It is jarring for Indian consumers to find safer and high-quality products among the avalanche of offerings. To enable customers to choose the best products, the BIS has mandated manufacturers to align their testing requirements with the guidelines of the respective Indian Standard. Today, BIS encompasses various products, including leather safety footwear with molded PVC soles, under the compulsory registration scheme. It also mandates manufacturers to affix ISI marking, which serves as a sign of quality. In the status quo, all safety footwear makers must secure BIS registration without fail. This article will talk about the BIS certification for leather safety footwear molded PVC soles and underline key norms of the IS 14544:19998
An Outlook On the IS 14544:1998 for Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Sole
IS 14544:1998 specifies comprehensive guidelines concerning testing and sampling for Leather safety footwear comprising PVC soles, used by workers in areas where oil slippage is not uncommon. The standard also requires shoemakers to make their products chemical resistant. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), an apex government institution, mandates manufacturers to conform to the norms of IS 14544:1998 for securing the BIS ISI certification.
The methods concerning product sampling and testing for the following products are mentioned in the standard:
- Leather safety footwear with steel toe caps
- Direct moulded soles made of PVC
Design-wise, leather safety footwear with direct moulded PVC soles is classified in the following types:
- Type 1 – General purpose safety shoes.
- Type 2 – Safety shoes with oil-resistant soles.
- Type 3 – Safety shoes with chemical-resistant soles.
Each leather safety shoe should be made from direct molding from chrome-tanned upper leather outfitted with cleated soles and heels having an anti-slip pattern.
The shoes’ upper shall be made from full chrome leather that conforms to IS 5677.
The production process must employ a direct injection process or direct molding process for the production of such shoes.
Testing Requirements for BIS Certification for Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Soles
According to the IS 14544:1998, the manufacturers must perform the following tests in the well-equipped and aptly staffed lab for quality assurance of their products:
- Performance test
- Impact test
- Adhesion Test on Moulded Bottoms
Marking and Packaging Norms to Be Followed By the Shoemakers
- As per the IS 14544:1998, trademark and size number shall be employed into the mold to make them visible on the outer sole’s waist.
- Sections like the insole waist and the full sock should clearly reflect the fitting number, size, and production year.
- Apart from that, each product should reflect ISI marking without fail.
- Even the product packaging should be in line with the underlying requirements.
Note: No manufacturer can use the ISI marking without securing the BIS ISI certification. The authority shall grant this certification only after making a thorough assessment of the product process, testing requirements, and manufacturing infrastructure.
What Types Of Documents Are Required For BIS Certification For Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Sole?
Following is the list of documents required for BIS Certification for Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Sole?
- Factory license
- Listicle concerning the equipment available in the testing lab.
- A Business registration document
- Specimen testing report secured via BIS-recommended lab
- List of products for which the applicant is seeking the BIS license
- Details of machines available in the production facility
- Trademark registration if available
- Authorization letter enclosing the signature of the company’s head, permitting an agent to be an applicant.
- Production process flowchart
How To Obtain BIS Certification For Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Soles?
Obtaining a BIS license is a tedious process because it involves various convoluted steps such as on-site vetting, sample testing, compliance adherence, and so on. Listed below is the systematic guide to how you can secure the BIS certification for leather safety footwear molded PVC soles.
Step 1: Application Filing Via the BIS Portal
The BIS registration process commences with the online application filing. To file an application, the license-seeker must visit the BIS portal and file an e-form concerning the ISI scheme. The said form requires you to fill in the details concerning the products, business, production quantity, testing, and so on. After that, you will be required to upload the mandatory documents, as mentioned in the above section. Upon successful document uploading, head to the payment section for the fee submission.
Step 2: Vetting Of Documents and Sample Selection
In this step, the undertakings like the vetting of documents and sample selection will take place. These undertakings will be performed by the designated BIS officials[1].
While securitizing the firm for compliance, the officials will take the following areas into account.
- Manufacturing Infrastructure
- Testing capabilities
- Production process
- Standard(s) being followed
The officials will further conduct the sampling process to pick sample(s) from the finished lots for lab testing.
Step 3: Testing Of Sample(S) & Report Generation
The selected sample(s) shall be subjected to the following tests to determine whether or not they are eligible to be sold in the market. The qualified products have permission to bear the mandatory ISI marking.
- Performance test
- Impact test
- Adhesion Test on Moulded Bottoms
After the completion of these tests, the lab will generate a detailed performance report enclosing their findings and outcomes of the tests being performed.
Step 4: Collection of a Report
The lab shall inform the applicant about the finalization of the test report preparation and prompt them to collect the same. The intimation regarding the test report collection shall be shared by the lab on the registered contact details of the applicant.
The applicant should collect the lab report on time as such reports adhere to a limited validity period.
Step 5: Lab Report Review and Accord of BIS License
In this step, the authority will thoroughly check the lab report to determine whether or not the sample(s) conform to underlying requirements for performance. This will serve as the basis that enables the authority to decide whether or not to grant the license.
Conclusion
After securing BIS Certification for Leather Safety Footwear Molded PVC Sole, the applicant firm can apply ISI marking on their products. Take note that the illegal use of such mark can incur severe penalties for the defaulters.
Also Read:
What Is BIS Certification In India?
How To Obtain BIS Certification In India?
BIS ISI Certification For Ordinary Portland Cement
