Hello, my name is Dr. Michael McCann and I'm Executive Director of the Center for
Safety in the Arts. I'm a specialist in the hazards of arts and crafts materials
and how to work safely with them. I'm also author of Artist Beware and the Health
Hazards Manual for Artists. This lecture today will discuss the hazards of arts
and crafts materials and explain how to work safely with these materials. The
lecture will be divided into two parts. Part one, which you are now seeing, will
describe who is at risk and what types of occupational illnesses can be caused
by exposure to arts and crafts materials. Part two will describe the precautions
you can take in order to work safely with your art and craft materials. There
are several factors which help determine your degree of risk when you use art and
craft materials. The first factor is the amount of material to which you are
exposed. The greater the amount, the greater the risk. For example, using a
quart of turpentine is more hazardous than using a cup. How long and how often
you are exposed will also affect your risk. Working with a material eight hours
a day, five days a week, is more hazardous than just using that same
material for 15 minutes once a week. Very long work periods, which can occur when
preparing for an exhibit or when finishing up at the end of the school
term, can be particularly hazardous. Safe levels of exposure to chemicals are
based on an eight-hour workday, meaning you have eight hours of exposure and
then 16 hours without exposure, during which time your body can detoxify and
excrete any absorbed chemicals. If, however, you are working for 12 hours a
day, then your body has 12 hours of exposure and only 12 hours in which to
recover. This can result in becoming ill if this prolonged exposure continues
for any length of time. For example, a craftsperson was referred to me by her
physician a few years ago because she had developed chemical hepatitis. She was
coating her artwork with lacquer, using only an open window for ventilation.
Normally, she worked only three to four hours a day. Then, in preparation for the
Christmas season, she started working eight to ten hours a day without any
improvement in precautions. Because of her work conditions and extended
exposures, she developed chemical hepatitis. My recommendations were to
space out her work hours and to install a window exhaust fan. The exposure
conditions, of course, will be crucial in determining the risk. If you have proper
ventilation and other suitable precautions, then you are not directly
exposed to the chemicals and the risk is minimized. The toxicity of a chemical is
a crucial factor since the toxicity determines how much of the chemical it
takes to cause body damage. The more toxic the chemical, the less of the
chemical it takes to injure you. A classic example is the Tylenol cyanide
poisonings. Fatalities have occurred from the ingestion of Tylenol, but it usually
takes at least half an ounce of the Tylenol to cause injury. However, since
cyanide is much more toxic than Tylenol, all it took was one capsule containing
cyanide to be fatal. The moral to be drawn from this is to use the least
toxic art material possible. Another risk factor is the total body burden of a
chemical. The total body burden is the total amount of that chemical in the
body from all possible sources. Lead is a good example of this total body burden
concept. We have lead exposure in everyday life from a number of sources
which include lead in our drinking water leached from lead pipes or copper pipes
which have been joined with lead solders. Lead in our food leached from the lead
solder and tin cans. Lead in our air from living near lead battery plants and
smelters. Lead in auto exhaust fumes from cars using leaded gasoline. All of these
sources can add to our body burden of lead. If in addition you are exposed to
lead from stained glass, bronze casting, pottery glazes and fritz, lead-based
enamels or lead paints, then you are adding to this total body burden of lead.
Your total body burden of lead might then be high enough to cause lead
poisoning. However the above discussion assumes that all we have to worry about
is exposure to one chemical. Unfortunately we're often exposed to a
chemical soup consisting of a wide variety of chemicals. These multiple
exposures can often be more hazardous than exposure to what just one chemical
because of the ways in which chemicals can interact in the body. The simplest
type of interaction is additive where the total effect on the body is the sum
of the effects caused by each separate chemical. If you do arc welding you can
get a certain amount of lung damage from the ozone produced and a certain amount
of lung damage from the nitrogen dioxide. The total amount of lung damage would be
the sum of the damage from the ozone and the nitrogen dioxide. This type of
additive interaction is similar for chemicals that affect other body organs.
Normally we assume that the effects of two chemicals are additive until proven
otherwise. However sometimes the effect on the body is not additive but is
synergistic, that is multiplicative. Here the effect is much greater than would be
anticipated if the damage was additive. A common example of synergism is the
interaction of alcohol and barbiturates. Either substance taken by itself in
normal amounts is not dangerous. However in combination they can make you very
ill or even be fatal. Another example of a synergistic effect is working with
asbestos and smoking. If you smoke you have about a tenfold excess risk of lung
cancer compared to people who do not smoke. If you work with asbestos and do
not smoke the excess risk is about sixfold. If the effect of smoking and
working with asbestos was merely additive then the excess risk would be
about 16 times normal. The actual risk of lung cancer for smoking asbestos workers
compared to the normal population is 50 to 90 times. This is a synergistic effect.
The problem is that there is no way to test all the possible combinations of
chemicals to which we are exposed. Unfortunately the way we usually find
out about synergistic effects is by counting the bodies. The possibility of
synergistic effects is one important reason to minimize exposure to all
chemicals whenever possible. The final important risk factor is the existence
of high-risk groups. Two people can be working in the same studio with the same
exposure. One gets ill and the other does not. Why? The reason can be personal
susceptibility. A number of groups of people are at higher risk than others
for a variety of reasons. High-risk groups include children.
Children are at much higher risk of illness from exposure to toxic chemicals
for a number of reasons. Their body weight is smaller and therefore a given
amount of chemical is more concentrated in their bodies than in that of an
adult. Children are still growing and their cells are dividing and
metabolizing faster. Growing cells absorb more chemicals than do cells that are
not growing. This is how anti-cancer drugs work. Cancer cells are rapidly
dividing and take up more of the toxic anti-cancer drugs than normal cells. So
the growing cells of children absorb more chemicals than do the cells of
adults. In addition there's an important psychological factor. Children under the
age of 12 cannot be expected to understand and more importantly carry out
precautions on a consistent basis. Therefore children under 12, that is
children of preschool and elementary school age, should not be exposed to toxic
chemicals. As an example I was once asked by teacher how to stop her
kindergarten children from sniffing the rubber cement. I just asked why is it in
the classroom? There are many cases in the medical literature involving nerve
damage from the sniffing of materials containing hexane which is found in
rubber cement. Over the age of 12 students can begin to work with toxic
chemicals if they are taught the hazards, how to work safely and if the most
dangerous chemicals like lead and cadmium are not used. Another high-risk group is
disabled individuals. If a person has a medical problem or disability then he or
she might be at high risk from certain exposures. For example if someone's
hearing is 90% destroyed then that remaining 10% is crucial. Being exposed
to noisy environments like wood shops might damage that residual hearing.
Epileptic seizures that physicians thought were induced by exposures to
organic solvents have also been brought to our attention. In one instance a
kindergarten teacher told a student to clean up paint spatters with turpentine.
He was then sent home. Once home he was found to be reeking of turpentine and had
a rash over most of his body. A week or so later the boy started having
epileptic seizures without any prior history. The physician believed the
child had a low threshold for seizures and that the turpentine exposures
triggered the seizures. Sniffing of organic solvents can be a serious
problem with emotionally disturbed individuals especially adolescents. There
have been several fatalities amongst emotionally disturbed adolescents who
sniffed liquid paper correction fluid which contains the solvent 111
trichloroethane. Other high-risk disabilities include physical impairment,
asthma and other allergies and diseases affecting particular organs which leave
that organ more susceptible to certain chemicals. For example neurological
impairments involving spasticity or weakness could interfere with the safe
operation of machinery. Many asthmatics are particularly sensitive to exposure
to dust and molds and to sulfur dioxide from pottery bisque firings and
photographic fixing pass. Someone with hepatitis for example is much more
susceptible to further liver damage from exposure to many solvents. Doctors
usually recommend that patients with hepatitis avoid alcoholic beverages
until their livers have completely healed. Exposure to other solvents should
also be avoided. Other examples of high-risk groups include smokers, heavy
drinkers, the elderly and people taking medications. Medications affecting the
central nervous system can interact with alcohol and for that reason you are not
supposed to drink alcohol when taking these medications. You should avoid
exposure to solvents since solvents can also affect the central nervous system.
