Standard explainer · EN ISO 20347
Not every job needs a toe cap — but plenty of jobs still need certified footwear: slip-rated soles for kitchen tile, washable uppers for wards, antistatic soles for electronics floors. That's the niche EN ISO 20347 owns, and its codes mirror the safety-boot ones with one letter changed.
The idea
EN ISO 20347 covers occupational footwear — certified work footwear with no impact-protection requirement. Everything else transfers from the safety-boot world: slip-rated outsoles, antistatic soles, energy-absorbing heels, water-resistant uppers, cleated tread. The codes even rhyme: OB, O1, O1P, O2, O3 and up mirror SB, S1, S1P, S2, S3, each dropping only the 200-joule cap.
The point isn't cost-cutting — it's honesty about the hazard. A ward nurse's foot risk is slips, spills and twelve hours of hard floor, not falling scaffold clips. Certifying for the real risk buys lighter, more comfortable footwear that staff actually keep on.
Where it fits
| Role / floor | Sensible spec | Why not a safety boot? |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchens & catering | O2 + SR washable | Slips and spills are the hazard; kegs and crates push it to S2 |
| Healthcare & care wards | O1/O2, cushioned, washable | Twelve-hour comfort beats an unneeded cap |
| Housekeeping & cleaning | O1 + SR | Wet floors, no impact risk |
| Retail, FOH, light services | OB/O1 smart styles | Certified grip in a shoe that looks like a shoe |
| Electronics / ESD floors | O1 + ESD | Product protection, no site hazards |
Questions
The toe cap. 20345 (S-codes) requires 200-joule impact protection; 20347 (O-codes) certifies the same slip, water and antistatic features without it. O2 is essentially S2 minus the cap, and so on down the parallel code lists.
For most kitchen roles yes — washable water-resistant uppers and slip-rated soles match the actual hazards. Roles moving kegs, crates and heavy deliveries should step up to S2: same features plus the toe cap that goods-handling justifies.
Weight and comfort where impact risk genuinely doesn't exist — long shifts on hard floors reward lighter footwear, and staff keep comfortable shoes on. It's certification matched to the real hazard, not a cheaper corner cut.
Helmets, masks, eye protection, gloves and the rest of the PPE wall, certified and in stock.