Joseph Herbert on thu 19 aug 99
If there is enough dust to bother Mike's computer, I think his "Extra
Precautions" should probably be a respirator. Worried about the
computer but not about young lungs. Hummm. Hoopla? Hummm.
Joseph Herbert
Joseph.Herbert@worldnet.att.net
Mike Gordon
Subject: Re: Computers (IN) Pottery Poll
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
HI all,
I had an old Mac in my high school room for a year, when not in use I
put a plastic bag over it. When I wanted to use it I just pushed it in
back so that the vents were clear, then let it cool in order to put it
back. Never a problem! BUT this year we are getting a new Mac and a PC.
With all this hoopla over clay dust in the room I'm going to take some
extra precautions --- don't know what yet. Will let you know what and if
I have any problems. Mike
Mike Gordon on fri 20 aug 99
Joeseph,
Let me clarify... the dust occurs when the custodial staff comes in
"after" I've left EACH night to sweep, mop, and wipe everything
down.Mike
Joseph Herbert on sat 2 jun 07
I would like to add a little to this topic. Reparable dust is a real and
constant hazard for people working with clay. If you spend a lot of time
working with clay, any measures you can take to control the airborne clay
particles in your life are probably worth the trouble.
I recently watched a training video that included a reference to the
construction of a tunnel in West Virginia where early versions of pneumatic
drills were used. No efforts were made to control the dust from the drills,
indeed the dust from the drilling was removed from the drilled hole by an
air blast through the bit. The workers were in an area with little air
movement and heavily loaded with air borne silica dust. It seems like some
workers died within month of their working in the tunnel. An extreme
example but it does indicate the danger.
Note: Hawk's Nest tunnel project, 1930, for union carbide. Over 400 deaths,
many within a year of starting work. sickened with in months of starting
work. http://www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/wvhs122.html
Want to check how you (or the people who work in a shared space with you)
are doing on keeping the dust down? Look at the light bulbs. If the tops
of the fluorescent lamps in your work space has a visible layer of dust, you
probably need to consider changing the way you clean or the place you work
(for that group thing). Since lamps are mounted high, they are generally
not reached by larger particles. Usually the dust that gets up there is the
kind that stays in the air for hours and that also makes it past the body's
natural defenses; the dangerous dust.
One way to improve your wet cleaning is to use two buckets, especially if
one is a mop squeezer. Put down clear water from one bucket, always
squeezing into the other. This works with sponge cleaning as well. More
than one change of water when cleaning an area is good. Moping with water
containing clay assures that a uniform layer of clay is everywhere on the
floor after the water evaporates.
People are rarely concerned enough about the presence of clay dust on the
floors. As soon as any clay material dries on the floor, it is eligible for
elevation by normal foot traffic. Leaving any trimmings to dry on the floor
starts that process of airborne clay. Since most glazes have considerable
clay content, that drop of glaze left to dry on the floor then contributes
to the problem as soon as someone walks on the dried glaze.
I have worked in over 30 public clay studio situations all over the country.
Most of them were dustier than they should have been. Some were (are) Very
dusty. Walking into the Art Center in Evanston, Il., the first thing I
noticed about the clay program was the walk-off mat leading from the
basement door. There was a clay colored path of multiple footsteps leading
away from the door. The dust on that mat came from the floors of the clay
work areas. There seemed to be a lot of it. The operation there is well
run and serves many people but I saw studio users literally throwing clay
dust onto the floor. One woman was incising designs in a green pot,
brushing the dust off the pot and table onto the floor and blowing on the
pot to clear the marks. Oddly, the Photography area was in the basement
with the clay studio.
For a part time clay person who spends only a few hours a week in the
studio, this whole issue may not be meaningful. There are some significant
exceptions, however, like if your studio space is connected to your living
space or if your work space IS you living space. Once you have introduced
clay particles into your living space from your clothes, shoes, or doing
work it will be there for a long time. Most of the ways we usually clean
our homes are not sufficient to deal with the problems posed by very fine
particles. For example, tracking clay dust into the house and leaving
tracks on the carpet. The standard housekeeping response to that is the
vacuum. Most home vacuums do not contain clay sized particles and so the
act of "cleaning" suspends and disburses the dust. Once airborne, it stays
up for a really long time
It is a topic that deserves care and thoughtfulness. Any measure you can
take to control where clay goes, either as a damp solid or dust will
probably make your workplace better.
Joseph Herbert
Technical Writer
Irving, Texas
214-725-8305 (Cell)
| |
|
