Leather for safety and work protection

Leather for safety and work protection
All leathers of this group are designated as workers` protective leathers (in German: ASA leather). Protection and safety leathers have to meet very high requirements depending on their use, e.g. compact, firm texture, high fastness to abrasion, good softness, high distension, good stability under radiant heat, high resistance to naked flames or glow heat and to the action of chemical. Special DIN standards exist for these leather sorts with distinctions made according to use in dry or wet areas, light or heavy mechanical loading and use in the industrial sectors mining, construction, non-metallic mineral industry.
The most important quality requirements for safety leathers for footwear:
Test Requirement
Shaft upper material----- insole leather-------- lining tongue
Thickness min.................... min........................... min
For dry areas -.........................2.0 ...........................0.8mm
All other areas -.......................... 2.5........................... 0.8mm.
Ladies` footwear 1.5mm..................... -............................. -
Men`s shoes 1.8........................... - ...............................-
Men`s boots 2.4.......................... - ................................ -
Abrasion - ............................max.5% .................... -
Distension of grain min.7.4mm ................. -...................... -
Split tear force min. 100 N................ - .......................min. 18 N
water vapor permeability min.0.85 mg*h-1 -cm-2 .. - .............2.0 mg *h-1 *cm2

Water absorption - .............................. after 8 h35%..............-

Release of water - ............................after 16h min 40 %........ -
Water proofing
(depending on type of shoe) min 60/90 min ................- ............................-

Water penetration < style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Protective gloves
Requirements of the leather the thickness of leather firmness and softness varies considerably depending on the field of application proper safe handle good fatness to cleaning are fixed in the standard and should be observed.
Safety clothing
in this group includes leathers which protect large parts of the body such ass safety suits leather aprons lap leathers protective leathers for the head or face chest protections and in a wider sense also the protective suits for motor cyclists made of special garment leathers requirements of the leathers in greater thicknesses chiefly made by pure chrome tanning with moderate fat liquoring they should receive a water repellent treatment for use in wet areas special surface finishes for instance containing reflective aluminum powder are applied to protect against high temperatures from radiant heat hygienic wearing properties should also be taken into consideration when making leathers for safety clothing it is important that they have a high capacity for absorbing and releasing transpiration under the effect of high temperatures

Leather for safety shoes

Requirements of the leather: only grain leather may be used to make safety footwear. A light correcting buffing of grain is permitted. Leathers used for insoles, lining and tongues must not be purely chrome-tanned.