HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL ARTS AND INDUSTRIAL ARTS By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H. Arts and industrial arts courses can expose both students and teachers to a wide variety of hazardous art materials and processes. Children in elementary schools should only use non-toxic art materials because of their greater susceptibility to chemicals and because they cannot be expected to carry out precautions carefully and consistently. (See CSA data sheet "Children's Art Supplies Can Be Toxic"). In junior high school however, students begin to take advanced visual arts and industrial arts courses. It is in these classes where more complex and potentially hazardous materials are introduced and used. Among the mediums usually offered to this level student are printmaking, photography, woodworking and metalworking. The risk of injury or illness for both students and teachers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, equipment and methods, is real unless suitable precautions are taken and safety measures obeyed. (Refer to the detailed chart for specific hazards by medium and recommendations for their safe use.) In addition, certain individuals, such as pregnant women and disabled persons, might even be at higher risk. Unfortunately, in many schools, suitable precautions are not being taken because there is inadequate knowledge about the hazards of materials and processes and the necessary safety precautions. As a result, both students and teachers are becoming ill. Examples of illnesses that have been reported in junior and senior high school students and teachers include chemical pneumonia from cadmium-containing silver solders, asthma from pottery kiln gases, lead poisoning from lead-based enamels and pottery glazes, brain damage from solvent-based silk screen printing inks and solvents, skin allergies from dichromate photoemulsions, and hearing loss from noise in industrial arts shops. In addition many injuries have resulted from accidents with machinery, and numerous fires started from the use of such flammable materials as lacquer thinners, shellacs, and other solvents without proper precautions and storage procedures. Aside from the serious illnesses, injuries and property damage that can result from chemical exposure, accidents or fire, the school system can be open to possible workers' compensation suits if a teacher is injured, or even a lawsuit if the injured party was a student. In the latter case, the supervising teacher might also be sued. Private schools are required under the Occupational Safety and Health Law of 1970 to "provide safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women." In most states, similar state laws cover public schools. Many states have passed Right-To-Know Laws which give employees the right to know about the hazards of materials with which they work and require training in these hazards and suitable precautions. Although these laws do not protect students directly, protecting the teacher in the classroom and providing for a healthful working environment, can help protect the student. The National Art Education Association makes available liability insurance to art teachers who are members. In addition many school boards of education cover teachers under their policies. It is important to investigate these avenues of liability insurance and determine the extent of coverage under all conditions as to who and what is covered. PLANNING A SAFE CLASSROOM If you can't do it safely, don't do it. This is one of the basic rules in making an arts or industrial arts classroom safe for both students and teachers. Before an art material or process is used in a given classroom, there should be an evaluation of the particular classroom environment to see if the technique can be done safely or whether modifications to the classroom can be made to make it safe. In many instances, budget limitations might make it impossible to make these modifications and a substitute material or technique should be found. It is well understood that many school budgets are tight: some of the suggestions that follow may seem costly. However, as a school system develops plans for enhancing the safety of all art and industrial arts studios and classrooms, these costs can be built into the budget, knowing that the return will, in the long run, be well worth the money. Many suggestions to follow involve removing offending items from studios and classrooms. This costs nothing at all. It will however involve re-thinking and re-evaluating the curriculum in terms of finding different materials and media which can be safely used as substitutes. HAZARDS OF ART MATERIALS AND PROCESSES The chemicals found in art and industrial art materials can cause a wide variety of occupational illnesses, including damage to skin, eyes, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, nervous system, and the reproductive system. Illnesses that appear after a single exposure - for example, skin burns from contact with concentrated acids - are