Health & safety in the studio

Safety, in industry, in the home, in the  office or the studio, all boil down to two matters: care for oneself, and care for others who may enter one's space.

Why not save injury, money and grief by being aware and working safely. It is vital that one is aware of the possible hazards posed by the materials, equipment, processes, and forces at work when kilnforming glass; and, of course, aware of the effect of one’s actions.

Commercial, business and industrial premises are subject to regular inspection and often have copious procedure and operation manuals dealing with the most minuscule detail.  This, because managements have to protect themselves against even the most stupid or ill considered actions of their employees, some of whom may show an acute lack of common sense.

Glass hobbyists or artists will most times work on their own, so they have to look out for their own well-being and make their own rules. Their studio differs from an industrial establishment only in size and population.

Studio access

A glass hobbyist or artist needs to be aware that a studio can present a range of hazards for visitors of all ages, many of whom might not be aware of the nature of materials tools or the processes of kilnforming. Access to the working areas of a glass studio needs to be carefully managed. Make sure that others who enter the workspace are protected from hazard by guidance, advice, proper storage of materials and safe practices.

Studio practices

To look after one’s own and others well being, practice good housekeeping;

• Wash hands before touching food.
• Don’t eat at the workbench or where food could be contaminated.
• Don’t smoke in the workshop, studio. This is especially important if using chemicals or paints, as inhaling chemical fumes through a lit cigarette can often be extremely hazardous. (Heat can produce unexpected changes in chemicals.)
• Have specific work clothes and keep them handy to the workshop.
• Tie back long hair.
• Beware of accidentally transporting slivers of glass elsewhere.
• Dispose of wastes (glass, battwash etc.) in a safe and environmentally considered way.
• If using lead in the work (either lead came or lead-containing glass) be especially conscious of its hazardous nature; particularly for young children or pregnant women.

Generally, the greatest areas of potential hazard in a glass workshop or studio are from:

• Glass
• Hot objects
• Hot air
• Dust & respirable fibres.

Glass

The immediate hazard of the sharp edge of glass is obvious. A packet of band-aids is essential. They can cover a minor cut or strap a more serious slice. Be aware of the potential hazard of incorrect annealing of glass. This is covered in more detail elsewhere.

Always store glass on its edge for safety & protection. Store glass off the floor. In a storage rack with a wooden floor is best as a sheet is less likely to be broken.  Position storage racks where accidental impact is avoided. Avoid packing racks too tightly, to avoid a sheet being difficult to remove.

Where possible, lift glass by gripping between the fingers from on top or from the sides, rather than from underneath. Avoid a hand sliding when gripping the edge of a sheet, as one can easily be cut. Gauntlets which protect the inside of the wrists are best when handling sheets of glass, even if they are removed when cutting.

Beware of flying slivers when cutting glass. It shouldn’t happen with a clean cut, but.!  Wear goggles, safety glasses or a face mask when working. Safety glasses should have side panels. Carefully clean areas where glass is worked to remove small slivers. A vacuum cleaner is best. DON’T brush down a bench or other surface with the bare hand. It won’t be as chip or sliver free as it looks. Use a cloth or brush.

Use a good glass cutter and felt covered cutting surface. This can be a flat piece of chipboard covered with felt, which can be put aside when not needed. This will make for a safer, more stable base for glass cutting.

Wear safe footwear. Closed toe, or even steel cap shoes or boots are advised. Do NOT wear thongs, sandals or canvas shoes. Glass, hot or cold, could go straight through them. Appropriate work clothing is often the best investment as it is made to meet the need.

Hot objects

The shell of a kiln can be deceiving. Without having the appearance of being hot, it can be sufficiently hot to inflict serious burns. This is also the case with glass, kiln shelves, props, a spy hole plug, as well as any other object removed from a hot kiln; as they too can not ‘look’ hot when in fact they are.

Use a cloth or glove when removing hard refractory spyhole plugs from hot kilns. If put on a bench, remember they are still hot.

If a kiln has plugs made from insulating refractory whose ‘cold’ end is usually cool, remember that the ‘hot’ end is at kiln temperature. Be careful how it is handled.

Exposure of the eyes or skin to radiation from objects at elevated temperatures can cause severe damage.  Don’t peer into a hot kiln for longer than is necessary. Ordinary ‘safety’ glasses don’t protect against UV radiation. Safest course is to purchase proper UV/infra red excluding goggles.

Leather or similar industrial quality gloves should be worn when working around kilns at anything other than room temperature, as it is always the accidental contact which causes damage.

Some synthetic materials can melt if heated. Any clothing made of these materials is at risk of sticking to flesh if it becomes too hot. Wool is the safest material in this situation, cotton is next best. Don’t assume that this caution is confined to working in front of a roaring furnace. Remember, it takes only a momentary contact between an arm and a hot brick in an opened door or lid to do damage. Close fitting clothing with long sleeves is best. Make sure that bench tops, walls or other surfaces are not damaged by contact with hot objects or by radiant heat. Keep combustible matter from around kilns.

Designate a ‘safe’ surface on which to place items removed from a kiln; and make sure it’s clear before removing hot items.

