ISO 16073-6:2021

Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment — Requirements and test methods — Part 6: Footwear

This document covers the general design, minimum performance requirements and methods of test for wildland firefighting footwear. This document does not cover PPE for structural firefighting (see ISO 11999 series), for use against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards, ISO 18639 series PPE for firefighters undertaking specific rescue activities or for use where a reflective outer surface is required (see ISO 15538). Activities in support of wildland firefighting, such as the cutting of trees and the use of a chainsaw can require additional protection to that provided in this document. Users are directed to those relevant standards for the requirements associated with such protection.

Équipement de protection individuelle pour la lutte contre les feux d'espaces naturels — Exigences et méthodes d'essai — Partie 6: Chaussures

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 06-Jan-2021
• ICS: 13.340.50 - Leg and foot protection
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14 - Firefighters' personal equipment
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 94/SC 14/WG 3 - Wildland firefighting
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 07-Jan-2021
• Due Date: 07-Jul-2021
• Completion Date: 07-Jan-2021

Relations

• Revises: ISO 16073:2011 - Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment — Requirements and test methods
• Effective Date: 15-Jul-2017

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16073-6
First edition
2021-01
Wildland firefighting personal
protective equipment —
Requirements and test methods —
Part 6:
Footwear
Équipement de protection individuelle pour la lutte contre les feux
d'espaces naturels — Exigences et méthodes d'essai —
Partie 6: Chaussures
Reference number
ISO 16073-6:2021(E)
©
ISO 2021

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Footwear designs . 2
5 Sampling and conditioning . 2
5.1 Sampling . 2
5.2 Conditioning . 3
6 General . 4
6.1 Footwear conforming to the requirements specified in Table 2 . 4
6.2 Water resistance . 6
6.3 Thermal behaviour . 6
6.3.1 Insulation against heat . 6
6.3.2 Radiant heat . 7
6.3.3 Flame resistance . 7
6.4 Laces . 7
6.5 Threads . 7
6.6 Innocuousness . 7
7 Test methods . 7
7.1 Radiant heat test . 7
7.2 Flame resistance test . 8
7.2.1 Conditioning and sampling . 8
7.2.2 Procedure . 8
7.3 Thread and lace heat resistance test . 9
7.3.1 Principle . 9
7.3.2 Apparatus . 9
7.3.3 Specimen. 9
7.3.4 Procedure . 9
7.3.5 Report . 9
7.4 Whole footwear heat resistance test . 9
7.4.1 Principle .10
7.4.2 Apparatus .10
7.4.3 Specimens .10
7.4.4 Procedure .10
7.4.5 Report .10
7.5 Thread strength test .10
7.6 Eyelet and stud post attachment .11
7.6.1 Principle .11
7.6.2 Apparatus .11
7.6.3 Preparation of test specimens .11
7.6.4 Procedure .11
8 Marking .12
9 Information to be supplied .13
9.1 General .13
9.2 Antistatic footwear .13
9.3 Electrically insulating footwear .14
9.4 Insocks .14
9.5 Information regarding penetration resistant insert .15
9.6 Assessment of the footwear by the wearer .15
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Annex A (informative) Assessment of the footwear by the laboratory during testing for
resistance to heat and flame .16
Annex B (informative) Assessment of the footwear by the wearer .18
Annex C (informative) The following drawing can be provided with the user information to
assist in assessing the performance of firefighter footwear .19
Annex D (informative) Slip resistance .20
Bibliography .23
iv © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94, Personal safety — Personal protective
equipment, Subcommittee SC 14, Firefighters' personal equipment.
This first edition of ISO 16073-6, together with ISO 16073-1 to ISO 16073-8, cancels and replaces
ISO 16073:2011.
The main changes are as follows:
— the content has been reviewed and separated into several parts;
— the respiratory protection has been deleted from the document.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16073 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved v