called acute illnesses. Because of the swift onset of symptoms it is fairly simple to relate the exposure source to the health problem. Other occupational diseases, called chronic illnesses, only develop after months, years, or even decades of exposure to a chemical, often at fairly low concentrations. The chemicals causing these chronic illnesses are much more insidious and difficult to identify because of the prolonged latency period of the disease. One example is asbestosis or cancer from long term exposure to asbestos fibers. How Chemicals Enter the Body For a chemical in an art material to harm you, it first must contact or enter the body. There are three ways in which this can occur: skin contact, inhalation and ingestion. Skin contact Some chemicals, for example acids used in etching, or solvents like lacquer and paint thinners, can directly irritate the skin to cause a variety of skin problems. Other chemicals - called sensitizers - can cause skin allergies, for example formaldehyde found in some color photography solutions, turpentine, epoxy glues and resins, nickel and chromium compounds, and many tropical woods. Many toxic chemicals, however, do not just damage the skin itself, but can actually be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, where they can affect other parts of the body. Examples are methyl alcohol found in some shellacs and duplicating fluids, toluene found in lacquer thinners and silk screen inks, and glycol ethers found in photoetching materials. If the skin's protective barrier is broken by cuts, burns, rashes, etc., then chemicals which would not normally be absorbed through the skin may in fact do so. Inhalation If the material is airborne, the concern is primarily inhalation. Examples include solvent vapors from paints, inks, thinners, etc.; spray mists from air brush or aerosol spray cans; gases from photographic baths, pottery kiln firing, and welding; metal fumes from soldering, welding and metal casting; and dusts from dyes and pigments, pottery glazes, and woodworking Some of the chemicals in these materials can cause lung damage - for example, silicosis from inhalation of silica-contaaining clays and chemical pneumonia from inhaling fumes from cadmium-containing silver solders. Others can be absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to organs where they can cause such problems as lead poisoning, nerve damage, kidney damage, and reproductive damage - including miscarriages and birth defects. Ingestion With young children (and possibly older retarded individuals), deliberate ingestion is a serious concern. Even older children and adults, however, can be poisoned by eating, drinking, smoking, or applying make-up in the shop or classroom where their art materials can contaminate these items. Pointing paintbrushes with your mouth and other habits such as nail biting can also result in ingestion of toxic art materials. RISK FACTORS A variety of factors can influence how great a risk you or your students are taking when working with your art or industrial arts materials. Two people, exposed to the same chemical under the same conditions, will quite possibly react differently; one might get ill, while the other would not. The reason for this is that they have different personal susceptibilities. Many groups of people can be at higher risk than others for a variety of reasons. Examples of high risk groups, as they are called, include children and adolescents. From a physiological perspective, they are still growing and have a more rapid metabolism than adults. As a result they absorb toxic materials into their bodies more readily. Other members of the high risk group include the elderly - because of their deteriorating body systems, smokers, heavy drinkers, asthmatics, people with liver, kidney, heart of lung damage, and a wide range of disabled persons because of their disabilities or medications that might make their bodies more vulnerable to particular chemicals or conditions. The final group member would be the pregnant woman or teenager. It is important to have available material explaining the special risks involved, especially in the first trimester, since often the student will not share the knowledge of her personal condition with the art teacher and special precautions will not be taken. Pregnant teachers are at even greater risk of birth defects and miscarriages because of their longer exposure time in the art room. Refer to CSA publication "Reproductive Hazards In the Arts and Crafts." The Disabled Individual In many regular classrooms, as a result of mainstreaming, and also many special education classes, disabilities or medications may put disabled students at high risk of illness and/or injury from exposure to certain classroom environmental factors such as noise, machinery, solvents or other substances. Chemicals used in art or shop classes can more easily damage body organs that are already damaged, or the chemicals might interact adversely with medications. Under these conditions, precautions that protect