· Published by Industrial Work Shoes
Why this matters more in Tijuana than elsewhere
A Tijuana plant usually answers to two authorities at once: the Mexican inspectorate, which checks compliance with the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas, and the foreign parent company, which audited its own standard before landing the operation.
That creates a familiar situation: the safety group buys under NOM and the parent asks about ASTM. They are not contradictory, but they are not interchangeable either, and one model does not necessarily meet both.
What NOM-113-STPS-2009 is
It is the Mexican safety standard for personal protective equipment, specifically protective footwear: classification, specifications and test methods.
It classifies footwear by the type of protection it offers and defines how it is tested, with impact and compression tests on the toe cap among others. It is the reference the authority checks during an inspection in Mexico.
It rests on NOM-017-STPS-2008, the general standard on selection, use and management of PPE in workplaces. One asks for the hazard analysis; the other defines the product.
ASTM F2413 when the parent is American
ASTM F2413 is the US specification for performance requirements for protective footwear. It establishes toe protection levels and optional additional requirements — electrical hazard resistance, conductivity, metatarsal protection, puncture resistance — which are marked on the footwear itself.
That internal marking is the practical key: it is where you read what the pair in your hand actually meets. If your parent specifies ASTM, ask to see the marking, not just the word on the quote.
EN ISO 20345 when the parent is European
EN ISO 20345 is the European safety footwear standard. It uses its own classification system with categories combining basic and additional requirements, identified by codes marked on the footwear.
As in the American case, the correct reading is in the code, not in the model's trade name.
The right question to ask a supplier
It is not "does it meet standards?". Every supplier answers yes to that.
The question is: "which standard does this specific model meet, in which classification, and can you send me the datasheet?". If the answer takes more than a day or arrives with no document, you already have information about the supplier.
At Industrial Work Shoes we carry models under NOM-113-STPS-2009 and, when the parent company requires it, options under ASTM F2413 and EN ISO 20345. Send us the specification and we will tell you which model meets it before you issue the purchase order.
The line that solves this
Protective boots and shoes for your whole headcount, with polycarbonate or steel toe caps, dielectric soles and a last that survives twelve-hour standing shifts.
Safety Footwear