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Introduction
Wildland firefighting involves work carried out mostly in summer temperatures and for many hours,
during which the firefighter can develop high levels of metabolic heat. As a consequence, the personal
protective equipment (PPE) is required to be light, flexible and commensurate with the risks to which the
firefighter can be exposed in order to be effective without introducing excessive heat stress to the wearer.
It is important to train firefighters in the selection, use, care and maintenance of the PPE covered by
this document, including an understanding of its limitations.
It is intended that a risk assessment be undertaken to determine if the PPE covered by this document is
suitable for its intended use and the expected exposure.
This document provides minimum performance requirements for wildland firefighters' personal
protective equipment footwear designed for use for extended periods during wildland firefighting.
vi © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16073-6:2021(E)
Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment —
Requirements and test methods —
Part 6:
Footwear
1 Scope
This document covers the general design, minimum performance requirements and methods of test
for wildland firefighting footwear. This document does not cover PPE for structural firefighting (see
ISO 11999 series), for use against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards, ISO 18639
series PPE for firefighters undertaking specific rescue activities or for use where a reflective outer
surface is required (see ISO 15538).
Activities in support of wildland firefighting, such as the cutting of trees and the use of a chainsaw can
require additional protection to that provided in this document. Users are directed to those relevant
standards for the requirements associated with such protection.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 6942, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and fire — Method of test: Evaluation of materials
and material assemblies when exposed to a source of radiant heat
ISO 15025, Protective clothing — Protection against flame — Method of test for limited flame spread
ISO/TR 19591, Personal protective equipment for firefighters — Standard terms and definitions
ISO 20344:2011, Personal protective equipment — Test methods for footwear
ISO 20345:2011, Personal protective equipment — Safety footwear
EN 14119, Safety of machinery. Interlocking devices associated with guards. Principles for design and
selection
EN 15090:2012, Footwear for firefighters
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/TR 19591 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

4 Footwear designs
Footwear for wildland firefighters shall be made from leather and other materials, excluding all-rubber
or all-polymeric footwear.
Footwear shall be suitable for firefighting suppression action involving a fire in vegetative fuels such as
a forest, crops, plantations, grass or farmland.
Footwear shall conform to designs of Figure 1 b), c) or d).
a)  Low shoe - not allowed b)  Ankle boot
c)  Half-knee boot d)  Knee-height boot
Figure 1 — Designs of footwear
5 Sampling and conditioning
Where not directly specified in a clause of this document, the sampling and conditioning of samples
shall satisfy the requirements of 5.1 and 5.2.
5.1 Sampling
The minimum number of samples shall be those specified in ISO 20344:2011, Table 1, together with the
minimum number of test pieces taken from each sample as given in Table 1.
Wherever possible, test pieces shall be taken from the whole footwear unless otherwise stated in this
document or ISO 20344.
If it is not possible to obtain a large enough test piece from the footwear, then a sample of the material
from which the component has been manufactured may be used instead and this shall be noted in the
test report.
Where samples are required from each of three sizes, these shall comprise the largest, smallest and a
middle size of the footwear under test.
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Table 1 — Minimum number of samples and test specimens or test pieces
Property to be Number of Number of test pieces Test only on the
Referenced subclause
a
determined samples from each sample final footwear
Radiant heat 6.3.2 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Flame Resistance 6.3.3 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Compression resist- 1 pair from each
EN 15090:2012, 6.4 1 pair Yes
ance of toepuff of 3 sizes
Zipper puller attach-
EN 15090:2012, 6.8.2 3 zippers No
ment strength
Zipper lateral
EN 15090:2012 6.8.3 3 zippers No
strength
Whole footwear 7.4 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Thread 6.5 and 7.5 1 length (10 m) 1 No
Laces 6.4 3 pieces 1 No
Insulation against
6.3.1 1 pair 1 Yes
heat
a
Applies only to leather. ISO 20344:2011, Table 1 also applies.
5.2 Conditioning
All test pieces shall be conditioned in a standard atmosphere of (23 + 2) °C and (50 + 5) % relative
humidity for a minimum of 48 h before testing, unless otherwise stated in the test method.
The maximum time which shall elapse between removal from the conditioning atmosphere and the
start of testing shall be less than 10 min, unless otherwise stated in the test method.
Each test piece shall individually satisfy the specific requirement, unless otherwise stated in the
test method.
The uncertainty of measurement for each test method described in the present document can be
assessed. One of the two following approaches should be used:
— a statistical method, e.g. that given in ISO 5725-2;
— a mathematical method, e.g. that given in ISO/IEC Guide 98-3.
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

