What Does EH Rated Mean? (2026 Guide)

What does EH rated mean?

Short answer: EH stands for Electrical Hazard — a rating under ASTM F2413, the U.S. protective-footwear standard, certifying that a boot's outsole and heel can withstand 18,000 volts (RMS, 60 Hz) for one minute with no more than 1.0 milliampere of leakage — under dry conditions. It is secondary protection: a backstop against accidentally contacting an energized circuit, not equipment for intentionally working on one. Wet soles or conductive contamination largely cancel it, and it is a different thing entirely from the dielectric overshoes lineworkers wear under ASTM F1117.

"EH rated" is probably the most common — and most misread — marking in work footwear. This guide explains what the rating actually certifies for electricians, HVAC techs, maintenance crews, and anyone whose boots carry the ASTM F2413 label: the test behind the letters, the dry-conditions fine print, how EH differs from dielectric, static-dissipative, and conductive ratings, and where EH sits on the label line. It is the electrical chapter of our flagship ASTM F2413 safety footwear explained reference, and the footwear counterpart to our electrical glove classes guide.

Why this matters.
OSHA's foot-protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.136(a), requires protective footwear "when the use of protective footwear will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard, such as a static-discharge or electric-shock hazard, that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures." Note the sequencing: EH boots are the layer that catches what engineering controls and safe work practices miss — and the certification is written for a dry lab sole. A worker standing in a puddle is wearing most of the rating's exclusions at once.

The EH test: 18,000 volts, one minute, bone dry

Under ASTM F2413's electric-shock-resistance requirement, the sole-and-heel assembly must take an applied 18,000 volts RMS at 60 Hz for one minute while leaking no more than 1.0 milliampere of current — with the footwear dry. Three things follow from the test design. The insulation lives in the sole and heel, not the upper — which is why steel toes and EH ratings coexist on the same boot without contradiction. The certification voltage is a test condition, not a use rating — no one specs footwear as their protection plan for 18 kV work. And "dry conditions" is not lab fine print; it is the boundary of the promise.

Secondary protection: what EH does and does not promise

Industry guidance is unusually blunt about this rating: EH footwear provides secondary protection against accidental contact with live circuits. It is the difference between a shock path that kills and one that is interrupted long enough to matter when a drill bites into hidden wiring or a panel turns out to be energized. What it is not: primary insulation for intentional work on energized equipment, protection when soles are wet, or protection when the sole is contaminated with conductive material such as metal shavings — the conditions under which, per the manufacturers' own literature, the protection is severely diminished. If your job description includes deliberately touching energized conductors, your footwear conversation is about dielectric equipment, and your hand-protection conversation is about the voltage-rated glove classes — not EH boots.

EH vs dielectric vs SD vs CD: the four electrical footwear ratings

Four ratings, four different relationships with electricity — two protective, one anti-static, one deliberately conductive:

The EH-vs-dielectric line is the one that matters most, and the industry phrasing is worth quoting: "EH boots protect you if you accidentally step on or near a live circuit. Dielectric boots protect you when your job requires working directly on energized equipment." Choosing between them is choosing between a backstop and a tool.

Where EH sits on the ASTM F2413 label

Inside an EH boot's tongue you will find a label line like ASTM F2413-18 M I/C EH — the standard and edition year, the gender sizing letter, the impact and compression toe ratings, and then the additional protections, where EH appears alongside markings like PR (puncture resistance) and MT (metatarsal). The full line-by-line decode — toe classifications, PR, MT, and the rest — is the job of our flagship ASTM F2413 safety footwear explained guide; the practical habit is simply to read the label rather than the marketing copy, because "electrical safe" on a product page is not a rating, and 1910.136(b) recognizes footwear built to the consensus standards, not adjectives.

Worked example: choosing an EH boot for an electrical apprentice

A commercial electrical contractor is outfitting a new apprentice. As an Amazon Associate, WC Safety earns from qualifying purchases made through the Amazon buttons below.

1. Establish that EH is the right rating. The apprentice works around — not intentionally on — energized circuits, in dry interior environments. That is the EH use case under 1910.136(a); deliberate energized work would push the conversation to dielectric equipment instead.
2. Read the label line, not the listing adjectives. Confirm ASTM F2413 plus EH on the tongue label at delivery — the marking is the certification.
3. Keep the toe rating. Steel toes do not void EH — the insulation is in the sole and heel. A steel-toe EH pattern like the Skechers Burgin-Tarlac steel toe EH boot carries both. Check Skechers Burgin-Tarlac on Amazon
4. Buy the dry condition, not just the rating. Because EH protection depends on a dry sole, waterproof construction is a functional electrical choice, not a comfort upgrade — the pattern behind picks like the Ariat Treadfast waterproof steel toe EH boot. Check Ariat Treadfast on Amazon
5. Protect the hands to a real voltage class. Pair the boots with gloves specified by circuit voltage from the insulated electrical gloves collection — EH footwear is the floor of the outfit, not the whole outfit.
6. Retire on wear, not on age. Worn-through soles, embedded metal debris, and soaked boots are all exits from the certification; inspect with the same seriousness as any PPE and compare replacements in the electrical hazard boots collection.