In order to affect you chemicals have to get onto or into your body. There are
three main ways for this to occur. Skin contact, inhalation and ingestion. There
is a fourth way injection but I'm presuming most of you are not mainlining
your art materials. More seriously there are a number of case histories where
injection of paints into hands has occurred when people have accidentally
put their hands in front of a high-pressure airless spray gun. In some
instances this has even required amputation of the affected part. Normally
however we are concerned about skin contact, inhalation and ingestion. Skin
contact is the most common way in which art materials contact the body and
occupational skin diseases are the most frequent type of occupational illness. I
will discuss skin problems later. Many art materials can be absorbed through
the skin particularly solvents like turpentine, toluene, xylene, methyl
alcohol, glycol ethers and chlorinated hydrocarbons like
dry chloroethylene, ethylene dichloride and perchloroethylene. If the skin's
protective barrier is damaged through burns, cuts, sores and other skin
problems then chemicals that would not normally be absorbed into the body
through the skin can do so. The most common way however in which art materials
get into the body is through inhalation. If an art material can get into the air
then you have to worry about inhaling it. The types of airborne art materials
include the following. Vapors from the evaporation of solvents like acetone,
toluene, paint thinners and solvent containing materials. Spray mists from
airbrushing, spray guns and aerosol spray cans. Here the concern is not only from
any solvents in the spray but also the ingredients being sprayed including
pigments, dyes, adhesives and plastic fixatives. Gases generated by art
processes such as sulfur dioxide from kiln firing, nitrogen dioxide from
nitric acid etching, hydrogen sulfide from sulfide toning baths and carbon
monoxide from the burning of fuels. Metal fumes from the heating of metals for
example, soldering, welding, foundry work and jewelry casting. Dust from materials
such as dyes and pottery materials bought in powder form and dust generated
from grinding, sanding and other operations. Machine generated dusts are
finer than dust created by hand tools. The finer the dust the greater the hazard
since fine dust penetrate deeper into the lungs. The final way in which art
materials can get into the body is through ingestion. Now most of you are
probably relaxing and saying to yourself I don't eat my art materials. However I
bet that many of you do ingest your art materials. If you eat, drink or smoke
while you are working then there's an excellent chance that you are ingesting
your art materials. I know of a mural painter from San Francisco who had the
habit of eating while she worked. She even told me that she could remember
her sandwiches being all different colors from getting the paint on the
sandwiches. As a result she developed a case of mercury poisoning because the
mural paint she was using contained a mercury preservative. There have also
been other cases of poisoning due to the ingestion of toxic pigments and paints.
Having the coffee cup in the studio can be hazardous. Airborne materials can drop
into your coffee or you might pick up another container with solvent in it
instead of the coffee cup. I have had several artists tell me they have done
this accidentally. The habit of putting solvents like turpentine or paint thinner
in milk cartons, Coke bottles or similar containers can be very hazardous. Several
fatalities have occurred in children who have picked up such containers thinking
that the containers contain soda or milk. Another way in which accidental
ingestion occurs is through the habit of pointing paintbrushes with your mouth. A
classic example in the first part of the century involved radium dial painters
who pointed their brushes with their lips. A high percentage of them developed
bone cancer. A more recent example is silk kimono painters in Kyoto, Japan. They
painted with dyes and also pointed their brushes with their lips. These silk
kimono painters have been found to have a high rate of bladder cancer due to the
ingestion of these dyes. Unfortunately I still find many painters who say that
they point their brushes with their lips. Now I've described how our materials can
enter the body. When we get to the precaution section in part two of this
lecture you will see that many precautions are common sense. That is
you're trying to prevent skin contact, inhalation or ingestion of your art
materials. Now that you know how art materials enter the body let's look at
the types of occupational diseases caused by exposure to arts and crafts
materials. There are two categories of diseases that we have to be concerned
with. Acute diseases and chronic diseases. An acute disease is the type most people
are familiar with. You're exposed to a chemical and within a short period of
time you develop symptoms. An example is splashing concentrated acid on your skin
resulting in a burn. With acute diseases like this cause and effect are usually
easy to see. The acid caused the burn. The burn will eventually disappear. Then you
either learn how to work safely with a chemical or you hopefully avoid using it.
Except in massive exposures most acute diseases are temporary. Chronic diseases
are much more insidious. Suppose you're potter and have been mixing clay for 15
to 20 years without any problems. Then you discover that you're having
difficulty breathing and are contracting a lot of respiratory infections. You go to
a doctor and he diagnoses your problem as silicosis. The problem is it's too
late. Silicosis is not reversible nor is cancer reversible. Another example of a
chronic disease. Chronic diseases are usually caused by exposure often low
level exposure to toxic chemicals over a period of years or even decades in the
case of cancer. By the time the symptoms appear it's too late to do anything
about the disease. The time to have taken precautions is back when you first
started working with the clay. That means you had to know that clay dust
contains crystal and silica which can cause silicosis and that you should not
have been inhaling the clay dust. As you can see it is important to know what is
in your art materials and what types of health problems they can cause. I will
emphasize time and again the need to know the composition of your art materials.
Now let's look at some of the actual types of occupational diseases caused by
art materials. Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. Symptoms can
include reddening, itching, cracking and a variety of other types of skin lesions.
There are two basic types of dermatitis. Irritant dermatitis and allergic
dermatitis. Irritant dermatitis is caused by chemicals that are skin irritants
and everyone who has sufficient contact with the chemicals will develop this
type of dermatitis. Concentrated acids and alkalis can cause dermatitis from a
single short exposure. Most art materials however will only cause
dermatitis after prolonged or repeated exposures. Examples of other irritants
are dilute acids and alkalis, solvents, formaldehyde, fiberglass, amines, some
tropical woods for example cocobolo and metals such as antimony, chromium and
some barium salts. As an example of skin irritation problems I remember some
years ago giving a lecture in Vermont. I described the deep slow healing skin
ulcers that can be caused by dichromate salts. A weaver in the audience said
that she's had skin ulcers for years and the doctors could never figure out the
cause. It turns out that she used ammonium dichromate as a mordant with
her natural dyes and always had her bare hands in the mordanted dye bath. Wearing
rubber gloves was the solution to her problem. In contrast to irritant
dermatitis, allergic dermatitis will only appear in those individuals who are
susceptible. Allergic dermatitis is caused by chemicals called sensitizers
and does not appear upon first exposure. First you have to become sensitized to
the chemical which might happen on the first exposure or years later. Then upon
the subsequent exposures you develop the allergic reaction. The classic example of
allergic dermatitis is poison ivy itch. About 80% of the population is
susceptible to poison ivy. Fortunately most other sensitizers do not affect
such a large percentage of the population. Common sensitizers in art
materials include turpentine, epoxy resins and glues, formaldehyde, woods such
as western red cedar and rosewood and metals such as nickel, chromium and
cobalt. In fact allergic reactions to nickel in earrings, watches and rings is
so common it is called nickel itch. A major problem with skin allergies is
that once you become sensitized you can react to even trace amounts of the
sensitizer. For example artists who have become sensitized to formaldehyde find
they can develop severe reactions to the trace amounts of formaldehyde in
acrylic paints, some water-based glues, permanent press shirts, plywood and
particle board to name only a few examples. Skin cancer is the most common
form of cancer and one of the main causes of skin cancer is exposure to the
ultraviolet radiation in the sun's rays. In art exposure to ultraviolet radiation
as it is called occurs from sources such as arc welding, carbon arcs and xenon
lamps. Some art materials can also cause skin cancer including some arsenic
compounds and lamp black, carbon black and asphalten. Lamp black, carbon black
and asphalten may contain impurities called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
which have been implicated as a cause of skin cancer. If the skin is sensitive to
many chemicals the eyes are even more so. Splashes of chemicals in the eyes can
cause a variety of eye problems including conjunctivitis, inflammation of
the mucous membrane lining the eyeball, corneal damage, cataracts and even
blindness. The eyes are particularly sensitive to alkalis such as lye and
ammonia and to acids. Infrared radiation produced by heating objects has been
known the cause of cataracts after years of exposure. These cataracts have occurred
from glass blowing and looking in hot enamelling and pottery kilns. Ultraviolet
radiation from arc welding in particular can cause conjunctivitis and damage to
the cornea. Some chemicals such as silver nitrate and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide,
the hardener used with polyester resin, can cause blindness. In one instance an
artist splashed some methyl ethyl ketone peroxide in one eye and was blinded in
that eye within seconds. Respiratory diseases are one of the major concerns
from exposure to art and craft materials because of the many chemicals that can
be inhaled. First I will discuss acute respiratory diseases. Pulmonary edema or
chemical pneumonia as it is commonly called is usually caused by a large
overexposure to a strong lung irritant. Contact with the irritant in the lung
tissue causes the lungs to fill with water. This can be fatal and can result
in a bacterial pneumonia. Chemical pneumonia was a major cause of the
fatalities from methyl isocyanate exposure in Bhopal, India. One example of
chemical pneumonia is chlorine gas poisoning from the preparation of Dutch
mordant which happened to five students and teachers in Alberta, Canada in the
1970s. Other examples of chemicals which can cause chemical pneumonia include
nitrogen dioxide from arc welding, isocyanates from polyurethane resins,
cadmium fumes from low melting silver solders, manganese fumes, hydrogen sulfide
gas from sulfide toning and petroleum distillates. There have been many
fatalities particularly in children who have swallowed some petroleum distillates
and then got chemical pneumonia from aspiration of the petroleum distillates
into the lungs after vomiting was induced. Large acute exposures to lung
irritants such as zinc chloride fumes from acid fluxes can cause acute
bronchitis. Asthma is more properly described as a chronic disease but it is
useful to discuss it here since once you have asthma a single exposure to the
sensitizer can result in an acute asthma attack. Asthma occurs when the sensitizer
affects the lungs. If the sensitization occurs in the upper respiratory system
then hay fever type symptoms occur. Most of the chemicals described as skin
sensitizers can also cause asthma if they get into the lungs. In addition fiber
reactive cold water dyes and isocyanates from polyurethane resins can cause asthma.