6 General
6.1 Footwear conforming to the requirements specified in Table 2
Table 2 — Summary of requirements
Reference
Requirements Marking symbol
ISO 20345:2011 EN 15090:2012 ISO 16073-6:2021
Gen- Footwear Types and Classifications 4 and 6.1 X
eral construc-
Height of upper 5.2.2 X
tion
Specific ergonomic features 5.3.4 X
Water resistance 6.2 X
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Seat Design B Figure 3 ISO 20345 5.2.1 X
region
Design C and D Figure 3 ISO 20345 5.2.1 X
Whole Sole Construction 5.3.1.1 X
foot- perfor-
Upper/outsole bond strength 5.3.1.2 X
wear mance
Insulation against heat 6.3.1 X HI3
Slip resistance – on ceramic tile floor
with NaLS and on steel floor with 5.3.5.4 Annex D SRC
glycerine
Energy absorption of seat region 6.2.4 X E
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Penetration resistance 6.2.1 O P
Toe pro- General 5.3.2.1 X
tection
Internal length of toe caps 5.3.2.2 X
Impact resistance 5.3.2.3 X
Compression resistance 5.3.2.4 X
Corrosion resistance of metallic toe caps 5.3.2.5.1 X
Non-metallic toe caps 5.3.2.5.2 O
Compression resistance of toepuff 6.4 b R
a
Electrically insulating footwear 6.6.2 X I
a
Antistatic footwear 6.6.3 X A
Cold insulation of sole complex 6.2.3.2 b CI
Whole footwear heat resistance test 7.4 X
Zipper 6.8 O
Accesso- Metatarsal protection 6.2.6 b M
ries
Ankle protection 6.2.7 b AN
Laces 6.4 O
Eyelet and stud post attachment 7.6 O
Threads 6.5 and 7.5 X
X  The requirement shall be met. In some cases the requirement relates only to particular material within the classification, e.g. pH value of leather
components. This does not mean that other materials are precluded from use.
O  If the component part exists, the requirement shall be met.
a
It is obligatory that one of the two requirements shall be chosen.
b
If the property is claimed, the requirement given in the appropriate clause shall be met.
N/A  The requirement is not applicable.
The absence of X or O means that no requirement is made.
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Table 2 (continued)
Reference
Requirements Marking symbol
ISO 20345:2011 EN 15090:2012 ISO 16073-6:2021
Upper Tear strength 5.4.3 X
Tensile properties 5.4.4 X
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.4.6 X
ficient
pH value 5.4.7 X
Chromium VI content 5.4.9 X
Water penetration and water absorption 6.3 X
Radiant heat 6.3.2 X
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Cut resistance 6.2.8 X CR
Lining Vamp Tear strength 5.5.1 X
Abrasion resistance 5.5.2 X
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.5.3 X
ficient
pH value 5.5.4 X
Chromium VI content 5.5.5 X
Quarter Tear strength 5.5.1 O
Abrasion resistance 5.5.2 O
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.5.3 O
ficient
pH value 5.5.4 O
Chromium VI content 5.5.5 O
Tongue Tear strength 5.6.1 O
pH value 5.6.2 O
Chromium VI content 5.6.3 O
Insole/
  Table 3 X
insocks
Outsole Tear strength 5.8.2 X
Abrasion resistance 5.8.3 X
Flexing resistance 5.8.4 X
Hydrolysis 5.8.5 X
Interlayer bond strength 5.8.6 O
Resistance to fuel oil 6.4.2 X FO
Cleated area 5.8.1.2 X
Thickness 5.8.1.1 X
Cleat design 6.7.1 X
Cleat height 6.7.2 X
Cleat height in the waist area 6.7.3 X
Heel breast 6.7.4 X
Resistance to hot contact 6.4.1 X HRO
X  The requirement shall be met. In some cases the requirement relates only to particular material within the classification, e.g. pH value of leather
components. This does not mean that other materials are precluded from use.
O  If the component part exists, the requirement shall be met.
a
It is obligatory that one of the two requirements shall be chosen.
b
If the property is claimed, the requirement given in the appropriate clause shall be met.
N/A  The requirement is not applicable.
The absence of X or O means that no requirement is made.