Hot air

Kilns generate heat. Heat manifests as hot rising air, so there are dangers associated with monitoring work in hot kilns through open doors, spyholes or vents.

There is a very real danger from hot air from a vent. It is unfortunate that the glass artist needs to frequently inspect work through a spyhole when the kiln is at a high temperature and the air from the hole will be at it’s most lethal.

Eye damage is possible, as is singed eyebrows and hair. Smelling like a scorched wool garment is not uncommon.  In this situation there is the added risk of radiation burns to the eye, if peering too long or too close. Use glasses which  protect against radiation.

Be particularly careful when there are two openings to a kiln with one above another. This may two spyholes, or a spyhole and a top-hat hood raised off the hearth. Cold air will enter the lower hole and allow hot air to stream out of the top hole.

Dusts & respirable fibres

Various health hazards are attributed to the materials from which kilns are made or to which glass artists may have exposure. Generally the hazard posed by these materials centres on them entering and damaging the lungs and respiratory passage.

Dusts, in this context are defined as fine particles that can become airborne, be inhaled and enter the lungs. For people working with glass the most dangerous constituent of airborne dust is silica; not from the glass but from the silica based refractory materials used.

Silica is the cause of silicosis which was, for more than 100 years, the scourge of miners working in the dust laden air of underground mines, as well as of pottery workers affected by the dust from flint used to cover pottery floors. One form of silica is crystobalite, a known carcinogen, which can be contained in firebricks or in the dust released from the surface of a brick lining after firing.

Notwithstanding the above, silica is among the most commonly occurring materials on earth. It is the sand on the beach, in the dirt on the ground, in the dust on the floor or in the air when a strong wind blows: one cannot escape exposure to silica in everyday living.

The solution is not to panic about silica but to take a sensible approach to ‘dust’.

Respirable fibres are elongated particles of such small diameter that they can be ingested into the lungs, bypassing the normal filtering mechanisms in the nasal and bronchial passages. To some degree they form part of all  synthetic mineral fibres - all forms of ceramic fibre, mineral wool, or fibreglass products such as building insulation.

Most refractory materials used in kilnforming are alumino-silicates. Insulating Fire Brick (IFB) and the standard grade of ceramic fibre have about the same proportions of silica and alumina: some ceramic fibre is actually made from kaolin.

Kaolin is also an ingredient in medications for stomach upsets. When animals eat dirt they are taking a dose of medicine. It does no harm in the stomach, just keep it out of your lungs. 

New forms of ceramic fibre have recently been introduced which are claimed to dissolve in the lungs and are safe to breathe. Time will tell whether they are any safer than the conventional ceramic fibre which has been in use for over 50 years; and has not been shown to claim any lives yet.

Play it safe and don’t trust any fine particles, whether they be fibre or dust.

These materials can all be irritants, in the nose and at the back of the throat, whether or not they get any further. Best advice is to treat them all as irritants which will be annoying and which just may possibly be hazardous, and minimise the opportunity for them to be inhaled.

The ways in which we can do this are many and varied:

• Wear a mask. Disposable paper masks are better than nothing, but a properly fitting mask with replaceable filters is not overly expensive, lasts a long time and will be much more effective.
• Avoid brushing or rubbing on the surfaces of kiln linings. Use the vacuum cleaner, rather than a brush or broom.

• Use an exhaust fan if possible, (watch where the exhaust blows).
• Minimise the creation of dust in the first place.
• Damp down. Use moist sawdust or wood shavings if sweeping.  A damp broom, frequently re-dampened, can be very effective. Use a damp cloth when wiping benches or similar dust laden surfaces.
• If you must make a dust from an operation, work outside and stand upwind so the dust blows away from you.  Watch out and consider who else may be copping the dust.

Other operations & materials

There are a number of operations frequently carried out to decorate or give a pattern or design to glass. These may be explored by the glass hobbyist or artist, and include acid etching, shot blasting and painting. Proper storage and handling of the materials, cleanliness, awareness, all play a part in safeguarding your health and safety.

Make sure you understand the nature of any material you use. Supposedly hazard free etchants used on glass can sometimes be anything but hazard free. Others may actually be highly corrosive and require very specific methods of storage and handling.

This doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t investigate any of these processes or techniques. Just be sure to investigate them thoroughly and be aware of the potential risk. Nothing will do harm if you know the nature of the potential risk and act accordingly.

Many effective products have been taken off the market because of the maker’s fear of litigation should the material be misused. If one purchases the raw materials, reads the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and uses the product correctly, then nobody is harmed and the wealth of knowledge and beauty can be expanded. 

First aid

Apart from the Band-aids for a cut, know the correct treatment for other possible injuries. Consult your doctor or chemist and have a small first-aid box containing the materials necessary in case of injury through any of the causes mentioned above.  Most importantly know where to find them and how to use them.

Ensure that your first-aid skills and resources keep pace with your expanding expertise, or any new ground and techniques you explore.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

They contain information to aid the user in correctly handling using and storing a material. If you have a concern about a material, ask your supplier for a MSDS. They are required by law to provide the information but there may be delays in some resellers getting the information from the manufacturer. Make sure you have read and understood them.