We are asked quite a bit about the difference between composite and steel cap in safety footwear. It does really depend on what you require your safety boots for, so best to do a little research. Composite safety cap is more than sufficient for the majority of roles .. they are our very favs here at she wear as they are so lightweight. If you work on a site or your company has a specific OH&S policy, make sure to check the regulations.
Here’s a quick recap (haha .. see what we did there haha) ..
Steel and composite safety caps are both tested and certified to the same compliance standards under Aus/NZ standards. There are 2 formal tests that both safety caps must perform to .. impact testing to 200 joules and compression testing 15kn pressure at a set speed.
Advantages of composite toe cap ~
• lightweight ~ significantly lighter than steel cap
• metal free
• airport friendly
• electrically non conductive (more suited for electrical use)
• extreme temperature resistant ~ insulative against heat and cold
Advantages of steel toe cap ~
• puncture resistant (eg. nail gun)
• cut resistant (eg. power saw)
If you need any assistance or guidance, please let us know. Further info is on the ‘about us and our footwear” page and each range does specify the type of safety toe.
And for our global friends, some of our styles (as specified) are also tested to the EN (European) and ASTM (American) standards.
You can read all our certification and specification information here.