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Table 3 — Basic requirements for insoles and/or insocks
Requirements to fulfil in ISO 20345
Compo-
Water
Options nent to be
Thickness absorption Insole abrasion Insock abra- Chromium, VI
a
pH 5.7.2
assessed
a
5.7.1 desorption 5.7.4.1 sion 5.7.4.2 5.7.5
5.7.3
No
insole
or if
pres-
Non-re-
ent not
1 movable Insock X X X X X
fulfill-
sock
ing the
re-
quire-
ments
No insock
2 Insole X X X X X
Seat sock
present
Insock
Full
and insole X X
insock,
3
together
non-re-
movable
Insock X X X
Full Insole X X X X X
insock,
Insole
remova-
pres-
4 ble and
ent
Insock X X X
water
permea-
b
ble
Full Insole X X X X X
insock,
remova-
5 ble, not
Insock X X X X
water
permea-
b
ble
X  It means that the requirement shall be met.
a
Applies only to leather.
b
A water permeable sock is one that, when tested in accordance to ISO 23044:2011, 7.2 lets through water in 60 s or less.
6.2 Water resistance
When tested in accordance with ISO 20344:2011, 5.15.2, the total wetted area inside the footwear shall
2
not be greater than 3 cm , after 80 min.
6.3 Thermal behaviour
6.3.1 Insulation against heat
When tested according to the procedure described in ISO 20344:2011, 5.12 the footwear shall meet the
requirements for the temperature inside the footwear (see Table 4) and the requirements for resistance
to degradation (see Table 5).
Table 4 — Requirement for temperature inside the footwear
Sandbath temperature Requirement for inside temperature of the footwear
°C °C
250 ± 5 <42 after 10 min
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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

Table 5 — Requirement for resistance to degradation
Sandbath temperature Test duration
Assessment
°C min
After testing footwear shall
250 ± 5 40
conform to A.2.1
6.3.2 Radiant heat
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.1, the temperature increase for each
°
material combination shall be equal to or less than 24 C. After testing the footwear shall be in
accordance with A.2.2.
6.3.3 Flame resistance
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.2 the footwear shall neither flame for more
than 2 s (after flame time) nor glow for more than 2 s (after glow time). After testing, the footwear shall
be in accordance with A.2.3.
6.4 Laces
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.3, the laces shall not melt, drip or ignite, and
shall remain functional.
6.5 Threads
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.3, all externally exposed threads shall not
melt, drip or ignite and shall remain functional.
6.6 Innocuousness
Footwear shall not adversely affect the health or hygiene of the user. Footwear shall be made of
materials such as textiles, leather, rubbers or plastics that have been shown to be chemically suitable.
The materials shall not in the foreseeable conditions of normal use, release or degrade substances
generally known to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, allergenic, toxic to reproduction or otherwise
harmful. Information claiming that the product is innocuous shall be checked.
NOTE Information about critical substances in footwear and footwear components can be found in
ISO/TR 16178.
7 Test methods
7.1 Radiant heat test
Two test pieces shall be tested from all different material combinations including seams, label and
any closing mechanism. Take the samples from the upper of at least one pair of footwear. If it is not
possible to obtain a large enough test piece from the footwear, then a sample of the material or material
combination from which the component has been manufactured can be used instead and this should be
noted in the report. This test piece shall include the same arrangement of layers, e.g. padding and lining,
as found in footwear.
2
Test the test pieces according to ISO 6942, method B at a heat flux density of 20 kW/m exposing the
outer surface to radiant heat for 40 s. The result shall be expressed as temperature increase of the
highest single result of ΔT rounded to 0,1 °C.
Inspect the test pieces for signs of serious damage, such as caused by burning, dripping, melting or
foaming of the material, or deformation and disbanding, see A.2.2.
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved 7

