Protective Clothing

[littlealison]

Hello again.
I've just discovered that SPATS (aka 'Spatterdashes') were first worn as protective clothing by foundry workers - to prevent hot splashes of metal getting into their shoes.
I'd like to know if glass workers also wore them. It seems logical, but I can't find any record of this.
Ideas please? - Alison.

[Currie]

Hello Alison,

It probably would depend on what time period you are looking at.

In Parliamentary Papers in 1911 there’s mention of a Mr Cooper (Glasgow) referring to one employer as having provided his employees with stout leather spats to wear over their boots during casting operations. This was to do with foundry work and the number of accidents due to molten metal was described as very large. This was a report by the Chief Inspector of Factories. There’s no mention of any particular danger as far as glass workers were concerned.

The impression I get from googling around is that the use of spats in foundries was a bit of a novelty in 1911 and wasn’t compulsory or a least wasn’t enforced until fairly recent times. The main problem seems to have been workers reluctance to wear safety gear even when it was made available.

When I think of foundries I think of burning heat and flying sparks and I doubt that glass making produced the same sort of dangerous environment. But I’m just guessing there. Probably any 19th century glass worker who put on a pair of spats to protect his feet would have been regarded as a bit of a sissy.

All the best,
Alan

[littlealison]

Hello again, Alan.
- they still call molten glass 'metal' and as far as I know, bottleworks were pretty dangerous places.
I think if you got a drip between your shoe and your foot you would know about it! but you may be right about the workers not wanting to wear the things.
I've been looking at images, and find very few that show the workers' feet, never mind what is on them.
Some wear boots with high lacing, Most have longish trousers. However I did find one at https://tokecity.com/forums/showthread.php4?t=33948 in which one man definitely has something over his shoes.

They seem to have become fashion items.....one of my relatives emigrated to Canada in 1920, and was told by his brother when he met him off the boat - he must have been all dolled up for his arrival - "Richard said his brother met him at the station and said “you’ll have to get rid of the bowler, the walking stick and the spats”. " I can just imagine him.

Thanks, anyway - Alison