Techno Tip

Dealing With Dust in Ceramics: a significant health hazard

Indoor air pollution of all types is comsid- ered one of the most important health hazards of our time. ‘The dramatic nse in the incidence of asthma is said to be evi- dence of this, Ceramic arts, crafts, produc- tion and lab testing can generate a lot of dust if itis not managed properly. Cerampc educational programs are coming under increased scrutiny because of dust con- cerns, Most of the following suggestions will greatly reduce your exposure to dust; taken together they should make your workplace safe.

Red herrings and the real enemy

The main enemy is smaller silicosis-caus- ing quartz particles in the minus | micron range. These are small enough to penetrate into and clog the air pockets in your lungs. These particles stay airborne for days.

* The type of clay you are using 1% not usually an issue, any typical ceramic clay makes silica dust when walked on.

* Glaze muterials are sometimes called ‘chemicals’ but it is more correct to call most of them minerals. Very few are soluble; most are simply ground rock. While some glaze ingredients are sorme- what toxic in different ways, most are not hazardeus from an ingestion point-of- view.

* Wearing a dust mask only during dust generating activity in a closed area does not recognize the fact that the fine dust will stay in the air for the rest of the day or longer,

* Getting an air filter while maintaining bad habits will only marginally improve air quality.

Install or get

* Install a dust hood on the wall at the table you will use for dust generating ac- ivities. Use a simple sheet metal box with slots and a. connected pipe or drier hose to an exhaust fan that expels dust outside (exhaust fans are simply fans that install in-line in a heating pipe). The fan must be powerful enough so that you can see the dust moving away from you. There must be a source of incoming clean air else- where in the studio or lab.

January 203

by Tony Hansen * A gock! sink with hot and cold water draining to a floor or portable sump is a must so that water can be used effectively to clean up,

* Have a smooth easy-to-clean floor that can be hosed down to a floor drain or effectively mopped (existing rooms can be modified by raising the floor a Little to slope toward a drain).

* Have lots of large sponges (in good condition) and water buckets around for cleaning work tables, counters, wheels, and small floor areas, etc, Use two clean sponges (the first sponge to get the mess and the second to remove the residuc).

* Install tables with wheels and don’t put anything under them. Wheel them out of the way to clean the floor.

* Install a central-vac unit outdoors with inside pipes and hoses, Locate outlets con- vermently and make hoses easy to eet at and set up.

* Get plastic containers with lids for dry material storage (you can get 10-galion plastic containers from restaurants). Get a two-wheel hand-truck so you can move these easily when they are full.

* Install a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arresting) circulating air-filter. These devices either use filters or electro- staticfelectronic methods. Try searching for “HEPA air filter’ on a search engine to find sites like www airpurifiers.com

* Sel up 4 positive ventilation system; that is, a way for air to get in and a fan to push it out at the other end of the work area. The Onentation should be such that the direction of dust travel is away from working arcas.

* Create work areas dedicated to specitic tasks: clay storage and processing, glaz- ing, testing. throwing, trimming, slab roll- ing, clay fabrication, library, etc. Deal with cust a appropriate in cach area.

« If possible, use a separate building, not the building where you live and sleep,

* You can get ventilation tables (ie, search for ‘dust’ in the store at axner.com) that provide localized air re- moval.

Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter

Habits to change:

* Work cleaner, be dust-sman, Keep scraps off the float, pick up crumbs before they are Walked on, sponge Up spills right away, spread plastic film on the floor for easy clean-up after messy jobs. Don't gen- erate as much dust; catch it at the time of generation. Por example, don’t just dump dry clay into a glaze or clay mixer; put itin gently so less dust raises, Be more patient.

* Pick up all crumbs before they get walked on.

* Clean at the end of the day so dust

generated during cleaning can settle out overnight,

* If you have to place your face in the dust, de mot inhale until you are back in clean air.

* Handle unloading of dry materials and pulling into lidded containers outdoors.

* Launder clay clothing often, Remove

clay shoes and clothes when entering your house.

* Dusting and sweeping puts the danger- ous fine particles into the air. Silicosis- size dust goes right through vacuum bags. Heating and air conditioning systems can circulate dust to other areas as well,

Other Suggestions:

* Use a base glaze with variations ap- proach to minimize the number of materi- als you need to store to maintain a selec- tion of glazes with different colors. opaci- ties, vaniegations and surface textures,

* Avoid tog many shelves that gather dust.

«Good: When using a power mixer Place it between you and the exhaust fan. If the mixing is done in the working room, do it at the end of the day so airborne chast settles, Better: Provide an outdoor area or a separate and properly ventilated room for clay mixing. Best: Buy your clay premixed and pugged.

* Work wet; Don't sandpaper without a device to suck away the dust. Smooth it by sponging or spray a mist of water on first (if his does not detrimentally affect the surface). cominued on page ft

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