But asthma is not only caused by known sensitizers. Some irritating chemicals
can cause asthmatic reactions even though they do not actually cause
sensitization as found in normal asthma. Of course once a person has asthma he or
she may find that an asthma attack can occur from exposure to dust, sulfur
dioxide, cold and even from the breathing strain involved in wearing a
respirator. Hypersensitivity pneumonia is a type of allergic reaction deep in the
air sacs of the lungs. It can be caused by moldy hay, farmer's lung, moldy cotton,
redwood dust, mother-of-pearl dust, ivory dust and some molds. One example of
hypersensitivity pneumonia is that of a crafts teacher in an army camp who
spent a day working with a mahogany like wood that was the crate for a shipment
from the Philippines. He developed hypersensitivity pneumonia and was also
found to have such severe lung scarring that he had to retire. This shows the
dangers of working with unknown materials. If you do not know what you
are working with you can be placing yourself in danger. The final acute
respiratory disease I want to discuss is metal fume fever also known as zinc
chills and foundry ague. Metal fume fever is usually caused by fresh zinc and
copper fumes and is particularly a problem when welding galvanized metals.
Flu like symptoms, fever, chills, muscular pains, nausea, headaches appear a few
hours after exposure and disappear after 24 to 36 hours without any long-term
effects. However make sure that your illness actually is metal fume fever. In
one case described in Art News a welder thought he had metal fume fever and his
doctor said to stay in bed. He died the next day. He actually had chemical
pneumonia because he had been working with cadmium and had not known it. The
early symptoms of chemical pneumonia and metal fume fever are very similar. Again
know your materials. If he had known he had been using cadmium and received a
proper medical treatment for chemical pneumonia he could be alive today.
Chronic respiratory diseases can result from long-term low-level exposure to
certain art materials. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are mostly due to
cigarette smoking. However they are also due to low-level exposures to many
irritants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, zinc chloride fumes and hydrogen
chloride from heating polyvinyl chloride. The lungs reaction to an irritant is to
produce mucus to dilute the irritant and coughing to try and clear the lungs. In
addition the lungs breathing passages spasm shut to avoid the irritant. When
you are exposed to these irritants for long periods of time the mucus
production, coughing and obstructive lung passages occur even when you're not
being exposed to the irritant. This is chronic bronchitis. Emphysema occurs when
the tiny air sacs deep in the lungs burst leaving large dead air spaces
which are not able to transfer oxygen to the blood. One well-known Canadian
printmaker had such severe emphysema from years of etching with nitric acid
that she can barely walk up a flight of stairs.
Pulmonary fibrosis which means lung scarring is caused by materials like
silica, asbestos, talc and beryllium. There are some old names for silicosis.
Potter's rot, grinders consumption and stonemasons disease. We have seen
silicosis in potters from silica containing clays and glazes, jewelers
using the lost wax casting process and foundry workers exposed to silica sands.
People doing sandblasting with sand and carving with stones such as granite and
sandstone are also at risk for silicosis. Now people do not usually die directly
from silicosis, emphysema or chronic bronchitis. What they usually die from is
heart failure due to the extra strain on the heart trying to pump enough oxygen
to the rest of the body and from lung infections. People with silicosis for
example are more susceptible to TB, tuberculosis. Respiratory cancer can be
caused by a number of art materials including cadmium fumes, lead and zinc
chromate, asbestos and uranium oxide. Now some people have said that uranium
glazes are safe because they use depleted uranium. True the U-235 has been
removed so you can't make atom bombs out of it but it is still radioactive.
Another chemical of concern is nickel. We do not know of all nickel compounds
caused nasal and lung cancer but nickel smelter workers have a high rate of
nasal and lung cancer. Formaldehyde causes nasal cancer in animals but we
do not know definitely if it also causes cancer in humans but because it causes
cancer in animals I would consider it likely to do so in humans until proven
otherwise. The final respiratory carcinogen I want to discuss is hardwood
dust. Although rare half of all known cases of nasal cancer are found in wood
workers and cabinet makers exposed to hardwood dust we do not yet know if
softwood dust also caused nasal cancer. The latency period the time from first
exposure to when cancer appears is 40 to 45 years for hardwood dust and it has
been known to result from as little as six months exposure. It has been estimated
that the lifetime risk for nasal cancer in woodworkers is about 2%. Of course
these statistics are based on exposures from the first half of the century when
wood shops and cabinet making shops were full of wood dust. With modern dust
collecting systems I would expect this nasal cancer rate to drastically
decrease. The heart itself can be damaged by a number of chemicals. Some examples
include barium carbonate used in pottery glazes, cobalt compounds used in
ceramics and as pigments, carbon monoxide and methylene chloride. Carbon
monoxide combines with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin which cannot
accept oxygen. This deprives the body and particularly the brain and heart of
adequate oxygen and can result in heart attacks especially in people who already
have heart problems. Methylene chloride is metabolized inside the body to
carbon monoxide. In one case history described in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, a retired man took up furniture stripping as a hobby. He had
a heart attack. After recovering he returned to his hobby and had a second
heart attack. The third one was fatal and prompted an investigation of his
paint strippers. Researchers exposed some volunteers to varying levels of the
methylene chloride, the major ingredient in the paint stripper. The investigators
found that the amount of hemoglobin bound up by carbon monoxide increased
proportionately to the concentration of methylene chloride in the air. In a
footnote to this paper the investigators reported that the same paint stripper
was being used in recreational therapy with heart patients in a nearby hospital.
Very high levels of exposure to some solvents can cause heart arrhythmias,
that is variations in the heart rhythm. Heart arrhythmias can be fatal in some
instances. Examples of solvents causing these arrhythmias include freons,
methylene chloride, and toluene. This is particularly a problem when working in
enclosed spaces or in glue sniffing type situations. Photographic developers can
cause methemoglobinemia, which is an acute anemia caused by converting the
iron in hemoglobin into a form which cannot accept oxygen. This would be
mostly a problem from ingestion of photographic developers or from
inhalation during mixing of the developer powders without proper
precautions. Other types of anemia can be caused by lead, benzene, and glycol
ethers. Benzene, or benzol as it is commonly called, can cause aplastic anemia,
destruction of the bone marrow, which results in lack of red and white blood
cells and platelets, and leukemia. Benzene, B-E-N-Z-E-N-E, is not to be
confused with benzyne, B-E-N-Z-I-N-E, a less toxic solvent. Benzene used to be
common in paint strippers until 1978 when it was removed because of the
leukemia risk. Glycol ethers like cellosol, methylcellosol, and their
acetates can be found in photo etching resists and some latex paints. These
chemicals damage the bone marrow causing anemia. The kidneys, like the heart, are
susceptible to heat stress. A person with damaged kidneys should not be working in
high heat stress areas like foundries, gas kiln rooms, and glass blowing studios.
Many chemicals can damage the kidneys too. These chemicals include uranium
compounds, lead, mercury, cadmium, toluene, xylene, turpentine, and chlorinated
solvents like perchloroethylene and ethylene dichloride. One example is the
oil painter Kay Holden who developed severe kidney damage from using
turpentine. The damage was so severe he had to have a kidney transplant. Some
types of turpentine are more dangerous than others, particularly wood and
steam distilled turpentine. Even the type of pine tree that gum turpentine comes
from can make a difference in the toxicity of the turpentine. We have also
seen many cases of kidney damage from exposure to cadmium fumes produced from
soldering with low-melting silver solders used in jewelry. I have already
mentioned the problem of bladder cancer in silk kimono painters in Kyoto, Japan.
