Metal midsoles in safety footwear
Despite PPE having the required EC type approval and CE mark, recent tests have indicated that some of the products you assume to be safe, may not be fit for purpose.
An example of this has been identified at Arco’s Product Assurance Laboratory where the chromium content of metal midsoles in 14 Class 1 footwear products was tested. 7 of the 14 products were found to contain less than 0.2% of chromium. Carbon steel inserts containing low levels of chromium may pass an initial puncture resistance test, but are likely to corrode over time especially if the sole of the footwear has been penetrated. This can then pose significant risk to the wearer who would be unaware their midsoles are no longer compliant or fit for purpose.
Nick McLaren, Arco’s category manager, footwear, said: “We can assure our own customers that corrosion resistant stainless steel midsole inserts are used in the construction of all our own brand products."
