John Baymore on sat 20 jun 98
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Subject: Health
What do Clayarters do to keep themselves healthy....so we can
work,work,work?? I've started doing something new. Sometimes I would get a
sinus headache after a day of glazing and sanding the bottoms of pots.
Usually I wear a mask, but if it's very hot I don't. Some dust is
inevitably inhaled.
(snip)
Jan,
What are we doing to keep ourselves healthy? Trying to prevent health
consequences rather than treat them once they occur. That old maxim =22on
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure=22 still holds true.
The discomfort of a mask at 100F and 98=25 humidity is a small price to pay
for your long-term health. I would guess that the headaches that you get
after doing the activity you describe is your body's way of telling you
something. You certainly ARE inhaling something. Could be an allergic
reaction, could be simply (but significantly) mechanical clogging, or could
be reaction to some of the glaze chemistry. In any case .........IT IS A
MESSAGE.
The significant hazard to clayworkers comes from small exposures to the
materials we use over long periods of time. A little dust here and a
little dust there adds up over time. Sanding ANYTHING in the studio
(creating fine dust) should be done with local ventilation pickup or
outdoors with a breeze (stand on the upwind side), or preferably not at
all. Using the local vent or working outdoors still requires a wearing a
NIOSH/MESA approved mask because you can't be sure the dust is really ALL
being carried away.
All of the chemistry in those glazes you are sanding without a mask (and a
little tiny bit of the claybody) are getting into your body's system. As
are any dust, mold, pollen, and the like that is in the clay/glaze
materials......which may be the source for your headaches and sinus
problems. What will all this stuff do? Who the hell knows? Few materials
we use have probably been studied in the ways we use them enough to tell
.......... not much interest in artist potters as a study group among the
scientific researchers =3Cg=3E.
While a lot of information can be had from health studies done on
industrial workers, a lot doesn't apply.... because we tend to work more
then 8 hours a day, and/or more than 40 hours a week, and/or we tend to
=22live with out work=22.....meaning we often have our studios in close
proximity or actually IN our homes...... providing 24 hour a day low level
exposures. So little things tend to count.
It is also important to note that you can take aspirin for repeated
headaches and the pain stops, but it really doesn't treat the underlying
thing (like maybe high blood pressure) that is causing it.... it is just
masking the symptoms. The inhalation therapy is relieving symptoms.....
but is it eliminating the cause?
With this in mind, if you want to live a long healthy life making claywork,
you need to attend to the small issues at all times. What's that
saying......... =22God is in the details=22. Heed your body's warning....it=
is
pretty smart. One of the best ways to protect your health in the studio is
to eliminate dust producing activities altogether..... why are you sanding
off glaze and not just washing it off?
Best,
..............................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
JBaymore=40Compuserve.com
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