to check that their products are fully compliant in time for the A+A health and safety exhibition in November.

    From 1st July 2013 only the latest version of the EN ISO 20345 safety footwear standard will give a presumption of conformity to the PPE Directive. This means that footwear covered by EC Type Examination certificates to the superseded version of EN ISO 20345 can only continue to be placed on the European market if the certificate has been reviewed.

    A Notified Body must check, with reference to the new version of the standard, whether or not the footwear can still be considered to comply with the health and safety requirements of the PPE Directive. This may or may not involve further product testing. Following this review the certificate must then be either updated or withdrawn as appropriate.

    For holders of the EC Type Examination certificates, only products reviewed against the 2011 standard should be placed on the market from this date. However, any products certified to the previous standards can continue to be sold if already further down the supply chain at this time.

    Pete Doughty heads up SATRA’s Safety Products Centre and explains: “Safety footwear manufacturers attending the A+A exhibition later this year still have time to ensure their products meet the requirements of the new 2011 version of EN ISO 20345. As a reputable European Notified Body, we can ensure your safety footwear products are fully tested and certified to the latest standard in time for what is arguably the biggest event of the year in the PPE (personal protective equipment) calendar.”

    The A+A exhibition takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany from 5th to 8th November 2013. According to the organisers, this biennial gathering is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in the world with around 1,600 exhibitors and more than 60,000 visitors attending in 2011. SATRA will be exhibiting at the show (Hall 3, Stand F92) and SATRA staff will be on hand to discuss PPE legislation, testing and certification.

    Notified Bodies such as SATRA carry out a crucial role in assessing PPE products. They ensure safety and consistency of application through harmonised European standards and the PPE Directive requirements. In turn, the CE mark provides consumers with a measure of confidence that the supplier’s products have been assessed against the latest standards by a recognised independent third party.

    For further information on safety footwear testing and certification and the new EN ISO 20345: 2011 standard.

    Manufacturers based in the China region can take advantage of SATRA’s new facility in Dongguan. It offers the convenience of a local testing service with the authority of globally recognised results and test reports.