Spoggles

So, for those of you not in the environmental health and safety field, I feel I should do a quick follow-up post for the manga I just posted. In section #2 of my latest manga, "The Industrious Hygienist: Keeper of the Safety Box," I use the word "spoggles."

Spoggles is, I admit, a strange word.

This term made one of my report reviewers giggle while reviewing a report, and she commented that it couldn't be a real word since it was so strange. Sorry, W.H., it's sort of a real word. (TRUTH: I thought my clients were making fun of me when they first asked if I had spoggles in my safety gear bag.)  

Spoggles is an industry term for safety eyewear designed to prevent airborne dust and debris from getting in our eyeballs. Airborne dust and debris is a leading cause of eye injuries in today's workplaces.

Spoggles = Safety + Goggles, with a random "p" thrown in there since "sgoggles" or "sagoggles" or "safoggles" sound even weirder. Or maybe it means something else. (?)

Hornet DX "Spoggles"

An example, the Hornet DX. No, I don't own stock or anything in the company, I just think they look comfy and about as cool as you can look in safety glasses/goggles.

The glasses/goggles are supposed to seal up against your face (via the foam inserts at the interior edges of the lenses), and keep dust out of your eyes. Some fun potential issues with spoggles, and reasons why people sometimes choose not to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing work in a dusty environment:

• the glasses fog up
• the glasses can get scratched so it is hard to see
• the foam can get "smushed" (technical term) and be less effective
• when you take off your glasses, the dust that was at the top and sides/edges of the glasses (and in your eyebrows) can fall right into your eye anyway
• some people think they look nerdy (also a technical term)
• the earpieces can irritate the heck out of the back of your ears

But looking nerdy and having to take care of your PPE and using good personal hygiene while at work are a small price to pay compared to losing your eyesight or getting a nasty infection in your eye from contaminated dust.


Keep a supply of spoggles on hand. With some lanyards. And some no-fog.



I thought about posting some horrible pictures of eye injuries, but I think I'll keep this post more light-hearted.

So, to sum up: spoggles are real. Spoggles are good. Spoggles may save your eyesight. Wear them if you have them.