This guide has been prepared to assist Fine Arts faculty in establishing and maintaining safe and healthy working conditions in their art studios and shops. There are many hazardous materials and processes associated with art media. Exposure to these materials can affect the artist’s health through ingestion, inhalation, skin contact or absorption through the skin and mucous membranes. Some types of exposures are cumulative, meaning that materials entering the body are not flushed out and may accumulate in the body. Another hazard is the risk of multiple exposures. Some materials may be relatively safe when used alone, but can become hazardous when combined with other materials. Since it is impossible to test all combinations, artists should exercise care to eliminate or minimize their exposure to potentially harmful substances.
There are several factors that influence the harmful effects of materials on the human body. The body may be able to tolerate one source of contamination, such as the occasional exposure to gasoline vapors while filling a gas tank. However, when other contaminants such as exposure to certain art materials and solvents are added to the body’s total exposure to harmful substances (body burden), the health risk increases. This same principle applies to any harmful material, especially those that pose a chronic health hazard.
Age is another factor to consider. Elderly people are at greater risk of the harmful effects from hazardous materials than younger and middle-aged adults. Special precautions are necessary for pregnant women and all women of childbearing age to prevent exposure to harmful substances, which increase the potential for birth defects.
The health affects of harmful substances on the body can be categorized as acute or chronic.
Acute Exposure– The affects on the body are felt immediately or very shortly after exposure, e.g., acid burn, sneezing, coughing and respiratory tract irritation from vapors, fumes or dusts.
Chronic Exposure– The effects are not noticed for several hours, days or years following exposure. For example, short term but frequent exposure to fumes, dusts, and vapors from solvents, paints and varnishes, which can lead to heart and lung diseases, digestive ailments, memory loss, and cancer.
The most common ways that an artist can be exposed to harmful substances are through ingestion, inhalation, skin contact and absorption through the skin and mucous membranes.
Ingestion: Substances can enter the body if a person is accustomed to eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tobacco while at work. Using eating utensils and containers to mix art materials is a dangerous practice, because it is not always possible to remove all traces of a material by washing. Not washing hands after working and before eating can allow harmful material to enter the mouth. Symptoms of hazardous substance ingestion can vary from immediate discomfort, nausea and pain to delayed reactions that are difficult to link to any single event.
Inhalation: Harmful substances can be carried into the body through the respiratory tract and then absorbed into the lungs, transferred to the blood stream and then to virtually every organ of the body. Some of the symptoms are immediate, such as sneezing, coughing, burning sensation, dizziness or headache, while other symptoms take longer to surface, depending on the nature of the substance. Smoking while working can intensify the rate and the effects of inhalation.
Skin Contact: A common result of exposure to a harmful substance is skin irritation resulting in redness, rash, itching or blisters. Some substances, such as acid, will cause an immediate reaction. Exposure to other substances may take several days or years before they affect the skin.
Absorption: Some materials can be absorbed directly through the skin or mucous membranes, or through cuts or breaks in the skin. The harmful materials can then enter the bloodstream and be transferred throughout the body and to vital body organs, e.g., benzene, methylene chloride, toluene.
Preventing Exposure: It is essential that you understand the health hazards associated with the materials you use and know how to protect yourself and others from exposure to them.
· Always review the MSDS for a material before working with it for the first time.
· Read all labels and use the materials according to directions.
· All materials should be labeled for easy identification. All hazardous materials must be labeled to identify hazards as required by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. The 1990 Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act requires labeling of products to identify the potential for chronic health hazards.
· Use materials that do not present a health hazard or substitute less hazardous materials in place of more hazardous materials. There are many substitutions that work effectively, but eliminate or reduce the health hazards. Use water based instead of oil based products. This permits cleaning with water rather than solvents, which pose fire and health hazards.
· When possible, purchase supplies in premixed paste or liquid form instead of powder form. While the initial expense may be higher, the long-term reduction in exposure to health hazards of the dusts is worth it.
· Avoid the use of aerosol sprays, which produce fine mists that can be inhaled. Substitute with liquid formulations whenever possible.
Practice and Teach Safe Work Habits: Health concerns are not limited to the toxic effects of materials. Common hazards in the arts and crafts include the use of hand and power operated cutting, chipping, and sanding tools. Accidents are usually the result of unskilled or careless use of hand tools or power equipment. Preventing these accidents requires an understanding of the operation and correct use of hand tools and power equipment. Also, understanding and practicing preventive maintenance of tools and power equipment is essential to operator safety.
Any process that involves intense heat, chemicals or power equipment requires a systematic approach to identifying potential hazards and designing procedures to prevent accidents. The information below provides guidance that will be helpful in preventing injuries and illnesses.
Personal Protection
· Use safety glasses or goggles to protect the eyes from flying particles
· Wear chemical splash goggles to protect against splashing liquids.
· If face protection is required, use a face shield over safety glasses or goggles.
· Wear hearing protection when operating power equipment. (Use only earplugs or earmuffs that are labeled with the “NRR” (noise reduction rating).