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ISO 16073-6:2021(E)

7.2 Flame resistance test
7.2.1 Conditioning and sampling
All different external materials, including
...

FINAL
INTERNATIONAL ISO/FDIS
DRAFT
STANDARD 16073-6
ISO/TC 94/SC 14
Wildland firefighting personal
Secretariat: SA
protective equipment —
Voting begins on:
2020-10-09 Requirements and test methods —
Voting terminates on:
Part 6:
2020-12-04
Footwear
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO
SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION
OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH
THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING
DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
Reference number
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO-
ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES,
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON
OCCASION HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME STAN-
DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
©
NATIONAL REGULATIONS. ISO 2020

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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Footwear designs . 2
5 Sampling and conditioning . 2
5.1 Sampling . 2
5.2 Conditioning . 3
6 General . 4
6.1 Footwear conforming to the requirements specified in Table 2 . 4
6.2 Water resistance . 6
6.3 Thermal behaviour . 7
6.3.1 Insulation against heat . 7
6.3.2 Radiant heat . 7
6.3.3 Flame resistance . 7
6.4 Laces . 7
6.5 Threads . 7
6.6 Innocuousness . 7
7 Test methods . 8
7.1 Radiant heat test . 8
7.2 Flame resistance test . 8
7.2.1 Conditioning and sampling . 8
7.2.2 Procedure . 8
7.3 Thread and lace heat resistance test . 9
7.3.1 Principle . 9
7.3.2 Apparatus . 9
7.3.3 Specimen.10
7.3.4 Procedure .10
7.3.5 Report .10
7.4 Whole footwear heat resistance test .10
7.4.1 Principle .10
7.4.2 Apparatus .10
7.4.3 Specimens .10
7.4.4 Procedure .11
7.4.5 Report .11
7.5 Thread strength test .11
7.6 Eyelet and stud post attachment .11
7.6.1 Principle .12
7.6.2 Apparatus .12
7.6.3 Preparation of test specimens .12
7.6.4 Procedure .12
8 Marking .13
9 Information to be supplied .13
9.1 General .13
9.2 Antistatic footwear .14
9.3 Electrically insulating footwear .15
9.4 Insocks .15
9.5 Information regarding penetration resistant insert .15
9.6 Assessment of the footwear by the wearer .16
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved iii

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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Annex A (informative) Assessment of the footwear by the laboratory during testing for
resistance to heat and flame .17
Annex B (informative) Assessment of the footwear by the wearer .19
Annex C (informative) The following drawing can be provided with the user information to
assist in assessing the performance of firefighter footwear .20
Annex D (informative) Slip resistance .21
Bibliography .24
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC94, Personal safety — Protective equipment,
Subcommittee SC 14, Firefighters personal equipment.
This first edition of ISO 16073-6, together with ISO 16073-1 to ISO 16073-8, cancels and replaces the
first edition (ISO 16073:2011).
The main changes are as follows:
— the content has been reviewed and separated into several parts;
— the respiratory protection has been deleted from the document.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16073 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved v

