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Safety resources
The markings on a boot, a glove or a harness are the whole specification — but only if you can read them. These guides explain what they mean and how to buy against them.
Buyer's guides to PPE standards
Reading a safety boot specification
SB, S1, S1P, S3, S5 — what each class actually adds, what the extra codes mean, and the one change in the 2022 revision that trips buyers up.
Read the guide → 🧤Choosing gloves with EN 388
How to read a four-digit-plus-two-letter EN 388 rating, why an X in position two is normal on a cut glove, and how to match the glove to the task.
Read the guide → ⛑Building a working-at-height system
EN 361, EN 355, EN 358, EN 360, EN 813 — how the components fit together, what fall clearance means in practice, and why the rescue plan comes first.
Read the guide → ⚖PPE and the law in Zambia
Employer duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 36 of 2010, the role of ZABS and ZCSA, and why safety footwear is a compulsory standard.
Read the guide →Standards you will see on our products
These are the designations that appear on the items in our catalogue. Confirm the exact certification on the supplied product before you order — certification is a property of the specific model, not the brand.
| Standard | Applies to | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| EN ISO 20345 | Safety footwear | All classes require a 200 joule toecap. Class letters (S1, S1P, S3, S5…) add penetration resistance, antistatic properties, energy absorption, water resistance and a cleated outsole. |
| ZS ISO 20345 | Safety footwear in Zambia | The Zambian adoption. Safety footwear is a compulsory standard under Zambian law. |
| EN 388 | Gloves — mechanical risks | Six characters: abrasion, coupe cut, tear, puncture, TDM cut (A–F) and impact (P). |
| EN 407 | Gloves — thermal | Heat and flame performance, for welding and hot-work gloves. |
| EN ISO 374 | Gloves — chemical | Permeation performance against specified chemicals; type A, B or C. |
| EN 397 | Industrial helmets | Shock absorption, penetration, flame resistance and chin-strap anchorage that releases between 150 N and 250 N. |
| EN ISO 20471 | High visibility clothing | Class 1, 2 or 3 by the area of fluorescent and retroreflective material on the garment as worn. |
| EN 149 | Disposable respirators | FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 filtering facepiece classes for particulates. |
| EN 361 | Full body harnesses | The only acceptable body-holding device in a fall-arrest system. Attachment points marked A. |
| EN 355 | Energy absorbers | Limits the force transmitted to the body during a fall arrest. |
| EN 358 | Work positioning | Belts and lanyards for support at height — not a fall arrest system on their own. |
| EN 360 | Retractable fall arresters | Self-retracting lifelines — webbing or wire rope. |
| EN 813 | Sit harnesses | Rope access and suspended work, used together with EN 361 fall arrest. |
| Type 5 / Type 6 | Disposable coveralls | Type 5: airborne solid particulates. Type 6: limited liquid splash. |
Some Southern African manufactured PPE is certified to the SANS adoption of these standards and approved by the NRCS. That is equivalent in substance — but always quote what the actual specification sheet says rather than assuming an edition.
Not sure which specification you need?
Describe the task and the hazard. We will propose the standard and the product to match it.
