Welding safety shoes

Like any high-risk profession, the trade of welder requires the wearing of personal protective equipment. They must therefore wear good safety shoes, reliable and resistant, which will protect them from any projection of molten metals, injuries and severe burns.

Special features of safety shoes for welders

The role of a welder is to assemble different metal parts or objects by heating them to very high temperatures. In addition, they work in high-risk areas, such as on a construction site, on an oil platform, or in a metallurgical plant.

This therefore requires adequate protection against burns, contact with metal parts heated to high temperatures, or even worse against the risk of fire or explosion.

Standards established for a safety shoe for welders

Safety shoes for welders are HRO compliant, a requirement that is part of the European standard for safety shoes EN ISO 20345. They must therefore have a sole resistant to abrasion and exposure to heat, with temperatures up to 300°C.

Standardized S3 SRC, shoes must have a protective shell resistant to an impact of 200 joules, antistatic soles and anti-perforation , and an anti-slip sole. They therefore protect against the risk of slipping on ceramic or steel tiles, and they break when exposed to humidity for up to one hour.

Added to this is a waterproof property which prevents the risk of electrocution in certain environments, and a quick removal system in the event of an emergency. Lately, they must protect against musculoskeletal disorders, thanks to a capacity of absorption in the heel.

Elements of choice for a safety shoe for welders

To know which shoe is the most reliable, you have to take into account these different criteria:

Heat resistance

Since the welder is joining high temperature metal, it is possible that he will drop hot objects or even step on high temperature metal areas. For this, the equipment must have a outsole resistant to this heat and an insole that slows down the transmission of heat through the shoes.

The choice of materials

Opt for the nitrile rubber soles, which are durable and resistant. Choose a generous thickness of rubber, to protect the welder from abrasive and sharp metals.

In addition, for optimal protection of the foot, choose shoes with quality, very thick smooth leather. In addition, the WG standard certifies that the leather is resistant to molten metal splashes.

You can also buy a welder's safety shoe, which has extinguishable wire. It is a thread that does not spread fire, unlike the classic polyamide thread which burns. Even if the protection is provided more by the main material making up the shoe, it is preferable to have a model in good condition whose thread is not unstitched due to the projection of molten metal.

Resistance to falling and crushing heavy objects

Shoes must have a toecap that protects the front of the foot. In addition to the mandatory protections, also choose shoes with additional protection of the metatarsals, which withstand a pressure or shock of 100 joules.

Ergonomics

Choose shoes that are easy to remove, because of molten metal splashes or bits of metal that can slip into them. In addition, as the pants must be worn over the shoe, it is better to opt for a quick opening system (buckle, velcro), which allows them to be removed quickly.

So choose shoes without laces, but if you can't do without them, opt for leather laces, as they last longer than those made of polyester or polyamide. On the other hand, if you choose a lace-up model, make sure that the tongue of the shoe has a bellows, to prevent hot particles from entering.

Brands of safety shoes for welders

The best-selling brands most recognized by PPE professionals and suppliers are Portwest, Parade, Blaklader, Lemaitre, Coverguard, Caterpillar, etc.

The shoes are superior in protection, while being comfortable to wear and easy to maintain. Moreover, there are many high-performance and modern models on the market, with designs that are suitable for both men and women.