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Steel Cap Vs Composite Cap Safety Boot Comparison
Hip Pocket Hub talked with Oliver, one of our favourite boot brands, to understand the difference between steel cap and composite cap protective boots.
In Australia, all safety boots with protective caps - whether steel or composite - are required to meet minimum Australian Standards for protection against impact and compression. Safety boots are required to be able to protect your toes from a 20kg weight falling on them from a height of one metre, or to resist 15 Kilonewtons (around 1529kg) of compression.
Steel toecaps are also required to be resistant to corrosion and composite caps are required to be impact tested after exposure to different treatments such as exposure to heat, acid and fuel oil.
If a boot receives any sort of serious impact, then it should be assessed and replaced if there is any sign of damage to the cap or upper.
STEEL CAPS BETTER FOR POWER TOOLS
The Australian Standards do not require for boots to provide protective capabilities against grinders, chain saws, nail guns or other power tools or machinery and the Standard does not test a boot’s resistance to these hazards.
However if you do work with these hazards then steel caps are your best bet, according to product managers at Oliver Footwear. They are also generally thinner than composite caps.
In summary, steel toecaps:
• Provide protection against a broad range of hazards including nail guns and power saws.
Steel caps are popular with: mining, construction, smelter workers
COMPOSITE CAP BENEFITS
Benefits of composite toecaps are that they are usually lighter and, being metal-free, won’t trigger metal detectors. This makes them popular with FIFO workers.
This also makes them popular with electrical contractors seeking non-conductive boots and an added layer of safety.
Another benefit to composite toecaps is their insulation properties and therefore ability to regulate the temperature of the wearer’s feet.
In summary, composite caps:
• Usually are far lighter than steel caps
• Do not set off metal detectors
• Do not conduct electricity
• Better insulator and temperature regulator
Composite caps are popular with: airport workers, FIFO workers, electrical contractors
LOOK FOR STANDARDS “CERTIFICATION”
When purchasing boots - or any PPE for that matter - you should preference products that have gained independent “certification” to the relevant Australian standard from a recognised third-party certification body such as SAI Global.
All Oliver boots with toecaps hold third party certification. Certification ensures that product testing has been carried out in approved laboratories.
The rigorous and regular batch testing required to become certified by these bodies means quality control is closely scrutinised and those companies attaining certification are going the extra mile to ensure their customers’ safety.
Many brands also certify their boots to European or American or International Standards. While boots in Australia must meet Australian Standards, certification to these additional Standards provides further peace of mind.
THE TESTING PROCESS
Both composite and steel cap impact resistance is tested by dropping a 20kg weight onto the toecap from a height of one metre, while compression resistance is tested by applying 15 Kilonewton force onto the toecaps between two press plates – that’s around 1529kg.
In both tests a “pass” is awarded if there is a difference of at least 12.5mm between the boot’s foot bed and the top of the cap after the impact or compression – enough to keep your toes attached to your feet in the event of an incident. The clearance for a pass increases in proportion to the size of the footwear.
So next time you are looking at a rack of safety boots at your local Hip Pocket Workwear & Safety store, you can rest assured that if it has a protective cap and is certified to Australian Standards, it will offer at least this level of protection.