This is due to dyes based on benzidine and its derivatives. Many of these were
direct dyes used in cotton and until 1978 were also present in many
all-purpose dyes sold for consumers. Hepatitis is not just caused by viruses.
It can also be caused by exposure to many chemicals including chlorinated
solvents, toluene, xylene, arsenic and of course ethyl alcohol. If the liver is
damaged then it is much more susceptible to further damage since the liver is the
detoxifying organ of the body. Thus if you do have hepatitis then you should
avoid exposure to any chemicals which can further damage the liver. Some
chemicals, particularly chlorinated hydrocarbons, can cause liver cancer. In
humans only vinyl chloride has been definitely shown to cause liver cancer.
In animals most chlorinated hydrocarbons studied have been shown to cause liver
cancer including carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene,
ethylenedichloride and more recently methylene chloride. Because of this I
would in general recommend avoiding exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons
whenever possible.
I think that the effects on the nervous system, neurotoxicity, is the most
underrated chemical hazard. In the last several years researchers have begun to
find that solvents in general are more dangerous to the nervous system than
previously thought. Narcosis or central nervous system depression is probably
familiar to most of you. If you've had a drink or two or three or four or five or
more you know what I'm talking about. Narcosis is an acute reaction and the
symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness, lack of coordination, slowing
of reflexes, headaches, nausea and blackout. Even death can result in extreme cases.
However you have to drink ethyl alcohol, one of the least toxic solvents, to
develop these symptoms. With most solvents these effects can occur from
just inhaling the solvent vapors and the milder intoxication symptoms are quickly
bypassed. Many people do not realize the severe intoxicating effects of many of
these solvents. I have had many calls from artists who spent an afternoon
doing silkscreen printing for example, attempted to drive home and then got
into an accident or were arrested for drunk driving. In one instance an artist
totaled her car driving out of the parking lot. Another situation I'm very
concerned about is the effect of solvents on coordination and reflex time.
Consider the following hypothetical situation. A student spends a morning in
an oil painting class without adequate ventilation. The next class is woodworking.
He or she cuts off a finger at the table saw. Would the cause of the accident be
attributed to student carelessness or would the intoxication effects of the
earlier solvent exposure be noted as a major contributing factor? For a long
time it was thought that most organic solvents did not have any chronic
effects. However research over the last decade has shown that long-term exposure
to solvents may cause encephalopathy or brain damage. The severity of the brain
damage can vary and symptoms include memory loss, personality changes, epileptic
seizures, fatigue, weakness and difficulty in thinking. Toluene and
xylene are two solvents which have been particularly implicated. For this reason
many manufacturers are now placing brain damage warnings on the labels of their
products. This type of brain damage might be compared to that found with chronic
alcoholism. The brain needs a lot of oxygen to survive. Several chemicals can
interfere with the transport or use of oxygen. Carbon monoxide prevents the
hemoglobin in the blood from transporting oxygen and high levels can
cause brain damage and death. Hydrogen sulfide produced by sulfide toning baths
in photography and hydrogen cyanide which can be produced by spilling acid
into cyanide containing gold and silver electroplating baths can cause oxygen
starvation by interfering with enzymes which utilize oxygen. In one instance a
jeweler doing electroplating accidentally spilled some acid into her
cyanide plating bath. She was lucky she's still alive but only because she lived
next door to a hospital. Even so she spent a week in an oxygen tent. So if you
want to work with cyanide solutions here are my recommendations. First locate your
studio carefully preferably near a hospital. Second purchase a proper
laboratory hood and have it checked by an expert to ensure it is working. Third
have an antidote kit available to keep you alive long enough to get to the
hospital and finally take the antidote kit with you because most hospitals are
not equipped to treat cyanide poisoning. If you get the idea I'm trying to
discourage the use of cyanide you're entirely correct. Several heavy metals
can affect the nervous system. Most people have heard of the mad hatter in
Alice in Wonderland but do you know the origin of the stereotype of the mad
hatter? Well in the 19th century hatters used mercury compounds in the treatment
of hats and many of these hatters had mercury poisoning which affects the
nervous system and can cause psychotic like symptoms. Chronic manganese
poisoning, manganism is very similar to Parkinson's disease and it can be
difficult to distinguish the two. Both arsenic and lead can affect the
peripheral nervous system, numbness of the arms, hands, legs and feet and very
high concentrations can cause brain damage. Many studies of children have
shown that very low levels of lead can interfere with brain development and
learning. Finally there are two solvents which can cause peripheral nervous
system damage, methyl butyl ketone and hexane. Methyl butyl ketone used to be in
lacquer thinners. Hexane however is still found in many art materials including
rubber cements and their thinners, spray adhesives and other spray products and
contact adhesives. If a product label lists petroleum distillates and is
extremely flammable then there's a good chance that it contains hexane. I have
seen several cases of peripheral neuropathy caused by hexane in
commercial artists. Early symptoms include loss of sensation in the hands
and feet, loss of ankle reflexes and difficulty in walking. In severe cases
paralysis of the arms and legs can occur. These peripheral nervous symptoms will
go away two to three years after exposure ceases. In some cases permanent
central nervous system damage can result with symptoms of weakness, fatigue and
spasticity. An area of growing concern is the reproductive effects of chemicals
and physical agents. Unfortunately there has not been enough research in this
area. These types of effects can be divided into effects prior to pregnancy,
during pregnancy and on the infant after pregnancy. Prior to pregnancy many
chemicals can affect both men and women. Effects can include interference with
sexual function, lowered fertility, genetic damage to the chromosomes and
difficulty in conceiving. Men can develop problems with the testes and women with
menstruation. Examples of chemicals that affect men include manganese, cadmium,
lead and glycol ethers. In women toluene, xylene and lead are of concern.
Mutagens, chemicals that can cause mutations are of concern even at low
levels. Examples of probable mutagens include lead, trichloroethylene and
benzene. During pregnancy there are two major possible problems, miscarriages and
birth defects. Chemicals that can cause birth defects are called teratogens and
are particularly hazardous during the first trimester because that is when
organ development occurs. Put simply birth defects can occur when cells are
damaged that are precursors of organs like the brain, heart and arms. The classic
example of a teratogen is the drug thalidomide. Other known or suspect
teratogens include carbon monoxide, cadmium, manganese, lead and organic
solvents. Teratogens can cause effects at low concentrations. In addition to the
problems of teratogens the fetus can be poisoned by toxic chemicals. This
poisoning could result in miscarriages and is a risk during the entire
pregnancy. In addition to chemicals noise and vibration might affect the outcome
of a pregnancy. I often get asked for recommendations about working during
pregnancy. The basic problem is we do not have enough definite information about
most chemicals so I usually end up giving the same advice doctors give about
medications during pregnancy. Avoid them if possible. Not because we know they're
dangerous but because we do not know the extent of the danger. In particular we do
not know what are safe levels of exposure. If the only risks are accidental
ingestion, for example acrylic or watercolor painting, there would not be a
serious problem because it is easy to take adequate precautions. The real
concern is with toxic airborne chemicals like solvents which would require
excellent local exhaust ventilation to work safely during pregnancy. There can
also be risks to the newborn infant. Breastfeeding can be hazardous if you
are also working with solvents and some metals since they can be found in breast
milk. In addition allowing infants or young children in the studio can be
hazardous. Home studios are particularly hazardous because it is often difficult
to separate working and living areas. In one instance an 18 month old child
developed lead poisoning because her parents were doing stained glass in
their kitchen. This is the end of part one the hazards of arts and crafts
materials in which I discussed the various risk factors which determine the
extent of your hazard, how materials get into the body, the types of occupational
illnesses which can be caused by exposure to arts and crafts materials. In
part two of this lecture I will discuss how you can work safely with arts and
crafts materials.
Welcome back for the second part of this lecture on art hazards and
precautions. My name is Dr. Michael McCann and I'm executive director of the
Center for Safety in the Arts. Part one of this lecture which you have just
seen described who is at risk and what types of occupational illnesses can be
caused by exposure to arts and crafts materials. Part two which you're about to
see will describe the precautions you can take in order to work safely with
your arts and craft materials. As you can see there are a large number of types of
precautions you can take to ensure you are working safely with your art and
craft materials. If you're an employer or employee for example in a school, museum
or small business then many of these precautions are mandated by federal or
state OSHA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. As I discussed in
part one if you do not know what is in the materials you are working with you
can be in trouble. The first thing you should do is look at the label. The label
on a container should be your first alert about possible problems with the
material. Unfortunately at present the Federal Hazardous Substances Act only
requires labeling with respect to immediate or acute hazards. For example
the term non-toxic found on the label of many children's art materials only
applies to acute toxicity and can be very misleading. For example asbestos
could be labeled non-toxic under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. As a
result several states have passed laws banning toxic art supplies from
elementary schools and mandating chronic hazard labeling on all art materials.