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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Introduction
Wildland firefighting involves work carried out mostly in summer temperatures and for many hours,
during which the firefighter can develop high levels of metabolic heat. As a consequence, the personal
protective equipment (PPE) is required to be light, flexible and commensurate with the risks to which the
firefighter can be exposed in order to be effective without introducing excessive heat stress to the wearer.
It is important to train firefighters in the selection, use, care and maintenance of the PPE covered by
this document, including an understanding of its limitations.
It is intended that a risk assessment be undertaken to determine if the PPE covered by this document is
suitable for its intended use and the expected exposure.
This document provides minimum performance requirements for wildland firefighters' personal
protective equipment footwear designed for use for extended periods during wildland firefighting.
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FINAL DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)
Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment —
Requirements and test methods —
Part 6:
Footwear
1 Scope
This document covers the general design, minimum performance requirements and methods of test
for wildland firefighting footwear. This document does not cover PPE for structural firefighting (see
ISO 11999 series), for use against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards, ISO 18639
series PPE for firefighters undertaking specific rescue activities or for use where a reflective outer
surface is required (see ISO 15538).
Activities in support of wildland firefighting, such as the cutting of trees and the use of a chainsaw can
require additional protection to that provided in this document. Users are directed to those relevant
standards for the requirements associated with such protection.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 6942, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and fire — Method of test: Evaluation of materials
and material assemblies when exposed to a source of radiant heat
ISO 15025, Protective clothing — Protection against flame — Method of test for limited flame spread
ISO/TR 19591, Personal protective equipment for firefighters — Standard terms and definitions
ISO 20344:2011, Personal protective equipment — Test methods for footwear
ISO 20345:2011, Personal protective equipment — Safety footwear
EN 14119, Safety of machinery. Interlocking devices associated with guards. Principles for design and
selection
EN 15090:2012, Footwear for firefighters
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions in ISO/TR 19591 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

4 Footwear designs
Footwear for wildland firefighters shall be made from leather and other materials, excluding all-rubber
or all-polymeric footwear.
Footwear shall be suitable for firefighting suppression action involving a fire in vegetative fuels such as
a forest, crops, plantations, grass or farmland.
Footwear shall conform to designs of Figure 1 a), b), c) or d).
a)  Low shoe-not allowed b)  Ankle boot
c)  Half-knee boot d)  Knee-height boot
Figure 1 — Designs of footwear
5 Sampling and conditioning
Where not directly specified in a clause of this document, the sampling and conditioning of samples
shall satisfy the requirements of 5.1 and 5.2.
5.1 Sampling
The minimum number of samples shall be those specified ISO 20344:2011, Table 1, together with the
minimum number of test pieces taken from each sample as given in Table 1.
Wherever possible, test pieces shall be taken from the whole footwear unless otherwise stated in this
document or ISO 20344.
If it is not possible to obtain a large enough test piece from the footwear, then a sample of the material
from which the component has been manufactured may be used instead and this shall be noted in the
test report.
Where samples are required from each of three sizes, these shall comprise the largest, smallest and a
middle size of the footwear under test.
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Table 1 — Minimum number of samples and test specimens or test pieces
Property to be de- Number of Number of test pieces Test only on the
Referenced subclause
a
termined samples from each sample final footwear
Radiant heat 6.3.2 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Flame Resistance 6.3.3 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Compression resist- 1 pair from each
EN 15090:2012, 6.4 1 pair Yes
b
ance of toepuff of 3 sizes
Zipper puller attach-
EN 15090:2012, 6.8.2 3 zippers No
ment strength
Zipper lateral
EN 15090:2012 6.8.3 3 zippers No
strength
Whole footwear 7.4 1 pair 1 pair Yes
Thread 6.5 and 7.5 1 length (10 m) 1 No
Laces 6.4 3 pieces 1 No
Insulation against
6.3.1 1 pair 1 Yes
heat
a
Applies only to leather. ISO 20344:2011, Table 1 also applies.
b
A water permeable sock is one that, when tested in accordance to ISO 23044:2011, 7.2 lets through water in 60 s or less.
The requirement given in the appropriate clause shall be met.
5.2 Conditioning
All test pieces shall be conditioned in a standard atmosphere of (23 + 2) °C and (50 + 5) % relative
humidity for a minimum of 48 h before testing, unless otherwise stated in the test method.
The maximum time which shall elapse between removal from the conditioning atmosphere and the
start of testing shall be less than 10 min, unless otherwise stated in the test method.
Each test piece shall individually satisfy the specific requirement, unless otherwise stated in the
test method.
The uncertainty of measurement for each test method described in the present document can be
assessed. One of the two following approaches should be used:
— a statistical method, e.g. that given in ISO 5725-2;
— a mathematical method, e.g. that given in ISO/IEC Guide 98-3.
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

