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

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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