Hopefully Congress will pass similar laws in the near future. At present
probably the only adult art materials with adequate chronic hazards labeling
are those with the health label seal of the Arts and Crafts Materials Institute.
This label has been approved by a toxicologist. As you can see it lists the
hazardous ingredient hexane and the health hazard nerve damage. The
California State Department of Health Services publishes a list of non-toxic
children's art materials. This list is available from the Center for Safety in
the Arts. More detailed information on the hazards of your art materials can
be obtained from material safety data sheets. All manufacturers are required
by law to have these material safety data sheets or MSDSs. The first page of a
typical MSDS has information on emergency numbers, hazardous ingredients,
physical data like boiling point and evaporation rate, and fire and explosion
data, for example flashpoint and extinguishing media. The second page has
information on health hazards, first aid, reactivity, and compatibility with other
chemicals, disposal, and precautions. I recommend that you request MSDSs from
the distributor or manufacturer on all your art materials. If you have difficulty
in interpreting the MSDS or want more information on the hazards of your art
materials, contact us at the Center for Safety in the Arts. We distribute a wide
variety of publications on art hazards. Our address and telephone number will be
given at the end of the lecture. Whenever possible, use the least toxic material or
process. The least toxic solvents are freon, ethyl alcohol sold as denatured
alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, and odorless mineral spirits or
paint thinner. You can often use these solvents to replace more toxic solvents
like lacquer thinners, toluene, xylene, and methyl alcohol. Note that you also
have to consider flammability. Other examples of less toxic substitutes are
cadmium free silver solders, fluoride free fluxes, asbestos free materials,
crushed walnut shells or glass beads instead of sand for abrasive blasting,
lead free glazes and enamels, and cyanide free electroplating solutions. Sometimes
changing a process reduces exposure. For example, brushing or dipping materials is
safer than spraying them since you will not be inhaling the particulates. In
addition, wet working methods reduce the risk of inhaling dust. Using moistened
clay instead of mixing your own clay, liquid dyes, and wet grinding techniques
are all examples of process substitution. Another way to reduce toxicity is to use
water-based materials instead of solvent-based ones. For example, silk
screen printing with solvent-based inks is one of the more hazardous art
processes and requires expensive ventilation systems to work safely.
Switching to water-based silk screen printing minimizes the health risks.
Similarly, acrylic and watercolor painting are safer than oil painting,
which requires mineral spirits or turpentine. This is particularly a
consideration in high school painting classes where exposures in a class of
20 students doing oil painting could be very hazardous because of the large
amounts of solvents used. A fan exhausting 3,000 cubic feet of air per
minute would be required for every cup of turpentine or paint thinner evaporated
in a one-hour class period. Instead, use acrylic, watercolor, or similar
water-based paints. Of course, with young children using water-based materials is
essential because children under 12 should not be exposed to toxic solvents
or any other toxic chemicals because of their higher susceptibility. You should
avoid cancer-causing materials because there is no known safe level of exposure
to cancer-causing chemicals or carcinogens as they are called. Of course,
the lower the exposure, the lower the risk. Because precautions that completely
eliminate exposure can be very expensive, avoid carcinogens whenever possible.
Finally, I want to make a point about using substitutes. I have had many
artists tell me they tried substitutes, for example water-based silk screen inks,
and said the substitutes do not give them good results. Usually they have tried
the water-based inks a few times, basically in the same way that they use
the solvent-based inks. Of course, using the same techniques will not give good
results. Substitutes often have very different working properties than the
original material, particularly if you're switching from solvent-based to
water-based materials. For example, no painter would try to use the acrylics or
watercolors with the same techniques he or she used for oil painting. It just
would not work. Therefore, you have to experiment to find out the proper way of
using substitutes. Ventilation is one of the most crucial
precautions you can take. Unfortunately, there are a lot of
misconceptions about adequate ventilation. One such misconception is
that an open door or window is adequate ventilation. There you have no control
over the direction of the flow of air or the amount of air. What if the wind is
blowing your art materials into your face? An air conditioner or air
conditioning system is also an example of poor ventilation. Air conditioners
recirculate most of the air and whatever is in the air. Even on exhaust, room air
conditioners recirculate almost all the air. In addition, the filters and air
conditioners will not remove fine dust from the air. They are intended to remove
large dust particles which might interfere with the efficient operation
of the air conditioner. So, what is proper ventilation? Well, there are two types of
ventilation which remove toxic airborne contaminants, dilution ventilation and
local exhaust ventilation. Dilution ventilation involves bringing in clean
air into the room to dilute the contaminants to a safe level and then
exhausting the diluted air to the outside. It does not eliminate exposure to
the vapor or gas but only reduces the exposure. Local exhaust ventilation, on
the other hand, captures the contaminants at their source and exhausts them through
ducts so that the contaminants do not get into the air you are breathing.
Dilution ventilation should not be used with highly toxic gases or vapors or for
large amounts of any gases or vapors. This is because the amount of clean air,
called makeup air, you have to bring in to safely dilute highly toxic solvent
vapors, for example, would be enormous. Besides the difficulty of working with
highly powerful fans, the energy cost would be high because you would have to
heat or cool all that makeup air in winter or summer. With large amounts of
solvents, you would also have to bring in large amounts of makeup air to safely
dilute the solvent vapors. Dilution ventilation should also not be used with
dust or fumes because it is difficult to calculate how much makeup air you
need and the air motion could stir up a lot of dust into the air you breathe.
Finally, as mentioned previously, you should not recirculate the air from
studios where you're producing toxic airborne materials. A local exhaust
ventilation system consists of an exhaust hood, ducting, a fan, and sometimes air
cleaners. There are many types of exhaust hoods for different purposes. This is a
movable exhaust, which is commonly used for large-scale welding. It only uses a
small amount of air, but you have to locate the hood opening no more than six
inches away from the welding point. Movable exhausts are also used in
painting conservation when you are working with solvents on large paintings
at close range. A slot exhaust hood is a very practical type of hood for use in
the arts because a great deal of workspace is available. The hood with a
horizontal slot is located at the rear of the work area so that vapors and
gases are pulled away from your face. This slot hood can also be used for bench
welding, jewelry, and similarly contained operations. You can have several stacked
slots if your working height is more than several inches. Note that slot
exhaust hoods can only pull gases and vapors over a maximum work
table depth of about three feet. If you are pouring powders into a circular
container, such as mixing clay in a circular clay mixer, then you should use
a semi-circular slot exhaust hood as illustrated. A completely enclosed hood,
for example a laboratory hood, is the most effective type of local exhaust
ventilation since all the materials are used inside the hood. A spray booth is
similarly enclosed. You can have a walk-in type for large-scale processes
as shown here, or you can get smaller tabletop models. I recommend walk-in
spray booths for large-scale spray painting and highly hazardous operations
like polyester resin work. However, there can be problems in getting spray booths
approved by fire departments or other local authorities because of the high
fire hazards associated with many commercial spray booth operations.
Woodworking machines that produce a lot of wood dust should have dust collecting
hoods attached to exhaust the wood dust. Since many of these machines have built
in hoods, simply attach a duct directly to the provided outlet. It is important
to ensure that the connection is a tight seal. Many woodworkers attach a shop
vacuum cleaner to the machine they're using at the moment as a dust collecting
method. Note that if you are working with plywood or particle board, then you
should not recirculate the exhaust air because of formaldehyde emissions which
are not trapped by the dust collector. A final type of exhaust hood is a canopy
hood. These are used to capture hot rising gases. Examples are canopy hoods
over electric kilns, gas-fired kilns, and glass blowing furnaces. However, you
should never place your head under a canopy hood because you will pull the
contaminants past your face. Round ducting with as few elbows as possible
should be used in local exhaust systems. The elbow should have gradual, not sharp
bends. Too many bends increases the frictional resistance which decreases
airflow in the ducts. This result is comparable to a garden hose with a lot
of crimps in it. The proper type of fan is important. For dilution ventilation,
use propeller type fans. For most ducted systems, propeller fans are not effective
because they cannot pull air through the duct against the duct resistance.