the non-disabled, might not be sufficient to protect the disabled. Procedures need to be developed which would enable a school placement committee to evaluate any potential high risks for a disabled person. An evaluation of proposed classroom environments could determine whether, or how the adolescent can be placed safely in a given class. Recommendations for safe placement could include possible alterations to the classroom environment or procedural revisions that would make the classroom safe. For a full discussion on high risk groups including the visually impaired, the retarded, asthmatic, students on medication, emotionally disturbed or the hearing impaired student refer to CSA publication, "Teaching Art Safely to the Disabled" and/or "Children's Art Supplies Can Be Toxic. " Specific Risk Factors The specific risk factors affecting exposure limits and tolerance are: 1) Amount of exposure The larger the amount of material use, the greater the risk. For example, using a quart of paint thinner is much more hazardous than working with a half-cup. 2) Length and Frequency of exposure How long and how often you work determines the total amount of a chemical that can possibly enter the body. There is a much greater risk from working with a chemical several hours daily than for ten minute, once a week. For this reason, students are often at much less of a risk than their teachers, since the teachers are in the classroom or shop for greater lengths of time. 3) Conditions of exposure The precautions taken when working with any given chemical will determine the degree to which it can cause bodily harm. Precautions such as adequate ventilation, good housekeeping, and personal protective equipment can reduce your risk of overexposure. Basically, if the chemical does not get into or onto the body, then there is no risk. 4) Toxicity The more toxic a material is, the less it takes to cause body damage. While small amounts of highly toxic lead compounds can cause lead poisoning, it would take very large amounts of slightly toxic iron oxide to poison you. 5) Total body burden The total body burden of a chemical is the total exposure to that chemical from all possible sources. For example, the total body burden of lead would be the total accumulation of lead in the body from car exhaust fumes, in drinking water coming through lead pipes, in food from the solder in tin cans, in addition to the amount coming from such art materials as lead white paint, lead-containing pottery glazes and copper enamels, and solders from stained glass, etc. 6) Multiple exposures Frequently you are exposed to more than one chemical at a time. Additive damage to the body occurs as each chemical causes a certain degree of damage, with the total damage being the sum of each chemical's effect. An example of this additive effect would be lung damage from being exposed to both irritating nitrogen dioxide from nitric acid etching and to chlorine gas from Dutch Mordant, also used in etching. Sometimes, however, a more serious synergistic or multiplicative effect can occur when the damage from exposure to both chemicals is much greater than would be anticipated from the individual exposures. Many people know that this synergism can occur due to drinking alcoholic beverages while taking medications such as barbiturates. Other known examples of synergistic interactions are smoking and working with asbestos, and nerve damage fron exposure to n-hexane (found in rubber cement) and methyl ethyl ketone (found in many lacquer thinners). GENERAL PRECAUTIONS The following are some simple precautions you can take to make your classroom or shop safe for both you and your students. Once again, the primary concern is the most basic one: Don't do it if you cannot do it safely. The chart on pages 4 and 5 lists specific recommendations for many techniques often found in secondary school art and industrial art programs. More detailed information on these precautions can be found by consulting the references listed at the end of this data sheet, especially Artists Beware and Health Hazards Manual for Artists. 1) Know Your Materials You must know the composition of your art materials in order to find out their hazards and suitable precautions. Unfortunately, most labels only list the ingredients that cause acute or immediate hazards, and not the ingredients that can cause long-term or chronic hazards. Even a "non-toxic" label can be misleading since until 1988 an art material could be labeled non-toxic if it passed only the acute toxicity tests of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Art materials with the CL (Certified Label) seal of the Arts and Crafts Materials Institute (ACMI) also have the chronic or long-term hazards listed on their label. Several states have also passed laws that mandate chronic hazard labeling of art Materials. And in October 1988 Congress passed the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act which mandates chronic hazards warnings where needed on all art materials by October 1990. For