Frequently asked questions

What does EH rated mean on a boot?

It means the boot is certified to ASTM F2413's Electrical Hazard requirement: the sole and heel withstand 18,000 volts RMS at 60 Hz for one minute with no more than 1.0 mA of leakage, under dry conditions. It marks secondary protection against accidental contact with energized circuits — the full lineup is in our electrical hazard boots collection.

Is EH protection primary or secondary?

Secondary. EH footwear is a backstop for accidental contact — it is not equipment for intentionally working on energized conductors, which calls for dielectric footwear under ASTM F1117 and voltage-rated gloves. The distinction is spelled out across manufacturer literature such as the electrical footwear ratings guides the industry publishes.

Does EH protection work in wet conditions?

No — the certification is explicitly a dry-conditions test, and industry guidance warns the protection is severely diminished when soles are wet or contaminated with conductive material like metal shavings. Waterproof uppers help keep the sole's working environment dry, which is why waterproof EH patterns are a functional choice rather than a comfort one.

What is the difference between EH and dielectric footwear?

EH (ASTM F2413) is built into work boots as secondary protection for accidental contact; dielectric footwear (ASTM F1117) is primary insulating overfootwear for deliberate work around high voltage — no metal components, higher ratings, lineworker territory. As the industry phrasing puts it: EH protects you if you accidentally step near a live circuit; dielectric protects you when the job is the live circuit.

Can a steel toe boot be EH rated?

Yes. The EH insulation lives in the sole and heel, so a steel or composite toe does not void it — steel-toe EH boots like the Skechers Burgin-Tarlac carry both certifications on one label.

When does OSHA require EH footwear?

Under 1910.136(a), protective footwear is required where it "will protect the affected employee from an electrical hazard... that remains after the employer takes other necessary protective measures." EH boots are the footwear answer to that residual-hazard clause in dry working environments.

What standards does OSHA accept for protective footwear?

1910.136(b) lists the consensus standards: ASTM F-2412/F-2413, and the older ANSI Z41-1999 and Z41-1991 editions — plus footwear the employer demonstrates to be at least as effective. Current production is marked to ASTM F2413; the label decode lives in our ASTM F2413 guide.

What is the difference between EH and SD ratings?

Opposite goals. EH insulates — it resists current passing through the sole. SD (static dissipative) deliberately conducts, bleeding static charge off the body in a controlled way for electronics and cleanroom work. Wearing SD footwear around energized-circuit hazards gives you the wrong physics, per the ratings guides.

What are CD (conductive) boots for?

Draining static as fast as possible in explosive or flammable-atmosphere work — ammunition plants, some mining. As the industry guidance states flatly, conductive boots "provide absolutely no protection against electrical shock. That is not a limitation — it is by design." Never substitute across these ratings.

Where is the EH marking on the boot?

On the ASTM F2413 label stitched inside the tongue (or printed inside the shaft): a line like ASTM F2413-18 M I/C EH, where EH appears among the additional protections after the toe ratings. If there is no label line, there is no rating — regardless of what the product listing says. The full line decode is in our ASTM F2413 label guide.

What does the -18 in ASTM F2413-18 mean?

The edition year of the standard (2018) the footwear was certified against. Editions refine test details, but the EH concept — dry-condition sole/heel shock resistance as secondary protection — is consistent across recent editions; our flagship F2413 reference covers the label generations.

Do electricians need EH boots?

Most wear them as the default, because accidental-contact risk is the daily reality 1910.136(a) describes, and dry indoor environments match the rating's conditions. Options are compared in best electrical hazard work boots — with the reminder that energized work is governed by the glove-and-program side, not footwear alone.

What gloves pair with EH boots for electrical work?

Voltage-rated rubber insulating gloves classed under ASTM D120 — Class 00 or 0 for most sub-1,000-volt work — worn with leather protectors. The class system, test clock, and daily air test are covered in our electrical glove classes guide.

Do EH boots wear out?

The rating depends on the sole's condition, so yes in practice: worn-through tread, embedded conductive debris, chemical degradation, and saturation all compromise the insulation the certification assumes. Inspect like PPE, replace on condition, and treat resoling or heavy wear as a re-buy decision from the EH lineup.

Is "EH rated" the same as "electrical safe" marketing language?

No. EH is a specific ASTM F2413 certification with a testable claim behind it; "electrical safe," "electrician-friendly," and similar phrases are marketing. The label line inside the tongue is the only text that counts, per the consensus-standard structure of 1910.136(b).

Further reading on this site

• ASTM F2413 safety footwear explained — the flagship label decode this EH deep dive plugs into.
• Electrical hazard boots — 23 EH-rated models compared.
• Best electrical hazard work boots — current picks by trade and budget.
• Electrical glove classes — ASTM D120 — the hand-protection half of the electrical outfit.
• Insulated electrical gloves — Class 00 and 0 voltage-rated gloves.
• Ariat Treadfast waterproof steel toe EH boot — the keep-it-dry pattern from the worked example.
• Georgia Boot Carbon Flex wedge Chelsea EH boot — a soft-toe EH option for lighter trades.