Instead, you have to use a centrifugal fan. Local exhaust systems must be spark
or explosion proof whenever flammable gases or vapors are exhausted. This can
include explosion proof fan motors if the motor is in the path of the flammable
vapors, spark proof fan parts, and explosion proof electrical equipment. You
need to consult a knowledgeable industrial ventilation engineer for
detailed assistance. Dust collectors are usually present in local exhaust systems
exhausting dust. Cyclones or fabric collectors are the two main types of dust
collectors. A cyclone dust collector is shown here. Electrostatic precipitators
are often used in welding situations but should not be used where large amounts
of dust are being captured because of the frequent cleaning which would be
required. Many people ask about charcoal filters to absorb solvent vapors so they
can recirculate the air to save energy. I definitely recommend against this.
Charcoal filters become saturated quickly and without continuous exhaust air
monitoring you cannot tell when you have to replace the charcoal filter. Now, here
are some simple rules for good ventilation. First, use local exhaust
ventilation whenever possible. It's more effective than dilution ventilation.
Second, provide adequate makeup air to replace the air exhausted. You need to
bring in one cubic foot of makeup air for every cubic foot of air you exhaust.
Otherwise, the air pressure inside the room decreases because you are exhausting
more air than you are replacing which in turn affects your fan performance. You
can increase the amount of makeup air by opening a door or window or by putting a
grill into the door. Often, especially in schools, mechanical air supply systems
are used. Good ventilation is a directed flow of air. You want clean air to come
in, go past your face, mix with the contaminated air and then be exhausted.
The contaminated air should be pulled away from your face, not past your face
as is happening in the left illustration. The fan is behind her so the contaminated
air is being pulled past her face. The right illustration indicates the proper
type of dilution ventilation where the contaminated air is being pulled away
from her face. Note that placing your work table against a window and placing
a window exhaust fan at work level can give you very good inexpensive
ventilation if your work is confined to the area immediately in front of the fan.
Canopy hoods are often misused as shown here. The man shown has his head under
the canopy hood so that the contaminants in the trays are being pulled past his
face. A slot hood would be better because it pulls the contaminated air away from
his face. Another problem with this canopy hood is that most of the air
entering the hood is doing so from near the canopy opening. Only a small amount
of contaminated air from the trays is being pulled into that canopy. This
canopy hood could be improved enormously by enclosing the sides of the canopy
with sheet metal. Then you have only the front open. Next, enclose the front with
plexiglass or something transparent leaving about 18 inches open at the
bottom. The enclosure allows all the air entering the hood to pass over the
trays and also prevents the user from putting his head under the hood. This can
simply and inexpensively convert a bad ventilation system into a good
ventilation system. As I have mentioned, the contaminated air should always be
completely exhausted to the outside and of course make sure that the
contaminated air you have just exhausted does not get back into the studio or
does not go into someone else's window. That can create unfriendly neighbors. One
such example is shown here. The blue building is a kiln building. The slide
was taken from the adjoining building which is separated by a narrow alley.
Note the vent in the kiln building and the air intake for the neighboring
building immediately below. As you might guess, there are frequent complaints from
the neighbors about the contaminants from the kiln building entering their
building. As another common example of poor exhaust fan location, I have often
seen exhaust fans on the roof located within several feet of the building air
intakes. Finally, make sure that your ventilation system is adequately
maintained. Hoods, ducting, fans, and air cleaners should all be regularly inspected.
Further details on ventilation can be found in the Center for Safety in the
Arts book Ventilation. How you store and work with art materials is the topic of
the next section of this lecture. One basic rule about storage of flammable and
toxic materials is to buy them in small quantities so you do not have large
amounts being stored at any one time. Glass containers are usually not
recommended because of easy breakage. This can especially be a problem if
acids, for example, are stored in glass containers on high shelves where, if the
containers fall and break on a tabletop, a person could get splashed in the face
and chest area. Preferably, store materials on low shelves. If you have to
use shelving, have doors or some other methods of preventing the containers
from falling. Clay and glaze chemicals purchased in 100 pound bags are
especially a difficult storage problem. Store these bags and pallets away from
high traffic areas. Ripped bags should be used immediately or placed in plastic
garbage bags to prevent dust from being tracked around. Many dye and glaze
chemicals are sold in paper bags which are easily ripped. These dry powders
should be stored in plastic containers, coffee cans, or similar vessels. You do
not have to transfer the powder but can place the entire bag in the container.
When doing so, make sure you always transfer labels including warnings. A
major problem with storage of art materials is the incompatibility of
certain chemicals. For example, ammonia and acids should not be stored together
nor should concentrated nitric acid and any organic materials. This is because of
the risk of chemical reactions and possible fire if the different chemicals
should mix in an accident. One example of a situation of this sort which could
have been a disaster was in a California art school. One studio had an uncovered
acid pickling bath on a bench. On a shelf right above this acid bath was a bottle
of sodium cyanide. This is what I call a disaster waiting to happen. If the bottle
fell and broke, spilling cyanide salts into the acid, the hydrogen cyanide gas
produced could have killed everyone in the room. In addition, since the school
had a recirculating air conditioning system, it would have distributed the
hydrogen cyanide all over the school. Preventing this type of potential
disaster is another reason why you have to find out about the composition of
your art materials. The problem is, how do you find out about chemical
incompatibilities? Material safety data sheets will give you this type of
information on a product in the section on reactivity data. In most of the art
studios and schools I visited, the biggest immediate life-threatening
hazard I have observed is the storage and handling of flammable solvents.
Several times I have seen people using torches or smoking cigarettes close to
where someone else was working with flammable solvents. All smoking, open
flames, and other sources of ignition should be banned in a room where
flammable solvents are being used. If you cannot physically separate ignition
sources and flammable materials, at least separate them in time so that two such
incompatible activities are not going on at the same time. Warning signs like
these can also be useful. Large quantities of flammable and combustible
liquids, more than a few gallons, should be stored in approved flammable storage
cabinets. The purpose of a flammable storage cabinet is to give you time to
escape in case of fire. If you had several gallons of flammable solvents in
the open and a fire started, the solvents could quickly explode from the heat of
the fire. Approved flammable storage cabinets are designed to prevent their
contents from catching fire or exploding for at least 10 minutes to give you a
chance to escape. They are designed to protect lives, not property. This also
means that you should not store other flammables right next to the flammable
storage cabinet. Safety cans should be used to store more than a pint of
flammable liquids. Safety cans have pressure release lids so that vapor
pressure does not build up inside the can. Safety cans also have self-closing
lids and flame arresters so a fire outside the safety can cannot flash back
into the can. For oil or solvent soaked rags, an oily waste can is best. These
waste cans will reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion that can occur
with oily rags and the risk of fire from evaporating solvents. These containers
should be emptied daily. Waste solvents should be stored in solvent waste cans.
In essence, solvent waste cans are safety cans with wide mouths, making it easier
to pour waste solvents into the can. In addition to the mentioned precautions
against fire, it is crucial to have the correct type of fire extinguisher for
the type of fire you are most likely to encounter. There are many different types
of fire extinguishers for particular purposes. There are four basic types of
fires, classes A, B, C, and D. A class A fire involves wood, paper, and ordinary
combustibles. A class A fire extinguisher contains water or foam. A class B fire
involves flammable liquids. Water could spread this type of fire since many
flammable liquids will float on top of the water. You need a class B fire
extinguisher which contains carbon dioxide or dry chemicals. A class C fire
is an electrical fire. Water should not be used to extinguish an electrical fire
unless the power has been shut off. A class C fire extinguisher can also
contain carbon dioxide or dry chemicals. Thus, carbon dioxide and dry chemical
fire extinguishers are considered class B, C fire extinguishers. A class D fire
involves combustible metals like magnesium and needs a class D fire
extinguisher which contains a special dry powder. Most artists do not work with
combustible metals and should not need a class D fire extinguisher. Each class of
fire extinguisher has its own symbol as shown here. In most studios where there
is a possibility of class A, B, or C fires, you need a class A, B, C multi-purpose
dry chemical fire extinguisher. You could also have both a class A fire
extinguisher and a class B, C carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. If you do not
have ordinary combustibles around, then the class B, C carbon dioxide fire
extinguisher would be adequate. Now that you have the right type of fire
extinguisher, where should it be located? Fire extinguishers should be placed near
exits or near high fire risk areas, but not on top of them. You need to be able
to get to the fire extinguisher. Also, fire extinguishers should not be hidden
behind things or used as coat racks. Do you know how to use your fire
extinguisher? Different types of fire extinguishers are used in different ways
and from different distances. Trying to read the instructions on a fire
extinguisher while the fire is merely burning behind you is not recommended. It
is easy to get fire training in the use of these fire extinguishers. Fire
departments are happy to give this type of training to groups of people such as
your school or local artist organizations. Now, what are proper fire
emergency procedures? The first thing you always do in a fire is to call the fire
department or follow your employer's written emergency procedures if
different. Use the fire extinguisher first only if you have to clear an escape
route. Too often someone tries to put out the fire without notifying anyone and
then when they fail minutes have been lost, meaning a bigger fire with more
risk to people and property. Once you have notified the proper authorities
then you can try to use the fire extinguisher if you know how, if you have
had training in the use of a fire extinguisher and if your emergency
procedures allow. Usually all you are trying to do is to limit the spread of
the fire until professional help arrives. Of course if you are a teacher then your
primary responsibility is to evacuate your students. As you can see there is a
lot more to fire extinguishers than simply picking one up in a fire,
pointing it and pulling the trigger. The everyday procedures you use to handle
chemicals can have a big effect on how much exposure you receive. With solvents
the most important thing is to minimize evaporation by keeping all containers
covered and placing solvent soaked rags in proper covered waste containers not
in open barrels. Powders should be handled in such a way as to minimize
dusting into the air. Instead of frequently mixing up small batches of
powders it is better to make concentrated solutions or paste once in a
while. With small amounts of powders a simple way to work is to use a glove box.