more detailed information on the composition, hazards and precautions associated with art materials, you should also request Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on your products from the distributor or manufacturer. This should be a part of bid procedures and you should have a MSDS for every product in the shop or classroom. For help in interpreting the information contained in the various sections of the form, contact the Information Center of CSA. 2) Choose the safest materials possible In secondary schools, students are old enough to learn to work with hazardous materials. However the most dangerous materials - for example, cadmium-containing silver solders, lead pottery glazes and enamels, and asbestos - should be eliminated from secondary schools. In particular, do not use materials with "professional/industrial use only" on the label. Whenever possible replace solvent-containing materials with water-based materials to eliminate solvent inhalation problems. Buy wet materials such as prepared clay, aqueous dye solutions, and water-based glazes rather than the dry powders. Avoid materials that contain chemicals that can cause cancer or adverse reproductive effects. 3) "Use with adequate ventilation" This phrase, appearing on many product labels, needs some definition. Contrary to popular belief, it does not mean an open door or window since you have no control over wind direction or intensity. For example, the wind might blow the contaminants in your face. It also does not mean an air conditioner as the air simply recirculates - even on "vent" - whatever contaminants are around. So what is adequate ventilation? There are two types of ventilation for control of toxic contaminants: dilution ventilation and local exhaust ventilation. Dilution ventilation involves bringing in clean air to mix with the contaminated air in the classroom and diluting the contaminaints to a safe level, and then removing the air with an exhaust fan. Dilution ventilation is not good for large amounts of solvents - for example printing with solvent-based silk screen inks, for highly toxic solvents like those in lacquer thinners, or for dusts. Local exhaust ventilation, on the other hand, uses hoods, spray booths, etc. to capture the contaminants where they are generated before they can get into the general room air. The contaminants are then exhausted to the outside through ducts. Examples of local exhaust systems needed in the arts and industrial arts include: canopy hoods over all kilns, movable exhaust hoods for welding, spray booths for air brush and spraying, and slot hoods or enclosed hoods for acid etching. Local exhaust ventilation usually uses much smaller quantities of air then dilution ventilation, an advantage in these days of higher energy costs. As a result, local exhaust ventilation is preferred. For small scale work, placing the work station immediately in front of a window exhaust fan at work level will be sufficient. Contaminated exhaust air from dilution and local exhaust ventilation systems should be completely exhausted to the outside and not recirculated. Spark-proof construction of exhaust systems and placing fans outside the airstream is important for all ventilation ductwork systems exhausting flammable solvents. Fans should be located on the roof or outside so all ducts are under negative pressure. All components of dilution ventilation systems and local exhaust ventilation systems, such as hoods, ducts, fans, etc., should undergo regular checking and maintenance procedures. For further information on ventilation of art classrooms and industrial arts shops, see Ventilation, by Nancy Clark, Thomas Cutter and Jean-Ann McGrane. 4) Protect against fire A major problem in many art classrooms and industrial arts shops is the proper storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids. Do not smoke or have open flames, sparks or static electricity near flammable liquids or gases. Fire safety equipment that should be available in appropriate areas can include sprinkler systems, safety cans for dispensing of flammable solvents, oily waste cans for disposal of solvent-soaked rags, approved solvent disposal cans, flammable storage cabinets, and proper fire extinguishers. There are many laboratories and authorities that approve protective equipment for use in art or industrial art type room. It is important to buy only those products which bear an approved seal or are listed as such in the catalogue. Purchasing your safety equipment from a reputable dealer or manufacturer is one step in making certain that the products are approved by the various authorities. In most instances either Class ABC multipurpose dry chemical or Class BC carbon dioxide or dry chemical fire extinguishers are required. Teachers and other personnel should be trained in proper fire emergency procedures and the use of fire extinguishers. Students should also have fire safety orientation and some training in the use of fire extinguishers. This training should include information on when it is appropriate to use a fire extinguisher. 