Damage Control

Laat November an occupalidral iherapist veehed
our studio. Ag | was getting ready far Xmas sales,
safety and heallh were far from my mand. The OT
chservad me al work, measured my height and
imb length and the angles of vats joints vehibe |
petorred tasks. | line to weege a door 4 day
supoly of clay, This is, if seems, @ BAD idea. The
dking ig Glenn Matthews’ synopsis of res visk
with intermation that wil be relevant lo all our

practices. Karen Opas.

Risk factors involved ‘with potting include
musculoskeletal injuries, exposure to toxic
chemicals & other problems related to the
averall work enviranment Most potters
seem well aware of the toxicity prablams &
hance the focus of the visit was primarily
on the biomechanical aspacts of petting.

The most common injury in a@ wark
environment is lower back pain. Physical
factors such as work posture, lifting
pushing & pulling, and cyclic loading are
emphasized a3 the main causes of LSP.
Oddly, the twa principal mechanisms af
injury leading to LBP are 1. overioading
fram a single heavy lift and 2. sustained
static loading of tissuas from repetitive
mevament which interfere with blood
circulation in the affected area. Potters
spénd long, static hours on the wheel or at
the glaze table and then interrupt these
activities to lift their 50 and 100 Ib sacks of
materials!

Overload: the praferrad range of safe
lifting is between the knuckles and the
albow/shouldars measured from a
standing position with hands relaxed at the

side.Alinough the potter dees mot li the
blocks of clay frequently or for a long
duration, they are being lifted from the
Noor and carried fo the work surface.
Stacking the clay boxes an a table would
minimize axcessive forces on the spinal
discs and other joints. Using a wheeled
transfer table would also help.

Lang periods of stoaped standing at the
wedging table also add to LAP. Insiailing
a footrest below the wedging station would
reduce stress on the lower back and stil
maintain ihe downward forces naaded for
wedging, Alternating each foot on the foot
rest as you wedge will increase suppart fer
the potters lower back If a lot of time is
spent standing in one area, a thick piece of
carpet or rubber mat will absorb some of
the downward force, so that the feet and
shins will be less fatigued.

Exercise and regular movement of the
spine does enhance the regeneration of
tissue, especially that of the discs, itis a
good idea to alternate between work
activities which require stooping or
hunching and those which do mot Take
regular Oreaks to stretch and rest.

Wedging can cause repetitive strain injury
(tandonitis and bursitis), and carpal tunnel
syndrome -a condition where the nerve is
compressed as it passes through the
carpal tunnel of the wrist Symptoms
include numbness, swelling, pain and/or
‘pins and needies’ in tha thumb and first 2
fingers. Excessive wrist angles, static

?

fladon of the neck [chin tucked towards
chest for long periods) and shoulders —
raised and hurched during work actyities
are risk factors far injury. Sdunmds like
wedging!

Angling the surface of the wedging table
slightly away would help prevent excessive
wrist extension and head flexion, The
straighter the angle of the wrist the better
Wrap the wrists with tensor bangages or a
neoprene splint to provide warmth (better
circulation) & external support fer the
wrists whenever possible. [t is alsa very
important to give muscle and cannective
tissue a chance to rast and recover.
Preventative rest would be about 24 hours
when ne pain is present, of until the pain is
gone if pain is present.

Glenn Matthews.

| found much of what | wars toki was plain commen
gense, bul | needed the feminder provided by a
professional As | fall within the normal heaghi
range for a woman, my prebought tables are Ihe
correct engonamic height forme. If you are qutsica
the "nor, personal bedy measuremerits will tell
yau the carmect height for your work surfaces,
shehies dnd abocks. The Wierwnand Caripensation
Beard has statistical tables that will halp. | f you
‘want an OT lo vest your studia contact the British
Columbia Society of Occupational
Therapisis( 36-5645) Coasts vary, but wil
prabably fail within the $300 -£500 range.

Karen Opas.

Karen Opas Reads a Rook

“Low Fire +Other Wars to Work jn Clay” Lean Nigrosh 1990 |

| have offen seen his bock on a shelf and passed it by. The caver rather |
repulsed me, Ibis, frankly, rather tacky! It seems that | de judge a book by |
its cower But the fact that this book hag been in cantinucus prirg for toe past
sodeen years should have told me something. Al the ime Nigrosh wrote this
Bock there was very lilt gublished informalion available for the low-fire
enthusiast. Staneware had been king fer Ihe beter part of the last 25 years
and wee te the burgeaning low-fire patter seeing Kreatedge, The books thus
covers almost avery aspect of low fire clay wilh the happy assump)lion thal
the reader is a near virgin to the techniques and matemais touched an.
Nothing is taken fer granted.

Chapter | deals with unfired clay, Guiding wth adebe, sculpture and even
how lo waterproof your adobe structure (a blessing in our climate). Chapier
2 tells you haw to choose a clay bocy, how ta dig & and prepare it, test the
shriniage & porosity, how to mix from cammercialy available materials and
even where to buy ready mixed. For thase af us who think that all clay comes
in 44 [b bewes at Greenbam this chapter wil give you fantasies of diving out
te the nearest creek and digging your awn clay. He even gives the Canadian
address to write to for survey maps that show your local clay deoosils, The
next four chapters cower nan-eiectric finng methods, They are expisned in

accessile terminclogy and you may need to be physically restrained from

digging 4 firing pit in your backyard. Chapter 7 gives @ 1-2-3 appraach to
Egyptian saste and the photo of the bead tree ia cack, Chapter eight lakes a
brie! jock al earthen ware and you will have the ability to make lovely bricks
by end afk. Chagher 9 very brefhy (R's only ane page) cavers pest-firing
finishes, Chapter 10 reviews terra sigilata and even covers reduction
decoration in tera sig, something not discussed in mamy beaks, Chapters
11-14 oak al diferent colour and glaze applications. Chaglers 15 4 16 teil
you how to make your own underglaze decals and photo clay. They are
necessary mare technical than greceding chapters but ara manageable by
a Near-novice,

Obviously, the beak just touches on many aspects of low fine, but there is
enough information that anyone interested in it will have a good jumping off
point for further inwestigatians. | highly recommend this book 44 an essential
part of 8 patters reference brary. It is straightforward and encouraging. Its’
you-ean-de-it style get me excted about something new in almost avery
shagter, The chosen photes that aocompaniad the text were interesting and
relevant to the presented information. The bebiegraahy and list of suppliers
is prebably a ba dated by mow but again, are a good departure peint for
further information, And @ is CHEAP! At the Galery book section if is
28.95 for a sewn, hard covered edition, | must leave now, tha canstruction
af my 11 bedroom adobe mansion beckons...

Karen Opas