Take a cardboard box, shack it on the inside to make it easy to clean, put a
glass or plexiglass top on it and put two holes in the sides for your arms.
Then wearing gloves mix the powder into a paste or concentrated solution inside
the box. This is inexpensive, safe and contains the powder so you need not wear
a dust mask or have a messy cleanup job. When transferring powders do so carefully
do not dump them as shown here. This person was mixing up toxic white lead
for a pottery glaze. To get out the last bit of lead white she shook the
container which caused white lead to become airborne and settle all over her
hair, clothes and studio. Note also that her dust mask is only good for non-toxic
dusts. Always pour liquids carefully so you do not splash the liquid. Also wear
proper protective clothing to reduce risks. I will discuss personal protective
equipment at a later point. Here are some simple practices to help protect you. In
order to prevent accidental ingestion of your art materials do not eat, drink,
smoke or apply makeup in the studio. In one stained glass studio lead was found
in the coffee cups at the sink. Keep separate work clothes and change into
clean clothes before going home or into living areas. This is especially
important in dusty areas in order to prevent transporting toxic dust home on
clothes. Wash these work clothes separately from other laundry. In cases
of splashes in the eyes rinse with water for at least 15 to 20 minutes and
immediately contact a physician. You should have an eyewash fountain whenever
you are working with corrosive or irritating chemicals. The eyewash fountain
should be elbow or foot operated since you might need both hands to keep both
whole eyes open. The portable eyewash shown here is not recommended because it
does not hold enough water to adequately rinse your eyes. You can only rinse one
eye at a time and the portable eyewash can become contaminated with
microorganisms. The wearing of contact lenses can be a problem in industrial and
art situations because of possible dust getting under the lens which might cause
corneal scratching and also the concern that soft lenses might absorb some gases
and vapors. Another problem is getting the lenses out quickly in an accident
when seconds are important. In one instance a student wearing contact
lenses splashed acid in both eyes. She managed to get one lens out but had
difficulty removing the other lens so she rinsed her eyes with the remaining
lens still on the eye. Although the eye without the lens was washed adequately
she developed a circular scar in the other eye where the contact lens
remained. If you have to wear contact lenses for adequate visual correction
you should be wearing a sealed goggle. If you switch to regular eyeglasses plus
goggles in the studio it is important to remember that you have to allow about
15 minutes for your depth perception to adjust. If you splash liquids on your
skin rinse the skin with lots of water. If you're using storing or mixing
concentrated acids or alkalis or other crows of materials then you should have
an emergency shower. If you splash the acid on your clothes you should get
under the shower pull the handle and then remove the contaminated clothes
after the water has begun to flow. Seconds can be crucial to prevent serious burns.
In order to prevent electrocution however make sure that your emergency
shower is not located within splash range of electrical switches outlets or
electrical equipment. Here you can see an electrical switch near the handle of
the shower which is easily within splash range. Do not use solvents like
turpentine or paint thinner to clean your hands. This can cause dermatitis.
Instead use soap and water. To remove paint use baby oil then soap and water.
If you use a waterless hand cleanser purchase it from a safety supply company.
Inexpensive waterless hand cleansers often contain solvents, harsh abrasives
or alkalis which themselves can cause dermatitis. Housekeeping may be a word we
all hate but becomes crucial when working with our materials especially
powders. Dust can easily become airborne where they can be inhaled or settle all
over your work area. In one situation the floor dust in the stained glass studio
was found to contain 1.1% lead. Do not dry sweep it stirs up the dust. There are
even problems with sweeping compounds. You need to use a lot of these sweeping
compounds to be effective. In addition it is difficult to get under shells with
sweeping compounds and they can leave a greasy residue on the floor. Preferably
wet mop or vacuum. Wet mopping is the simplest. Wet mop both floors and work
surfaces. If you have a cement floor you should seal it so that it does not trap
dust. In ceramic studios if you have a floor drain with a clay trap then you
can hose down the floor. If you are using clay, lead or other highly toxic powders
you cannot use a normal industrial vacuum cleaner because the very fine
respirable dust will go right through the vacuum cleaner and back into the air.
You need to use a special vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency HEPA HEPA filter.
Cleaning up spills can be more of a problem than most people realize. You
should plan in advance what to do in case of spills. Schools should have
written emergency plans. The first step is to identify what was spilled. If it is
a toxic chemical or flammable liquid then special precautions are needed
including proper personal protective equipment and clothing. Spills of
flammable liquids are the biggest hazard. Here you have both a health hazard and a
fire or explosion hazard from vaporization of a liquid. For large-scale
spills of flammable liquids more than a quart the following are my recommendations.
Immediately shut off any open flames or pilot lights in the room where the spill
occurred. Call the fire department to report the spill. If the spill is in an
institution with written emergency procedures calling for reporting
emergencies to a particular person follow that procedure. All power in that
room should be shut off from a remote circuit breaker or power control. Do not
shut off equipment from inside the room because the act of shutting off
equipment can generate a spark which could cause a fire. If the room has an
explosion proof exhaust hood then it should be left on to remove the vapors.
This means that the exhaust system should have a separate power supply or
circuit breaker so that other power in the room can be shut off. Also open any
windows to aid in dissipation of flammable vapors. Evacuate the building as
a precaution because of the fire risk. If an individual trained in handling spills
is available then that person should determine the extent of evacuation. Do
not try to clean up the spill yourself without adequate training. For a spill
size of a quarter more the person doing the cleanup should be wearing a
self-contained breathing apparatus scuba because the vapor concentrations could
easily exceed the capacity of air purifying respirators. In addition gloves
and protective clothing are needed. If no one is trained in spill cleanup then
wait for the fire department for assistance. In some cases the fire
department might not have the needed expertise so that outside help might be
needed. For small scale spills you would not usually call the fire department or
evacuate the building. In cleaning up the spill wear the proper air purifying
respirator and protective clothing. Spill control kits are available for small
scale spills. Clay dust, vermiculite or charcoal can also be used if nothing
else is available. Use spark proof tools to clean up the contaminated material
and place it in a plastic bag for proper disposal. Disposal of toxic chemicals
whether it is from a spill or just leftover materials can be a major
problem. The Environmental Protection Agency has many regulations regarding
waste disposal and many local government agencies have their own restrictions. If
you are disposing of large amounts of toxic chemicals or highly toxic chemicals
then you should use a reputable waste disposal firm. Smaller amounts can often
be handled in-house. One major rule is not to pour solvents or other toxic
chemicals down the sink. By doing this you can poison septic tank systems,
corrode pipes and create many other problems. One way to dispose of less than
a pint of solvent is to let it evaporate inside a hood or outside in an area
where no else will be exposed. You can also use this method to dispose of
solvents you have cleaned up with spill control materials. If local regulations
permit non hazardous aqueous liquids can be poured down the sink one at a time
with lots of water to dilute them. Acids or alkali should be neutralized first.