6 General
6.1 Footwear conforming to the requirements specified in Table 2
Table 2 — Summary of requirements
Reference
Requirements Marking symbol
ISO 20345:2011 EN 15090:2012 ISO 16073-6:—
Gen- Footwear Types and Classifications 4 and 6.1 X
eral construc-
Height of upper 5.2.2 X
tion
Specific ergonomic features 5.3.4 X
Water resistance 6.2 X
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Seat Design B Figure 3 ISO 20345 5.2.1 X
region
Design C and D Figure 3 ISO 20345 5.2.1 X
Whole Sole Construction 5.3.1.1 X
foot- perfor-
Upper/outsole bond strength 5.3.1.2 X
wear mance
Insulation against heat 6.3.1 X HI3
Slip resistance – on ceramic tile floor
with NaLS and on steel floor with 5.3.5.4 Annex D SRC
glycerine
Energy absorption of seat region 6.2.4 X E
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Penetration resistance 6.2.1 O P
Toe pro- General 5.3.2.1 X
tection
Internal length of toe caps 5.3.2.2 X
Impact resistance 5.3.2.3 X
Compression resistance 5.3.2.4 X
Corrosion resistance of metallic toe caps 5.3.2.5.1 X
Non-metallic toe caps 5.3.2.5.2 O
Compression resistance of toepuff 6.4 b R
a
Electrically insulating footwear 6.6.2 X I
a
Antistatic footwear 6.6.3 X A
Cold insulation of sole complex 6.2.3.2 b CI
Whole footwear heat resistance test 6.7 X
Zipper 6.8 O
Accesso- Metatarsal protection 6.2.6 b M
ries
Ankle protection 6.2.7 b AN
Laces 6.4 O
Eyelet and stud post attachment 7.6 O
Threads 6.5 and 7.5 X
X  The requirement shall be met. In some cases the requirement relates only to particular material within the classification, e.g. pH value of leather
components. This does not mean that other materials are precluded from use.
O  If the component part exists, the requirement shall be met.
a
it is obligatory that one of the two requirements shall be chosen.
b
If the property is claimed, the requirement given in the appropriate clause shall be met.
N/A  The requirement is not applicable.
The absence of X or O means that no requirement is made.
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Table 2 (continued)
Reference
Requirements Marking symbol
ISO 20345:2011 EN 15090:2012 ISO 16073-6:—
Upper Tear strength 5.4.3 X
Tensile properties 5.4.4 X
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.4.6 X
ficient
pH value 5.4.7 X
Chromium VI content 5.4.9 X
Water penetration and water absorption 6.3 X
Radiant heat 6.3.2 X
Flame resistance 6.3.3 X
Cut resistance 6.2.8 X CR
Lining Vamp Tear strength 5.5.1 X
Abrasion resistance 5.5.2 X
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.5.3 X
ficient
pH value 5.5.4 X
Chromium VI content 5.5.5 X
Quarter Tear strength 5.5.1 O
Abrasion resistance 5.5.2 O
Water vapour permeability and coef-
5.5.3 O
ficient
pH value 5.5.4 O
Chromium VI content 5.5.5 O
Tongue Tear strength 5.6.1 O
pH value 5.6.2 O
Chromium VI content 5.6.3 O
Insole/
  Table 3 X
insocks
Outsole Tear strength 5.8.2 X
Abrasion resistance 5.8.3 X
Flexing resistance 5.8.4 X
Hydrolysis 5.8.5 X
Interlayer bond strength 5.8.6 O
Resistance to fuel oil 6.4.2 X FO
Cleated area 5.8.1.2 X
Thickness 5.8.1.1 X
Cleat design 6.7.1 X
Cleat height 6.7.2 X
Cleat height in the waist area 6.7.3 X
Heel breast 6.7.4 X
Resistance to hot contact 6.4.1 X HRO
X  The requirement shall be met. In some cases the requirement relates only to particular material within the classification, e.g. pH value of leather
components. This does not mean that other materials are precluded from use.
O  If the component part exists, the requirement shall be met.
a
it is obligatory that one of the two requirements shall be chosen.
b
If the property is claimed, the requirement given in the appropriate clause shall be met.
N/A  The requirement is not applicable.
The absence of X or O means that no requirement is made.

