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Tuesday 26 April 2016

V is for Ventilation


Lots of bead making processes create some nasty fumes and dangerous dusts.

Ventilation needs to be a bit more than just having a window open at the time, beadmakers can be like anyone else and be a bit naughty sometimes but there's quite a few nasties to consider when it comes to your lungs!

I have a big hood set up which sits behind my flame and is attached via tubing to a fan (like you'd find in your bathroom) and then more tubing which vents outside.  You need to make sure you have a fresh supply of air coming in, and that your ventilation system is removing what's inside to outside.


I certainly notice the difference if I don't vent when I'm working with silver, my chest gets tight and I can "feel" the difference after a relatively short session.

I've avoided working with enamels as the set up I have doesn't really allow for using fine powders regularly - as the studio spaces have other people working in them and fine powder really is nasty for your lungs (definite mask on at ALL times as well as ventilation), such a shame as I saw some great beads made at Flame Off using enamels... one day!

Is there anything you'd like to try,
but haven't because of Health and Safety?

14 comments:

  1. I always used to like chemistry at school, because the way elements combine is fascinating, but our chemistry teacher blew us up one day (wrong concentrated acid in the dropper when trying to make chlorine gas and whatever gas she made exploded), and after that, I was not so much of a fan!

    When it comes to craft stuff, I stick to the safe things, because I am way too much of a clutz for anything else :) I would like to try pottery one day, maybe throwing on a wheel, but that's not a H&S issue, just access to the right equipment!
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles | Wittegen Press | FB3X

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    1. I loved Chemistry, it's probably one of the reasons I love glass so much as a lot of it is Chemistry or Chemistry meets Art as I often refer to it! I'd love to do a glass course that combined the scientific theory with practicals...

      I think I'd be hopeless at throwing a pot on a wheel, I did really enjoy the smaller sculpture side to the beginners ceramics class I took at Flame Off... so many possibilities!!

      Mars xx

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  2. I can't say I've avoided anything because of safety concerns but looking at some of your creations makes me wish I'd tried more jewelry techniques.

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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    1. Obviously I'm a bit of a fan, but can honestly say it's so satisfying in a way that other crafts have not tempted me in. It mixes up so much stuff that I love all in one package, I do feel genuinely lucky to have stumbled upon this path!

      Mars xx

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  3. I have been being pushed to have a night nose breather... I hate those things and very claustrophobic... the doctor wants to give me pills to help curve that and one of the side-effects is sleep disorders.. uhm, yeah!

    Welcome in the letter "V"... thank you!
    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2016]

    Stop over and find a free "SIX STRINGS: BLOGGING AtoZ CHALLENGE" Here: http://www.jmhdigital.com/

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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    1. Yeah that doesn't sound like a good option, good luck with whatever you do end up trying!

      Mars xx

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  4. Would love to make jewellery
    But, prefer to write
    Http://cazgreenham.blogspot.com
    @CazsBooks

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    1. Now I'm wondering about Health and Safety stuff to do with writing :)

      Mars xx

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  5. I haven't even thought about this. It makes sense... now it makes me wonder how making the jewelry we find as archaeologists affected the health of the people back in the day...

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    The Multicolored Diary
    MopDog

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    1. Quite badly... glass powder is nasty nasty stuff... let alone all the stuff we used to put in the glass to colour it that we mix and burn, even my bead release comes with a HUGE can cause cancer warning... kiln wash is also not good... in fact there's so much to be aware of before you even get to adding heat into the mix.

      These days we know so much more thankfully but you don't have to look that far back with the building industry and asbestos to think even recently we put our health at risk by just living in a house!

      Like everything, it's a case of being aware and not being blase about the H&S side.

      Mars xx

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  6. I always wanted to try sculpture with metal back in the day, but I hate to think what I would manage to do if given a welding torch :)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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    1. Ooh now don't give me any more ideas ;) I've been making my own mould today from a clay panel, then plaster, ready to fuse a textured glass panel eventuall and having loads of fun this morning, had to go back to the day job in the afternoon but I could definitely do the creative thing more often, thoroughly enjoyed it!

      Mars xx

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  7. Well, I remember originally not wanting to try lampworking because of the safety of the flame around my cats and kids! :D Of course, I didn't think about that when it came to the flame for my beadworking. But safety hasn't been a concern in the end.

    A few years ago I ripped up the flooring in my house so that I could lay new flooring. It was dusty and disgusting, but I didn't have any masks and really wanted to get a start on it. So I did it for a night with no face protection and had a sore throat the next day (at which point I bought masks, of course). After it was done, I began to wonder if it was just dust and not mold or asbestos that I was breathing in to make my throat sore (apparently asbestos was pretty common in the flooring of the era. Which I only read afterwards)

    I have thought of doing enameling if I ever got a kiln, but now you have me wondering if I should get my hopes up!

    Tracy (Black Boots, Long Legs)

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    1. I wouldn't be put off by enameling, I'm wary because of my particular situation as I have other people to think about, and it's because in lampwork you tend to be sifting them onto the bead (that you're holding in the air) and as they are a very fine powder the possibilities for them to float around (heat generally etc) are endless!

      I got some good tips from Flame Off, decent high grade mask is a must, working with wet papertowels on your bench (so it sticks when it settles), having them between you and your hood (not the side) and being careful where in the area you're working in you hold the bead as you sift!

      I will work with some one day as the possible effects are lovely! But for now I try and avoid fine powders where I can... I did pick up some glow in the dark frit and powder so I feel a few experiments coming on, if I ever get to unpack from Flame Off properly...

      Mars xx

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