ISO 18639-6:2018 provides the principles that govern the development of incident type and/or hazard specific test methods and minimum performance requirements for safety footwear for firefighters while engaged in specific rescue activities.

Footwear related to specific rescue activities, e.g. Road Traffic Crash, (RTC) and Urban Search and Rescue, (USAR) is documented in individual subclauses of this document.

NOTE For further guidance refer ISO 18639‑1.

The purpose of ISO 18639-6:2018 is to ensure minimum performance requirements for incident type and/or hazard specific safety footwear are designated.

ISO 18639-6:2018 covers general footwear design, the minimum performance level of the materials used and the methods of test for determining this performance level.

ISO 18639-6:2018 does not cover special footwear for use in other high risk situations such as structural firefighting.

ISO 18639-6:2018 does not cover protection for the head, torso, arms, hands and legs or protection of the feet against other hazards, e.g. chemical, biological, radiation and electrical hazards, except for limited, accidental exposure to fire ground chemicals and contaminated blood or body fluids.

Selection of the appropriate system of Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE), including footwear, is dependent on carrying out an effective risk assessment which identifies the hazard to be faced, evaluates the likelihood of those hazards and provides the means of reducing or eliminating these hazards.