60,000-foot injuries—including broken toes and feet, puncture wounds, cuts, severed toes, burns, electric shocks, and sprains or fractures—are responsible for keeping people from work each year. Of those injuries, 75% of those cases involved workers, not in compliance with current safety regulations. On average, these injuries can cause up to 5 lost workdays and cost up to $600 million in lost production. Safety footwear is essential to keep worker’s feet protected, and one of the most recognized standards for protective (safety) footwear is ASTM F2413-24—Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear.
Why Protective Footwear is Essential in High-Risk Work Environments
For those working in high-risk environments—such as construction sites, factories, or industrial facilities—protective footwear is a necessity. It acts as the first line of defense against a variety of hazards: falling or rolling objects, sharp debris, slips on wet/slick surfaces, electrical dangers, and more. Wearing protective footwear also helps reduce long-term health issues like fatigue, fractures, and strains. Hence, proper, specialized footwear (e.g., steel-toed, composite toe caps, puncture-resistant soles, and slip resistant treads) minimizes injuries and improves overall worker safety and productivity.
Understanding the standards like ASTM F2413-24 that govern the design of protective (safety) footwear assures that workers are wearing footwear that meets the highest safety benchmarks.
What Is ASTM F2413-24?
ASTM F2413-24 covers minimum requirements for the performance of footwear to provide protection against a variety of workplace hazards that can potentially result in injury. It defines minimum criteria for design, testing, and labeling to protect workers from workplace hazards like impacts, compression, and punctures.
This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchasing specification, but can be referenced in purchase contracts to assure that minimum performance requirements are met.
ASTM F2413-24 is not applicable to overshoes with safety toe caps or strap on devices with safety toes.
You can learn more about ASTM F2413-24 in our blog post: ASTM F2413-24: Performance Requirements For Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear.
Essential Safety Features of Protective Footwear for High-Risk Work Environments
Some of the key safety features for protective footwear that are outlined in the ASTM F2413-24 include:
- Impact and Compression Resistance: Protective footwear must be able to withstand significant impact and compression forces without causing injury to the foot. This is particularly important in industries where heavy objects are lifted or moved.
- Puncture Resistance: The shoe must be capable of protecting the foot from sharp objects that could penetrate the sole, such as nails or glass.
- Slip Resistance: Shoes should be designed with soles that offer superior traction to prevent slips and falls, especially in wet or oily environments.
- Electrical Hazard Protection: Footwear designed for electricians or workers around live circuits must be electrically insulated to protect against electric shocks.
- Static Dissipation: Certain shoes are required to dissipate static electricity to prevent potential sparks that could ignite flammable materials.
- Metatarsal Protection: Footwear may also need to protect the metatarsal bones (the bones in the middle of the foot), especially in environments where heavy materials may fall or roll.
Providing workers with safety shoes is a critical component in assuring workplace safety; thus, proper footwear that adheres to ASTM F2413-24 is a fundamental requirement for personnel working in labor-intensive and high-hazard industries. Additionally, protecting employees’ feet with good industrial footwear cuts lost work hours, improves productivity, and heightens morale.
Where to Find ASTM F2413-24
For both employers and employees, investing in quality, compliant protective footwear is an investment in health, safety, and productivity. As workplace environments continue to pose new risks, staying informed about the latest safety standard for protective footwear will help assure that workers are protected for years to come.
ASTM F2413-24—Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear is available on the ANSI Webstore and in the Standards Package: ASTM F2412 / ASTM F2413 – Foot Protection and Performance Package.
From ANSI Z41 to ASTM F2412 and ASTM F2413
ANSI Z41 was superseded by ASTM F2412 and ASTM F2413, which you can learn about in our blog post: ANSI Z41 Protective Footwear.
While ASTM F2412 and ASTM F2413 are both standards for safety footwear, the difference is as follows:
- ASTM F2412 dictates the testing methods (how to test), and it is the lab procedure for checking impact, compression, and punctures. ASTM F2412 dictates specific procedures, such as using modeling clay to measure toe clearance after impact.
- ASTM F2413 defines the performance requirements (what to test for), and OSHA recognizes ASTM F2413 as the benchmark for compliance under 29 CFR 1910.136. While OSHA mandates that employers assure employees wear protective footwear, ASTM F2413 defines the specific testing, performance, and labeling criteria (e.g., impact, compression, electrical hazard) to meet that mandate.
You can learn more about ASTM F2412, the primary standard defining how safety footwear is tested for protective qualities, in our blog post: ASTM F2412-24: Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection.[AS1]