· Wear gloves to protect hands from materials that can be absorbed through the skin or cause skin irritation or abrasions.
· Use tools and equipment for their designed purpose.
· Use extension cords of proper size, inspect them regularly for damage, and keep the cords dry and a way from walking and working surfaces.
· Work in a well-lighted area.
· Be sure machine guards are in place before using power equipment.
· Turn off power supply or unplug equipment before making adjustments or checking for problems.
· When working with or around equipment that can entangle or generate high temperatures, do not wear loose fitting clothing or jewelry and tie back long hair.
· Always review the MSDS for a material before working with it for the first time.
· Post emergency phone numbers for fire, medical, chemical spill, or security emergencies.
Personal Habits
Personal habits include practices that encourage cleanliness and influence the formation of positive attitudes toward health and safety.
· Wash your hands after using art materials. This is the easiest method for preventing contamination of yourself and others with a harmful substance. It is also a basic measure for preventing the spread of viruses and disease.
· Never eat or smoke in the work area. Either activity can lead to ingestion or inhalation of material.
· Do not point paintbrushes between your lips.
· Keep fingernails short, and clean them after each work period.
· Apply hand lotion to restore oils removed by solvents.
· Know the generic terms for both medications you may be taking and the art materials you are using. Medications can compound the effects of certain hazardous substances. Always provide your doctor with precise information about the materials you use in your artwork. Symptoms of chemical poisoning may appear to be cold or flu. A simple test may be able to detect the difference, if your doctor knows what to look for.
· Never consume alcoholic beverages during or shortly before working. Judgment and reaction time can be affected and alcohol adds to the severity of inhalation hazards.
Good Housekeeping
Any process that involves solvents and powders or materials that create dust requires careful attention to good housekeeping.
· Practice and teach good housekeeping.
· Keep work area organized and avoid clutter
· Use disposable covers on surfaces where spills are likely to occur.
· Use disposable material for wipe-ups.
· Clean up spills promptly
· Vacuum rather than sweep dusty workplaces.
Storage
Store art materials in their original containers. If the materials must be transferred to another container, attach the original label or a copy of the label to the new container. Never store materials in containers that resemble food or drink containers.
· Date materials according to when you received them.
· Keep containers tightly closed when not in use to prevent spills and evaporation.
· Properly label all containers to accurately identify contents.
· Cover powders, such as fine sand, clay, talc and glazes.
· Store all flammable solvents in safety cans and flammable storage cabinets.
· Avoid storing large quantities of flammable liquids and materials.
· When soaking brushes in solvent, use a container deep enough that it can be capped with a tight lid.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation should be a primary safety concern in a studio or shop. Ventilation of the work area is important for your safety. A fan blowing air around in a room is not an effective method of ventilation. It simply disperses the vapors throughout the room and building.
· Point-of-Use Ventilation - such as a fume hood removes airborne hazards at the source before they circulate into the work area.
· Dilution Ventilation - consists of a fan that exhausts air from the workspace while another opening allows fresh air to enter. Dilution ventilation is not sufficient for some materials.
· Use a spray booth with an outside exhaust system when using aerosol sprays or generating dusts, fumes, mists or vapors.
· Arrange work area so that dusts, fumes, mists, and vapors are carried away from the face and body.
Adhesives - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Epoxy, formaldehyde resins, white cyanoacrylate glues
Ceramics - respiratory hazard
Clay — powdered aluminum silicates, silicon dioxide; glazes — heavy metal
Dyes - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Fine powders
Acids, alkalis
Glue (Model, Epoxy, General Purpose, etc.) - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, hexane, methylene chloride
Lapidary - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Gems — silicon dioxide;
Adhesives — epoxy
Paint (Latex, Oilbase, Art and Model Paints, etc.) - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, mineral spirits
Paint Thinner and Remover - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Toluene, chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones
Painting - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Heavy metals in pigments — chromium yellow, flake white (lead), lemon yellow (barium chromate), vermilion red (cadmium and mercuric sulfides);
Plastics - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Resins — amino and phenolic thermosetting adhesives, styrene, methyl ethyl ketone, isocyanates
Photography – skin irritant
Solutions used in developer, stop bath
Sculpture - respiratory hazard
Stone - free silica in granite, sandstone, slate
Soldering - respiratory hazard
Heavy metals and fumes — lead, tin, zinc
Spinning/Weaving - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Dusts, molds in fibers
Stain/Varnish/Sealant - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Methylene chloride, mineral spirits, petroleum, methyl and ethyl alcohol, benzene
Wood Finishing - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Organic solvents, petroleum distillates, turpentine, xylene
Wood Stripping - respiratory hazard, skin irritant/hazard
Strippers —methylene chloride, toluene, alcohol, acetone
Woodworking - respiratory hazard
Dust — asthma, allergies, pneumonitis, fibrosis
Additional references:
Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/
The Artist’s Complete Health and
Safety Guide, 3rd. edition, Rossol, Monona
Safety/Environmental Services 11/01