What Are The Safety Shoe Standards In Asia? Navigate Country-By-Country Compliance

Unlike Europe, Asia does not have a single, unified safety shoe standard. Instead, compliance is managed on a country-by-country basis, with each nation establishing its own distinct set of regulations. Key standards include China's GB 21148, Japan's JIS T8101, and India's IS 15298 series, among several others across the continent.

The critical takeaway for operating in Asia is that safety footwear compliance is a localized responsibility. A shoe certified for use in one Asian country is not automatically compliant in another, requiring careful verification against each market's specific regulations.

What are the safety shoe standards in Asia? Navigate Country-by-Country Compliance

The Fragmented Regulatory Landscape

The primary challenge in understanding Asian safety shoe standards is recognizing that there is no central authority. Unlike the harmonized EN ISO 20345 standard used across the European Union, Asia's approach is entirely decentralized.

No Pan-Asian Standard

There is no equivalent to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) for Asian PPE. This means manufacturers and safety managers must navigate a patchwork of national rules.

Country-Specific Compliance is Mandatory

This fragmentation means that a safety shoe meeting Japan's rigorous JIS standard cannot be assumed to be compliant for use in China or Malaysia without separate verification and certification against those local standards.

Standards Reflect Local Requirements

Each national standard is developed by that country's official standards body to meet its specific industrial and regulatory needs. This is why direct reciprocity between standards is rare.

A Breakdown of Key National Standards

To ensure compliance, you must identify and adhere to the specific standard for your country of operation. The following are the principal standards for several key Asian markets.

China: GB 21148 & An Series

China's primary standard for personal protective footwear is GB 21148. It is often accompanied by designations like An1 through An5, which specify different levels of impact resistance for the protective toe cap.

Japan: JIS T8101

The Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) are highly respected. The relevant standard for safety footwear is JIS T8101, which outlines the requirements and testing methods for protective shoes used in Japan.

India: IS 15298 (Parts I-IV)

India uses a multi-part standard. IS 15298 is broken down to cover different aspects and types of footwear:

Part I: Test methods
Part II: Requirements for safety footwear
Part III: Requirements for protective footwear
Part IV: Requirements for occupational footwear

Singapore: SS 513

The standard in Singapore is SS 513 (formerly SS 105). It is largely based on the European EN ISO 20345 standard, which can simplify compliance for manufacturers familiar with the EN system, but local certification is still key.

Malaysia: SIRIM MA 1598:1998

In Malaysia, the standard is MA 1598:1998, and compliance is typically certified by SIRIM, the national standards and quality organization.

Other Key Standards

Other national standards you must be aware of include:

Indonesia: SNI 0111:2009
Thailand: TIS 523-2011

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Navigating this landscape presents several challenges that can lead to non-compliance, supply chain disruptions, and compromised worker safety.

The Myth of "Universal" Acceptance

A common mistake is assuming that footwear certified to a major global standard, such as Europe's EN ISO 20345 or the US ASTM F2413, will be automatically accepted. While these standards are excellent benchmarks, many Asian countries still mandate testing and certification to their own local standard.

Overlooking Local Certification Bodies

Even if a shoe is designed to meet a local standard, it often must be certified by a nationally recognized body. In Malaysia, for example, this is SIRIM. Failure to obtain this local certification mark can render the product non-compliant.

Supply Chain Complexity

For multinational companies operating across Asia, managing PPE procurement is a significant task. You cannot source a single "Asia-compliant" safety shoe; you must source specific models that are certified for each country where you have operations.

Making the Right Choice for Your Goal

Your strategy for ensuring compliance depends entirely on your role and objectives.

If your primary focus is exporting to a single Asian country: You must identify that nation's specific standard and work with a local or accredited body to achieve certification before market entry.
If your primary focus is managing workplace safety across multiple Asian facilities: You must develop a compliance matrix that maps each facility's location to the required national footwear standard and ensure your procurement process respects these distinct requirements.
If your primary focus is manufacturing footwear for Asian markets: You must treat each country as a unique market, designing and testing your products to meet the specific performance and labeling requirements of each national standard.

Ultimately, navigating Asia's safety standards requires a precise, country-by-country approach to guarantee both regulatory compliance and worker protection.

Summary Table:

Country	Key Safety Shoe Standard	Key Certification Body
China	GB 21148 (An1-An5)	Standardization Administration of China (SAC)
Japan	JIS T8101	Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC)
India	IS 15298 (Parts I-IV)	Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Singapore	SS 513	Enterprise Singapore
Malaysia	MA 1598:1998	SIRIM QAS International
Indonesia	SNI 0111:2009	National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN)
Thailand	TIS 523-2011	Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI)

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