Safety toe footwear for employees is required to meet which standards?

Safety toe footwear for employees must meet ANSI requirements to ensure an appropriate level of protection against workplace hazards. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developed standards that specify the performance criteria for protective footwear, including impact and compression resistance. These standards help employers select the right safety footwear based on the specific risks present in the workplace, such as falling objects or puncture hazards.

While OSHA sets regulatory requirements for workplace safety, it is ANSI that specifically delineates the standards that safety toe footwear must comply with to be considered effective. ASTM specifications refer to another set of standards that can also apply to footwear but are more focused on testing methods and performance criteria rather than the comprehensive guidelines laid out by ANSI. ISO standards, while global, do not specifically pertain to the requirements of safety toe footwear in the context of U.S. regulations. Therefore, ANSI is the correct reference for the standards governing safety toe footwear.