ASTM F2413-18: Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear

“Tingley is a leading manufacturer of protective apparel and footwear and steadfastly adheres to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2413-18 for the manufacture, assessment and labeling of safety footwear in terms of the toe cap impact and compression, puncture resistance, electrical hazard resistance and a range of other safety footwear protections. All Tingley footwear meets the specific section of the standard indicated on the ASTM F2413 label applied to the footwear.”

Tingley, www.tingleyrubber.com

About the Standard

ASTM F2413-18 was issued by ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials. ASTM International is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards. ASTM F2413-18 addresses the minimum design, performance, testing and classification requirements, and prescribes fit, function and performance criteria for footwear designed to be worn to protect the wearer against a variety of workplace hazards that can potentially result in injury. It is a resource safety managers and others can use to ensure that the footwear chosen for specific applications, work tasks and environments meets the performance requirements for:

• Impact and compression resistance for the toe area of footwear
• Metatarsal protection that reduces the chance of injury to the metatarsal bones at the top of the foot
• Conductive properties which reduce hazards that may result from static electricity buildup, and reduce the possibility of ignition of explosives and volatile chemicals; electric shock resistance
• Static dissipative (SD) properties to reduce hazards due to excessively low footwear resistance that may exist where SD footwear is required
• Puncture resistance of footwear bottoms; chain saw cut resistance; and dielectric insulation.

Protecting the Foot

The human foot is a marvelous piece of machinery, but its complexity and many moving parts make it prone to injury. The foot’s 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 ligaments all work together to help you walk, run, climb, jump, balance, dance and…work. Any or all of these activities can be affected if the metatarsal and cuneiform bones, the calcaneum and the Achilles tendon or any other of the foot’s components are injured. An injury – and the pain that accompanies it – can be temporary, or, if serious enough, can result in a long-term or permanent disability. Companies who fail to take steps to prevent foot injuries with appropriate footwear for workers will often experience a loss in productivity and the expense of workers compensation claims.

Workplace hazards that potentially endanger the feet include forklifts and other moving vehicles, nails, pallet jacks, unguarded machinery or sharp objects. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 50,000 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses to the foot involving days away from work each year. Feet can be punctured or crushed or suffer from electric shock. Toes may suffer traumatic amputations, or be amputated following a serious incident.

Good to Know

According to ASTM International:

• Any changes to the original components of safety toe footwear, such as replacing or adding after-
  market footbeds/inserts, could cause failure to any or all parts of this standard rendering the ASTM marking invalid.
• This specification is not applicable to overshoes with safety toe caps or strap-on devices with safety toes.
• This standard does not address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

For More Information

• The standard is available from ASTM International at: astm.org/f2413-18.html. It is also part of the ASTM F2412 / ASTM F2413 – Foot Protection and Performance Package, which is available at: https://webstore.ansi.org/Standards/ASTM/ASTMF2412F2413FootProtection?source=blog