5) Clean up carefully Always clean up spills immediately. For dusts, wet mop or vacuum; never sweep-this stirs up the dust. For clay and other highly toxic dusts, the vacuum cleaner should be equipped with a special (HEPA) filter. 6) Store and dispose of art materials safely In general only order amounts of hazardous art materials needed for one semester. This is particularly important for flammable liquids since storing large amounts of flammable liquids is an unnecessary risk. Materials that can react with each other should never be stored in close proximity - for example, ammonia should never be stored next to acids. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) contain information on reactivity of materials. See the references for information on proper storage of chemicals. Old art materials or art materials such as lead glazes which are being eliminated from the art program must be disposed of safely. There should be a standard procedure for the disposal of unwanted materials that may be hazardous. Do not pour solvents down the sink. Small amounts -less than a pint- can be disposed of safely by evaporation inside a local exhaust hood or outdoors. For large amount, contact a waste disposal service. In many schools, the chemistry department already has such contacts. Non-polluting materials dissolved in water can be poured down the sink one at a time with lots of water, if local regulations permit. Acids and alkalis should always be neutralized first. Get help from the chemistry department of your school if you have any questions as to the appropriate neutralizing agents. 7) Have appropriate safety and personal protective equipment In addition to appropriate fire prevention equipment, classrooms need other safety equipment. An eyewash fountain is essential in all shops and classrooms containing eye irritants. This should be of the type that connects to the water supply and can flush both eyes at the saem time. If you are using concentrated acids and alkalis, there should also be an emergency shower. Both eyewash stations and emergency showers should be checked regularly to make certain that they are in good working order. All classrooms and shops should have accessible and complete first aid kits. Suitable and individual personal protective equipment (such as gloves, goggles, respirators and ear plugs) should be provided or made available to those requiring such equipment. Selection of equipment should be centralized to ensure that proper equipment is chosen. If respirators are needed written procedures should be developed to include medical screening, training in the use and limitations of the equipment, and fit testing. Such a written program is mandatory for the wearing of respirators according to OSHA regulations. Students should never have to wear respirators. Wearing of personal protective equipment should be mandatory for art processes where it is needed to prevent injury. Records should be kept of operations requiring the wearing of personal protective equipment. 8) Operate machinery safely Keep or put machine guards on all machinery, as required by OSHA regulations. Keep equipment and electrical wiring in good repair. Ground electrical equipment and do not overload the wiring. 9) Carry out regular inspections The art classroom or shop should be regularly inspected to ensure that materials are stored safely, ventilation is working, machines have their guards attached, safety and personal protective equipment are present and in good condition, etc. Developing a checklist is one of the best ways to do this. TEACHING SAFELY As teachers, you have the major responsibility for ensuring the safety of the students. This is not limited to having a safe classroom for students. You also have the major responsibility for ensuring that students receive adequate safety instruction and that they are properly supervised. In fact many state laws hold that teachers are in loco parentis to their students. This means that teachers must exercise greater care in preventing student injuries than would be expected of an ordinary reasonable and prudent person. Failure to do so is negligence, and if this negligence resulted in an injury to a student, then the teacher could be held liable both financially and professionally. The following are some rules to ensure that you best protect your students and yourself. 1) Instruct Students In Safety Information on the hazards of art materials and techniques should be incorporated into all classes and students should be tested on this material as they are in other areas. Preferably this instruction should include some written information (e.g. data sheets, written safety rules, books). However other forms of instruction such as audio-visual aids are also useful. Documentation of this safety instruction should be made and filed (including copies of the tests and instructional materials). 