EH and SR Work Boots: What the Ratings Mean

EH on a work boot means the sole and heel passed the ASTM electrical hazard test: 18,000 volts at 60 Hz for one minute with no current flow or leakage above 1 milliampere, under dry conditions. SR means the complete boot passed slip resistance testing to ASTM F3445. Both are real, tested ratings, and both have limits a buyer should know before ordering for a crew.

Know the limits up front. An EH boot is secondary protection that weakens when the boot is wet or worn, and it does not make anyone safe to work on energized equipment. An SR boot reduces slip risk on the floors and contaminants it was tested on, and it does not eliminate slips.

Where the EH and SR ratings come from

ASTM F2413-24 is the US specification for protective footwear with a safety toe. Its requirements cover toe impact and compression, metatarsal protection, conductive and static dissipative properties, electric shock resistance and sole puncture resistance. A boot carries only the letters for the tests it passed.

Boots without a safety toe fall under ASTM F2892-24, the specification for soft toe protective footwear. A soft toe boot can carry EH, SR and PR ratings too.

SR comes from a third document. ASTM F3445 (current edition F3445-24) covers slip resistance of footwear tested on the ASTM F2913 whole shoe tester.

On the regulatory side, OSHA's foot protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.136, requires protective footwear where there is a danger of foot injury from falling or rolling objects, objects piercing the sole, or electrical hazards. It accepts footwear meeting the ASTM specifications or an equivalent.

What does EH mean on work boots?

EH stands for electrical hazard. An EH boot has a sole and heel built to resist the flow of electricity through the foot to the ground. The test runs 18,000 volts at 60 Hz through the boot for one minute, and the boot passes if leakage stays at or below 1 milliampere. The test is done dry.

OSHA's personal protective equipment guide, publication 3151, describes EH safety-toe shoes as nonconductive footwear that "can protect against open circuits of up to 600 volts in dry conditions." It also says they should be used with other insulating equipment and precautions.

That 600 volt figure describes the footwear under dry conditions. It gives no one clearance to work near live circuits at that voltage.

The limits of EH protection

EH is a backup layer. The same OSHA guide lists the conditions that can compromise it:

• The boots are wet.
• The rubber soles are worn through.
• Metal particles are embedded in the sole or heel.
• The worker touches conductive, grounded items.

Kiwi's instructions for use say the same thing in their own words: EH protection diminishes with outsole wear, moisture and contamination. Canada's occupational safety agency, CCOHS, notes that electrical shock resistance deteriorates with wear and in a wet environment.

EH footwear is not a substitute for dielectric footwear. Where your electrical safety program calls for dielectric boots or overshoes, an EH work boot does not meet that requirement.

Think of a lineman's apprentice crossing a wet equipment yard after a storm. The boots are EH rated, and they are also soaked. On that morning the rating is weaker than the label suggests, which is why EH sits underneath insulated tools, de-energizing and safe work practices, never in place of them.

EH vs SD vs conductive footwear

ASTM F2413 also covers static dissipative (SD) and conductive footwear. They do different jobs from EH, and one does not stand in for another. Conductive footwear is meant to reduce static buildup where explosives or volatile chemicals could ignite. SD footwear is for workplaces that specify it. Read the exact letters your site requires and match them.

What does SR mean on work boots?

SR stands for slip resistant. Kiwi boots are SR rated to ASTM F3445, which evaluates slip resistance using the ASTM F2913 whole shoe test method. The machine runs the complete boot against a test surface rather than a cut sample of outsole rubber, so the tread pattern, the sole shape and the heel all count.

A passing result is a baseline. The F2913 method can also be run on other floors and contaminants, which is worth asking a manufacturer about when a site has a specific hazard. Lab results do not establish performance on every surface a worker meets, and your own floors and spills may behave differently.

Do slip resistant boots wear out?

Yes. Tread wears like a tire. Once the lugs are worn smooth, the boot is no longer slip resistant, whatever the label says. Kiwi's instructions say to stop using a boot when the tread is worn smooth, the sole separates, or the toe is exposed or deformed.

Every Kiwi boot uses a GripTrek outsole, our slip and oil resistant lugged outsole. On a lugged outsole, the channels between the lugs give water and oil somewhere to go, so the rubber keeps contact with a wet floor instead of riding on a film of liquid. Those channels only work while they have depth, so check them the way you'd check tread on a truck. Our guide on how long work boots last covers the other replacement signs.

Which Kiwi boots are EH and SR rated?

All of them. Every boot in the current Kiwi line lists both EH and SR in its specifications, across composite toe, steel toe and soft toe styles. Toe material does not change electrical protection. The EH rating does.

• The Rugged black composite toe waterproof boot is ASTM F2413-24 I/75 C/75 compliant, EH rated and SR rated.
• The Rugged black soft toe waterproof boot is ASTM F2892-24 compliant with EH and SR, for work that doesn't call for a safety toe.

The ProGuard adds PR, puncture resistance, from its Aramor aramid underfoot plate. For help choosing a toe, see composite toe vs steel toe vs alloy toe. The full range is in our footwear collection, and the gear we group for electrical and utility work is a good place to start for line and service crews.

EH and SR boot inspection checklist

• Confirm the letters your hazard assessment calls for: EH, SD, PR, SR, a safety toe, or a combination.
• Check that the label and the product page list the exact ASTM standard.
• Look at the outsole before every shift for smooth spots, cracks and embedded metal.
• Treat wet EH boots as reduced protection, and keep them dry where you can.
• Retire boots when the tread is worn smooth, the sole is worn through or separating, or the toe is exposed or deformed.
• Don't resole or alter the outsole without checking with the manufacturer, since the outsole carries the EH and SR ratings. Aftermarket insoles are fine.

Frequently asked questions

Can EH boots protect you from electrocution?

EH boots reduce the chance of current passing through the feet to the ground, and OSHA describes them as protecting against open circuits of up to 600 volts in dry conditions. They are secondary protection only. They do not make it safe to work on energized equipment, and their protection drops when they are wet or worn.

Are EH boots still safe when they get wet?

The EH test is run dry, and moisture reduces EH protection. OSHA lists wet boots as one of the conditions that can compromise it. A waterproof boot keeps the foot dry, but water and contamination on the outsole can still weaken the electrical rating.

What is the difference between EH and SD boots?

EH boots resist current flowing through the sole. SD (static dissipative) boots are made for workplaces that specify controlled static discharge. They are separate ASTM F2413 ratings, so follow the exact letters your site requires.

Does a steel toe make a boot unsafe around electricity?

No. Electrical protection comes from the EH rated sole and heel, not the toe cap. Every Kiwi boot lists EH, whether the toe is composite, steel or soft.

How do I know if my boots are still slip resistant?

Check the tread. If the lugs are worn smooth or the channels between them are gone, the boot no longer grips the way it did when tested. Replace it, along with any boot whose sole is separating.

Boots for an electrical or utility crew

Outfitting a crew means a spread of sizes and, often, a mix of toe types. Send the list through our quote request form and we'll put pricing together for the whole order. Resellers and safety distributors can reach our wholesale team at sales@kiwiworkwear.com.

Nothing here replaces your employer's hazard assessment or electrical safety program, and it isn't legal advice.