What Are the Changes to ASTM F2413-18?
If the PPE you wear each day includes protective footwear, you’ve probably noticed the ASTM F2413 label in one of your safety shoes or work boots. ASTM F2413 defines minimum performance requirements for footwear to protect against various workplace hazards. Updates were made to this standard in 2018, resulting in changes to the designations on protective footwear labels.
In the video below, Tyndale’s technical guru, Scott Margolin, met with protective footwear expert Heath Hunter, Director of Industrial Sales at Ariat, to clear up any confusion about this important update. Tune in to learn about ASTM F2413-18’s conformance requirements for footwear manufacturers and label designation changes on all safety footwear.
A bit of background
There are two ASTM Standards that govern foot protection:
- ASTM F2412 specifies the standard test methods for foot protection that researchers and scientists use in laboratory testing. Footwear meeting the performance criteria of these tests is labeled accordingly.
- ASTM F2413 specifies performance requirements for foot protection and replaces the specification ANSI Z41. OSHA incorporates ASTM F2413 as a reference standard in 29 CFR 1910.136(a). The year of issue of the most recent ASTM F2413 standard update is appended to the standard designation. Thus, ASTM F2413-18 replaced ASTM F2413-17 in 2018.
Footwear certified as meeting ASTM F2413-18 must primarily meet the protection requirements for (I) impact resistance and (C) compression resistance. Then, additional protection criteria, including (Mt) metatarsal protection, (Cd) conductive protection, (EH) electrical hazard protection, (SD) static dissipative protection, and (PR) puncture resistance, can be met and labeled accordingly, depending on the specific type of protection required.
Good news for EHS personnel
The new conformance requirement piece of ASTM F2413-18 primarily impacts protective footwear manufacturers and EHS personnel. It states:
- Protective footwear must be tested by an independent third-party laboratory to comply with ASTM requirements.
- A Certification of Conformance (COC) must be issued by the third-party laboratory to the manufacturer along with the test reports.
The upside of these requirements is two-fold. First, third-party testing by an independent organization eliminates potential bias and ensures that the footwear is being tested as per ASTM F2412 standards. And by providing a Certificate of Conformance, the guesswork is eliminated for safety personnel who previously needed to interpret test results and keep multiple reports on file.
How has the ASTM F2413 label on protective footwear changed?
Perhaps the most noticeable change from the ASTM F2413-18 update is how compliance information is displayed on labels. Previous versions of ASTM F2413 require all footwear manufactured to ASTM specification be “clearly and legibly marked (stitched in, stamped on, pressure-sensitive label, etc.) on the inside or outside surface of the tongue, gusset, shaft, or quarter lining” of one shoe of each pair. The table below shows examples of labels before and after the ASTM F2413-18 update. At first glance, the second line of the new label appears to be missing information when compared to the previous label. This is due to changes in testing methodology. Instead of indicating one of several levels of protection, only the highest levels of protection for impact, compression, and metatarsal protection are required, making the distinction unnecessary.
| Previous label | New label | What’s changed: |
| ASTM F2413-11 | ASTM F2413-18 | Meets performance requirements of ASTM F2413 issued in 2018 |
| M 1/75 C/75 mt/75 | M / I / C | I – Safety toe protects against Impacts of a 75-pound force C – Safety toe protects against Compressions of 2,500 pounds |
| EH PR | Mt EH PR | Mt – Protects Metatarsal against impacts of a 75-pound force |
| SD | SD 100 | Static Dissipative rating could be SD 10, SD 35, or SD 100 |
Basically, ASTM 2413-18 closes the loop on updates made in 2017 and earlier. Let’s take a closer look at four types of protection that have been impacted by these changes:
Impact Protection (I): Previously, there were three levels of impact protection:
- I/30 for impacts up to a 30-pound force
- I/50 for impacts up to a 50-pound force
- I/75 for impacts up to a 75-pound force
Previous updates to this standard eliminated the lower levels without updating the test methodology. The 2018 update eliminates the need to indicate “/75” after the “I” for Impact protection since 75, the highest level of protection, is now the standard test.
Compression Protection (C): Previously, there were three levels of protection for compression from a rolling object
- C/30 for compression up to 1,000 pounds
- C/50 for compression up to 1,750 pounds
- C/75 for compression up to 2,500 pounds
Again, previous updates to this standard eliminated the lower levels without updating the test methodology. The 2018 update eliminates the need to indicate “/75” after the “C” for Compression protection since 75 (2,500 pounds – the highest level of protection) is now the standard test.
Metatarsal Protection (Mt): Previously, there were three levels of metatarsal protection
- Mt/30 for impacts up to a 30-pound force
- Mt/50 for impacts up to a 50-pound force
- Mt/75 for impacts up to a 75-pound force
Once again, previous updates to this standard eliminated the lower levels without updating the test methodology. This 2018 update eliminates the need to indicate “/75” after the “Mt” for Metatarsal protection since 75 – the highest level of protection – is now the standard test. Also, note that the Mt designation now appears on the third line of the label.
Static Dissipative (SD) Protection: Previously, there was only one level of electrical resistance shown on labels, indicating the highest level of resistance (up to 100 megaohms), but the 2018 update now breaks this out into one of three levels:
- SD 10 – electrical resistance range from 106ohms (1 megohm)
- SD 35 – electrical resistance range from 106ohms (1 megohm)
- SD 100 – electrical resistance range from 106ohms (1 megohm) to 108ohms (100 megohms)
ASTM F2412’s 2018 update should make life easier for workers who wear protective footwear. Thanks to the new label format, you can be assured you are purchasing the highest level of impact and compression protection in the toe area and impact protection in the metatarsal area.
Did you know Tyndale offers a managed boot program, where all boots are vetted for compliance with applicable industry standards? Contact your Tyndale National Account Manager to discuss how you can add boots to your FR clothing program or to further discuss staying safe with proper foot protection.