2) Supervise Students Carefully For both safety and liability reasons, there should always be adequate supervision of students in classrooms. Safety rules such as wearing personal protective equipment, banning of smoking and no horseplay should be rigidly enforced. Students should never be allowed to work in the classroom without direct super- vision. In addition students should never be allowed to bring in their own art materials since they could contain unknown hazards. 3) Be Aware Of Special Needs Of Disabled Or Other High Risk Students Some students, such as emotionally disturbed students, physically disabled students, or pregnant students might need special supervision and attention. In some instances they might not be able to use the same materials and processes as other students. In particular pregnant students should not be exposed to hazardous airborne chemicals (this also, of course, applies to pregnant teachers). Careful evaluation is needed in each case to determine what special precautions might be necessary, or whether the student should be in the classroom at all. 4) Be Prepared For Emergencies You should have written emergency procedures and instruct students in them. This can include fire drill procedures, use of fire extinguishers, proper spill control procedures, how to shut down processes and machinery in an emergency, what to do in case of an accident, and who to contact in an emergency. 5) Report All Accidents And Illnesses All accidents - even minor ones such as a small cut - illnesses suspected of being related to art materials, spills, and other near misses should be reported in writing to your principal or other designated person(s) so that an investigation can be made and corrective action taken. 6) Enforce Good Personal Work Practices * Do not allow eating, drinking or smoking in the classroom or shop. * Wash chemical splashes off the skin with lots of water. * In case of eye contact, rinse with water for at least 15-20 minutes and call a doctor. * Do not wash hands with solvents; use soap and water. To remove oil paints, or oil-based inks, use baby oil and then soap and water. * Do not allow loose long hair, loose sleeves, necklaces around machinery. 7) Set An Example For Students As teachers, you must obey the safety regulations yourself in order to impress on the students the seriousness of these rules. HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMS The establishment of a formal health and safety program is an essential step towards a safe and health environment for art students and teachers. It is a proven way to prevent injuries and illnesses due to overexposure to chemicals, fires or accidents. An effective health and safety program can also result in lowered workers' compensation claims, reduce the likelihood of negligence suits by injured students, lower insurance premiums, and provide a mechanism to ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and state Right-To-Know laws. An effective health and safety program should be organized at the school district level since similar problems are found in different schools. A formal health and safety program should have certain characteristics: 1. It must be recognized and supported by top administrative levels of the school district. This is essential for the program to compete for funds and staff time, to exert authority and to initiate activities. 2. There must be specific individuals designated as responsible for the functioning of the health and safety program and who are accountable for its operation. 3. There must be defined approved activities which are aimed at carrying out the objectives of the health and safety program. Health and Safety Committees One of the most effective ways to involve others in the health and safety program is through the formation of a district-wide Health and Safety Committee. In addition, each school should have its own health and safety committee. For schools with large arts and industrial arts departments, it might even be advantageous to have departmental health and safety committees to specifically deal with the many hazards found in these departments. For a complete discussion on health and safety programs and committees consult the CSA publication entitled, "A Health and Safety Program for Arts Organizations." RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ART/INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS This chart lists specific recommendations for ventilation and substitutes for hazardous arts and industrial arts techniques. These recommendations are advisory in nature based on current av- ailable information. It important to maintain current information on the hazards of art materials and available substitutes. Technique Major Hazards Recommendations Airbrush - water-based pigments,dyes Use with local exhaust such as a spray booth. - solvent-based solvents Do not use. Auto mechanics asbestos Do not clean brake drums. degreasing Have local exhaust for degreasing tanks. carbon monoxide Have local exhaust for tailpipe exhaust. body fillers Have good dilution ventilation for epoxy and polyester body fillers. Batik wax fumes Melt wax at lowest