For example use sodium bicarbonate baking soda to neutralize acids using
pH paper to tell you when it is neutralized. Sources of help concerning
disposal can include your county health department, local chemical companies and
state environmental conservation departments. A wide variety of personal
protective equipment is available. It is essential to make sure that you have the
right type of personal protective equipment to protect against a
particular hazard, that it fits and that it is properly maintained. Gloves are one
of the most essential types of personal protective equipment. There are many
different types of gloves for different purposes. To protect against heat, leather
gloves are often sufficient. Asbestos gloves should not be used and are being
banned because they release asbestos fibers. Cloth gloves can protect against
cold and infrared and ultraviolet radiation. There are also a wide variety
of rubber and plastic gloves for protection against contact with liquids
such as acids and solvents. But be sure that you have the right type of glove
for the particular solvent you are using. It is very disconcerting to have your
gloves on and dip your hands in the solvent only to find the gloves
dissolving. Manufacturers of gloves have glove charts which list what type of
glove can be used with what solvent or other liquid. Another important type of
personal protective equipment is face and eye protection. Note that face
protection is different from eye protection. A face shield protects the
face but most face shields do not provide adequate protection to the eyes
which are much more sensitive to small exposures. If you need a face shield I
would recommend wearing goggles underneath. There are three types of
hazards requiring face and eye protection. Chemical splash, impact and
radiation. You would only need face shields to protect against corrosives
like hot concentrated acids, impact from chunks of wood from lays or intense
ultraviolet or infrared radiation. For example arc welding or foundry pores.
There are a wide variety of types of goggles depending on the type of
exposure and the intensity of exposure. As shown in this illustration you can
get goggles for example that are tested for chemical splash and light impact.
Most artists are aware of the need for welding goggles to protect against
ultraviolet radiation as shown here. Note however that he should not have bare
arms or loose hair. Most glassblowers know that infrared goggles are needed to
protect against the infrared radiation produced in glassblowing. However infrared
goggles are also needed for looking in enamelling and pottery kilns since we
have seen cases of cataracts caused by infrared radiation in potters and
anomalous. Warning signs can also be useful to remind you and alert others of
potential hazards. Noise is another hazard that might require suitable
hearing protectors. If you have to raise your voice to speak to someone one to
two feet away then you have a potential noise hazard especially if the noise is
steady. If you cannot eliminate the noise by proper maintenance, quieter
equipment or isolation then evaluation should be made to determine if earplugs
or earmuffs might be needed. There is a wide variety of other types of protective
clothing available for various purposes. In this example the person is wearing a
laboratory coat, elbow-length gloves, respirator and goggles. Finally I will
discuss respirators. Respirators are probably the most misused type of
personal protective equipment. Respirators should be a last resort when
all other types of precautions are not adequate. According to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration OSHA respirators can only be used in
emergencies while engineering controls are being installed or if engineering
controls are not feasible. In addition OSHA requires all employers requiring
respirator use to have a written respirator program. There are two basic
types of respirators, air purifying and supplied air. Air purifying respirators
work by removing the contaminants from the air you are breathing while air
supplied respirators provide you with a source of clean air to breathe. I am only
going to discuss air purifying respirators in detail because those are
the type you are most likely to use. Air supplied respirators are needed in
situations that are immediately dangerous to life or health or where
concentrations of chemicals in air are too high for air purifying respirators
to be effective. Basically artists should not be working under such hazardous
conditions that wearing an air supplied respirator is necessary. All respirators
should be approved by NIOSH the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health. In one survey conducted by the Centre for Safety in the Arts over half
the respirators artists were using were not approved. The common non-toxic dust
masks sold in many hardware stores do not provide adequate protection against
toxic materials. In one case a man who was spray painting the bottom of a boat
with paint containing xylene dropped dead. An autopsy showed that he had very
high levels of xylene in his blood comparable to that found in glue
sniffing situations. He was wearing an ordinary non-toxic dust mask that was
not approved by NIOSH. He also had a beard. The xylene went right through both
the dust mask and his beard. He could be alive today if he had shaved and had
been wearing a NIOSH approved respirator with an organic vapor cartridge and a
spray pre-filter. There are a wide variety of filters and cartridges for
air purifying respirators. These include filters for dust and mists such as toxic
powders and spraying with water-based materials and for dust mists and fumes
for example metal fumes. Cartridges contain absorbance such as activated
charcoal to remove various gases and vapors. There are cartridges for organic
vapors like solvents, acid gases including chlorine, hydrogen chloride and
sulfur dioxide and for ammonia. There can also be combination cartridges for
example acid gas organic vapor. The more particles trapped on a filter the
more effective it is at filtering. When dust respirators become difficult to
breathe through change the filter. Cartridges should be changed after two
weeks, after eight hours of cumulative use or if odor breakthrough is detected.
For this reason you should not use air purifying respirators with chemicals
like methyl alcohol, nitrogen dioxide, isocyanates and carbon monoxide which
either have no odor or the odor threshold is above the toxic level. If a
material is an eye irritant then you should use a full face air purifying
respirator. It is crucial to make sure that your respirator fits properly. If
there is not a proper skin to face piece seal then contaminants will take the
path of least resistance and not go through the cartridge or filter. People
with beards, facial scarring, broken noses or jaws or similar problems cannot get a
proper seal and cannot get adequate protection with air purifying
respirators. In addition women often have difficulty in getting a respirator to
fit because they tend to have smaller faces than men for whom respirators were
designed. In recent years however many companies are making respirators in
small and medium sizes. You should do fit testing to make sure that your
respirator fits. The simplest fit test is a negative pressure test. This should be
done every time you put on the respirator. Block the air intake with
your hands as shown and inhale until the face piece collapses slightly. Hold your
breath for 10 to 15 seconds. If the face piece goes back to normal this indicates
you have a leak. Try adjusting the straps or try another model until you get a
respirator which fits you properly. A positive fit test involves blocking the
exhalation valve, exhaling until the mask expands and seeing of the air escapes.
More sophisticated fit tests involve testing to see if you can detect the
odor of irritant smoke or banana oil isoamyl acetate while wearing the
respirator. Respirators should be cleaned and inspected regularly. Use ordinary
soap and water, a scrub brush and then air dry. Each person should have his or
her own respirator because of both fit problems and the risk of transferring
skin infections. Respirators should be stored away from heat and light for
example in ziplock plastic bags and not left in the open as shown here. As you
can see there are a lot of problems with respirators. They are not the inexpensive
solution most people think they are once you consider the cost of buying a new
set of cartridges at least 26 times a year and all the time involved in proper
maintenance. In addition people with heart or lung problems usually cannot
wear respirators because of the extra strain on the heart due to the high
breathing resistance of the cartridge or filter. Some other medical conditions
including claustrophobia and asthma might also prevent someone from wearing
a respirator. What do you do if you get ill despite your precautions or because
you have not been taking them? If you have symptoms you think might be caused
by your art materials you should tell your doctor what you are working with
and what you know about their health effects. If you have literature on the
materials take it to your doctor. Keeping a record of what you are using can help
isolate the cause if you become ill. A major problem is that most physicians
have no training or experience in diagnosing the toxic effects of chemicals.
If your physician does not believe that art materials could be hazardous then
you should consider finding another physician or go to a doctor specializing
in occupational medicine. I know of several cases where lead poisoning or
other types of chemical poisoning have been diagnosed as psychosomatic. We refer
many artists to occupational health clinics that are found in many large
cities and to specialists in occupational medicine. I often get asked
if there are tests to see how much of a chemical is in the body. Basically there
are very few tests for chemicals which are useful in diagnosing a chemical
related illness. One of the few such tests is a blood lead test which I
recommend annually for anyone working with lead. If the blood lead is above 40
micrograms per 100 grams of blood that is an indication of lead poisoning. For
children or pregnant women blood lead levels should not be above 25. If your
blood lead is above 20 micrograms per 100 grams of blood then it means you
should look at your work habits to see why your body is beginning to accumulate
lead. Most other chemicals, for example solvents, do not accumulate in the body
so analyzing the blood or urine for those chemicals is not useful. Even
alcohol breath analyzer tests have to be done within hours to show meaningful
results. Instead most medical tests for the toxic effects of chemicals rely on
testing for organ damage. For example if you are a potter or are exposed to lung
irritants such as nitrogen dioxide or zinc chloride fluxes then you should
have regular lung function tests and sometimes chest x-rays. These can detect
asthma, chronic bronchitis, silicosis and other lung problems. Other tests include
liver function tests for chemical hepatitis, urine tests for kidney damage,
neurological tests for nerve damage from solvents and metals and audiograms for
noise induced hearing loss. In many instances you should have a baseline
test now so that future test results can be compared to this baseline test. This
concludes part two of my lecture in which I discuss the various types of
precautions you can use to protect yourself against exposure to hazardous
arts and crafts materials. This included knowing your materials, substitution,
ventilation, storage and handling, personal protective equipment and
medical tests. For further information please contact the Center for Safety in
the Arts at the indicated address and telephone number. Remember taking simple
precautions can protect your health or even your life.