With so many types of occupations and careers requiring the use of safety shoes, it is important to carefully investigate the appropriateness and certification of the types and styles you purchase. Steel toe work boots must meet American Society for Testing and Materials standards. The standard F2413-05, once known as Z41-1999, s the standard by which all these types of footwear are compared. You will want to insure your footwear meets the appropriate standards for your own safety as well as the safety you happen to work around.

Steel toe work boots come in a variety of styles and choices. These working pieces of footwear provide a compression and impact rating for your feet allowing you to survive damage and injury to your toes and your feet. When your footwear meets ASTM standards, your footwear has been extensively tested to guarantee the appropriate levels of protection for your lifestyle and occupation.

Assessing your work environment is going to help in determining whether this is a type of footwear necessary for your occupation. Protecting against hazards is important and part of the personal protection equipment you need. Yes, there is a lot of variety when it comes to protection. You will find that you need protection from chemical spills, slippery, wet surfaces, electrical shock or surging energy, ice, and much more. When you need protection for your toes, steel toe work boots offer you the opportunity to stay safe longer and better.

First, having a “strap-on” type of protection added onto your footwear does not meet acceptable standards for your own safety. Any type of such protection you need must be built into the footwear rather than added on later or applied when necessary. Having the best protection means getting footwear that is officially going to meet the standards set forth by the ASTM or ANSI.

These pieces of footwear are tested by dropping large amounts of weight on the footwear. For instance, there are two standard classifications for the rating which we call compression. There is classification 75 which translates to 2,500 pounds, and there is classification 50 which translates to 1,750 pounds. What does this mean for you? You will find that when it comes to compression loads, your footwear is capable of withstanding that much compressed weight before the cap will begin to crack or crush negating the protection level.

Again, you will find that there is an impact classification. You will find a 50 pound rating and a 75 pound rating. This is determined through extensive testing involved dropping an appropriately weighted weight onto the toes of the footwear from a specific height. If you see I/50, that piece of footwear has been tested with a 50 pound weight and can withstand an impact of 50 foot-pounds.

Let’s take a look at a common classification for that footwear. ASTM F2413-05, F/I/50/C/50. The F2413 gives reference to the type of performance the foot protection offers. The last two digits, 05, give the year – 2005 – the standard was set by which this footwear complies. The steel toe work boots is F, or female compatible; I/50, or has an impact rating of 50 foot pounds; C/50, or has a compression rating of 50 or 1750 pounds of pressure.