possible temperature. Ironing out requires local exhaust ventilation. dye powders Use water-based liquid dyes or mix powders in box with glass top and holes in sides for arms. Ceramics clay dust Do not use dry clay due to silica hazards. Use pre-mixed clay instead and avoid dustmaking clay projects. glazes Do not use lead glazes or frits. Use prepared glazes. kiln firing All kilns require canopy hoods or separate room with good dilution ventilation. Commercial Art rubber cement Requires at least 10 air permanent markers changes/hour dilution ventilation. Waxers and water-based markers are good substitutes. spray adhesives Use only in explosion proof spray booth or outdoors. air brush See Air brush Drawing - pencil See General Precautions. - charcoal See General Precautions - pen and ink solvents Need at least 10 air changes/hour dilution ventilation for solvent- based inks. Enameling lead, arsenic Do not use enamels that contain lead. Use lead-free enamels. kiln Requires canopy hood or window exhaust fan. Forging noise Forging should be done in separate room and students need hearing protectors. carbon monoxide Hot forging furnace requires canopy hood. Intaglio nitric acid Acid trays and sinks hydrochloric require slot exhaust or acid laboratory hood. A substitute for nitric acid is ferric chloride. photoetches Do not use unless have local exhaust ventilation because of reproductive hazards. solvents Requires local exhaust ventilation for plate cleaning and at least 10 air changes/hour for small amounts of general solvent use. aquatinting Rosin boxes should be explosion-proof; cans of spray paint should be used outdoors or in a spray booth. Jewelry silver solders Do not use cadmium- fluxes containing silver solders or fluoride fluxes. Requires local exhaust. pickling baths Requires local exhaust. Use Sparex not sulfuric acid. Lithography solvents Use local exhaust for roller cleaning and have at least 10 air changes/ hour for small scale solvent use. vinyl lacquers Do not use. dichromates Do not use dichromate fountain solutions or phototechniques. Metal casting carbon monoxide Gas-fired furnace requires canopy hood. burnout kiln Wax burnout kiln requires canopy hood. Painting - acrylic See General Precautions - alkyds solvents See Painting, oils. - gouache See General Precautions - oil mineral spirits Do not use oil paints turpentine unless there is adequate dilution ventilation (5000-6000 cfm/pint evaporated/hr.) Use water-based paints instead. - tempera See General Precautions - watercolor See General Precautions Pastels pigment dust Do not blow off excess dust; tap it off. Alternative is oil pastels. spray fixative Use only in spray booth or outdoors. Photography - black and white sulfur dioxide Requires 170 cfm of acetic acid dilution ventilation. sulfide or Requires local exhaust selenium toners ventilation. - color solvents Requires local exhaust formaldehyde, etc. ventilation. - blueprinting carbon arcs Do not use carbon arcs. Use sunlight. - brownprinting silver nitrate Do not spray silver nitrate because of the possible eye damage. - diazo copiers ammonia Requires local exhaust. Relief printing solvents Use water-based inks. Sculpture - clay See Ceramics - plastic resins polyester Do not use. polyurethane Do not use. epoxy Use with dilution ventilation. - plastics decomposition Have local exhaust if products burning plastics. Good dilution ventilation is sufficient for hot wire cutting, heating, etc. - plaster See General Precautions - stone asbestos, silica Soapstones, steatites, etc. should be analysed for asbestos. Alabaster is a safer substitute. - wax decomposition Melt wax at lowest products possible temperature. Have canopy hood for wax burnout. - wood See Woodworking Silk screen solvents Do not use solvent-based inks and stencils. Use water-based inks and paper stencils. dichromates Do not use dichromate photoemulsions. Use diazo photoemulsions. Stained glass lead came Use with local exhaust solders, fluxes ventilation. Also requires careful wet mopping and personal hygiene. Weaving See General Precautions. Welding metal fumes Use slot hoods for bench toxic gases welding and movable exhausts for other welding. Do not use galvanized or found metals. Woodworking wood dust Equip dust-producing machines with dust collectors. CCA-treated wood Do not use chromated copper arsenate-treated wood. solvents Use water-based paints glues whenever possible. spraying should only be done in explosion-proof spray booth. formaldehyde Do not use formaldehyde containing glues. SOURCES OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE 1. The Center for Safety in the Arts (CSA), 5 Beekman Street, New York, N.Y. 10038 (212) 227-6220. The Art Hazards Information Center of CSA will answer written and telephoned inquiries on art hazards including compliance with Right-To-Know Laws and other art hazards related legislation, site-specific problems, referrals to physicians, etc. CSA also has a wide variety of educational and consultative services and programs including providing lecturers, courses, on-site inspections, and planning consultative services. 