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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

Table 3 — Basic requirements for insoles and/or insocks
Requirements to fulfil in ISO 20345
Compo-
Water
nent to
Options
Thickness absorption Insole abra- Insock abra- Chromium,
be as- a
pH 5.7.2
a
5.7.1 desorption sion 5.7.4.1 sion 5.7.4.2 VI 5.7.5
sessed
5.7.3
No
in-
sole
or if
pres-
ent Non-re-
not mov-
1 Insock X X X X X
ful- able
fill- sock
ing
the
re-
quire-
ments
No
insock
2 Insole X X X X X
Seat
sock
present
Insock
Full
and
insock,
X X
insole
3 non-re-
together
mova-
ble
Insock X X X
Full Insole X X X X X
In-
insock,
sole
remov-
pres-
able
ent
4
and
Insock X X X
water
perme-
b
able
Full Insole X X X X X
insock,
remov-
able,
5
not
Insock X X X X
water
perme-
b
able
X  It means that the requirement shall be met.
a
Applies only to leather.
b
A water permeable sock is one that, when tested in accordance to ISO 23044:2011, 7.2 lets through water in
60 s or less.
6.2 Water resistance
When tested in accordance with ISO 20344:2011, 5.15.2, the total wetted area inside the footwear shall
2
not be greater than 3 cm , after 80 min.
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

6.3 Thermal behaviour
6.3.1 Insulation against heat
When tested according to the procedure described in ISO 20344:2011, 5.12 the footwear shall meet the
requirements for the temperature inside the footwear (see Table 4) and the requirements for resistance
to degradation (see Table 5).
Table 4 — Requirement for temperature inside the footwear
Sandbath temperature Inside temperature of the footwear
°C °C
250 ± 5 <42 after 10 min
Table 5 — Requirement for resistance to degradation
Sandbath temperature Test duration
Assessment
°C min
After testing footwear shall con-
250 ± 5 40
form to A.2.1
6.3.2 Radiant heat
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.1, the temperature increase for each
°
material combination shall be equal to or less than 24 C. After testing the footwear shall be in
accordance with A.2.2.
6.3.3 Flame resistance
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.2 the footwear shall neither flame for more
than 2 s (after flame time) nor glow for more than 2 s (after glow time). After testing, the footwear shall
be in accordance with A.2.3.
6.4 Laces
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.3, the laces shall not melt, drip or ignite, and
shall remain functional.
6.5 Threads
When tested in accordance with the method described in 7.3, all externally exposed threads shall not
melt, drip or ignite and shall remain functional.
6.6 Innocuousness
Footwear shall not adversely affect the health or hygiene of the user. Footwear shall be made of
materials such as textiles, leather, rubbers or plastics that have been shown to be chemically suitable.
The materials shall not in the foreseeable conditions of normal use, release or degrade substances
generally known to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, allergenic, toxic to reproduction or otherwise
harmful. Information claiming that the product is innocuous shall be checked.
NOTE Information about critical substances in footwear and footwear components can be found in
ISO/TR 16178.
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ISO/FDIS 16073-6:2020(E)

7 Test methods
7.1 Radiant heat test
Two test pieces shall be tested from all different material combinations including seams, label and
any closing mechanism. Take the samples from the upper of at least one pair of footwear. If it is not
possible to obtain a large enough test piece from the footwear, then a sample of the material or material
combination from which the component has been
...