Interactive tool · Safety footwear
Every S-code is an answer to two questions: how wet is the work, and what's lying on the ground? Add one modern complication — security archways — and three clicks land on the code to put on the order.
The tool
No JavaScript? The decision table below walks the same logic.
The logic on paper
| Wet? | Debris underfoot? | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry indoor | No | S1 | Light spec: cap, antistatic, cushioned heel |
| Dry indoor | Yes | S1P | Adds the puncture midsole — the warehouse default |
| Washdown floors | No | S2 | Water-resistant upper for hygiene and food areas |
| Outdoor ground | Either | S3 | Upper + midsole + cleats — the site standard |
| Constantly wet | No / Yes | S6 / S7 | Certified whole-boot waterproofing (WR) |
| Standing water | No / Yes | S4 / S5 | Safety wellingtons — waterproof by construction |
Questions
SB is the bare toe-cap minimum with none of the antistatic, heel-cushioning or closed-seat features that S1 adds — and the price difference is trivial. In practice there's no working environment where SB is the right specification over S1.
Then S3 it is — site rules override risk-based logic, and many principal contractors mandate S3 with ankle support as a blanket policy. The tool is most useful where nobody has specified anything and someone has to decide.
No — a safety trainer is a style, not a rating. An S1P trainer carries exactly the same certified toe cap and midsole as an S1P boot. What you give up is ankle coverage and weather resistance, which is why trainers suit the dry-indoor answers.
The matching certified kit is one click away — or ask a human if the tool didn't settle it.