2. OSHA State Consultative Services OSHA funds free consultative services in each state. These are operated by the state or by universities. They will do an OSHA-like inspection, however they are not an enforcement agency. The only time they would report findings to OSHA would be in the case of imminent danger situations. 3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Robert A. Taft Laboratories/4676 Columbia Parkway. Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. (Check with CSA for regional office addresses and telephone numbers.) NIOSH and its regional offices can answer inquiries about health and safety and investigate hazardous worksites. This program is particularly useful where medical problems are occurring and their source is uncertain. NIOSH can also provide medical evaluations during such a survey. The regional offices distribute publications and are also an excellent resource for information about other local sources of help. 4. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 470 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269 (617) 770-3000. There are many other good sources of information including The American Red Cross, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Society of Safety Engineers, American Industrial Hygiene Association, The National Safety Council, Arts and Crafts Materials Institute (ACMI), American Welding Society, your local insurance carrier, Environmental Health Departments of Universities, among others. For further information on any of the above, contact CSA. REFERENCES A. M. Best Company. Best's Safety Directory. 2 Volumes. Oldwick, N.J. Updated regularly. American Mutual Assurance Alliance. Handbook of Organic Industrial Solvents. 6th Edition, Chicago (1986). * American National Standards Institute. Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection. ANSI Z87.1-1979. New York (1980). Babin, Angela, Perri Peltz, and Monona Rossol. "Children's Art Supplies Can Be Toxic." Center for Safety in the Arts, New York (1988). * Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. Series of one-page data sheets on various topics. * - Chain Saws (6 pp) - Hand Tools (16 pp) - Welding (17 pp) - Woodworking (10 pp) Center for Safety in the Arts. "A Health and Safety Program for Arts Organizations." CSA, New York (1985). * Clark, Nancy; Thomas Cutter and Jean-Ann McGrane. Ventilation Nick Lyons Books. New York (1984). * Firenze, Robert B. and James B. Walters. Safety and Health for Industrial/Vocational Education for Supervisors and Instructors. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Washington, D.C. (1981). Gosselin, Robert; Roger Smith and Harold Hodge. Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products. 5th Edition, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore M.D. (1984). Graham, Charles D., Ed. Pennsylvania Industrial Arts Safety Guide. 2nd Edition, Pennsylvania Department of Education and Industrial Arts Association of Pennsylvania (1981). International Labor Office. Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health. 2 Volumes, 3rd Edition. Geneva, Switzerland (1983). McCann, Michael. Artist Beware, 2nd ed. Lyons and Burford Publishers, New York (1992). * McCann, Michael. Health Hazards Manual for Artists. 3rd Edition. Nick Lyons Books, New York (1985). * McCann, Michael. "Teaching Art Safely to the Disabled." Center for Safety in the Arts, New York (1987).* National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. - The Industrial Environment: Its Evaluation and Control. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (1973). - A Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection. DHEW (NIOSH) #76-189. Government Printing Office, Washington,D.C. (1976). - NIOSH Certified Equipment List As of September 1, 1983. DHEW (NIOSH) #83-122. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (1983). Updated regularly. - Occupational Diseases: A Guide to Their Recognition. Revised Edition, Government Printing Office, Washington,D.C. (1977). - 1980 Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, Two volumes. DHEW (NIOSH) #81-116. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (1981). Patty, Frank; Editor Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. Volume Two/3 Parts. Third Edition, Interscience Publishers, New York (1982) Qualley, Charles. Safety In The Art Room. Davis Publications. Worcester, M.A. (1986). * Sax, N. Irving. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 6th Edition, Van Nostrand-Reinhold, New York (1984). Updated regularly. Shaw, Susan. Overexposure: Health Hazards In Photography. Friends of Photography, California (1983). * Strong, Merle; Editor. Accident Prevention Manual For Training Programs. Revised edition, American Technical Society (1975). U.S. Department of Labor. General Industry Occupational Safety and Health Standards 29 CFR. 1910 Federal Register (June 1981). Updated regularly. (c) Copyright Center for Safety in the Arts 1986, 1989.