Janet Kaiser on tue 14 sep 99
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The Craft Potters Association of Great Britain (CPA) make the following
statement:
=22Lead Release
The Craft Potters Association is fully aware of the possible danger to
health of cadmium or lead released from glazed pottery into food. The CPA
Council requires all members sending work to the shop to state whether lead =
or
cadmium are used in their pottery or not. If these materials are present =
then
potters must have their work tested regularly and produce certificates to =
show
that it conforms to the new British Standard BS6748. The public can buy =
safely
from the CPA shop.=22
So, what is good enough for the CPA is good enough for The Chapel of Art and=
we
also require potters to state whether there is lead and/or cadmium in work =
to be
exhibited. There are two boxes on our Consignment Agreement to check and to =
date
few potters have checked those boxes.
Except for the =22Birds of a Feather=22 exhibition earlier this year, when =
JANET
HAMER brought some of her bird sculptures along (she is a talented potter =
and
ceramic sculptor as well as co-author of the Potters Dictionary).
She was not overly worried about ticking the lead present =22yes=22 box... =
As she
said it would not do anyone any harm =22even if some small child fell in =
love with
a duck and stood sucking hard=21=22
Love a duck=21 And I thought that was just an expression. :-)
Anyway, it is not a legal requirement to state that there is lead/cadmium in=
a
glaze in the UK, but it is a legal requirement to make sure that pots that =
are
both intended for culinary use OR could in any way be adapted or misused for
food or drink(=21) are absolutely safe.
The Health and Safety department of the local council are responsible for
checking this. They buy a pot and then test it with acid... Yes, =22the acid
test=22. They can fine potters who produce domestic ware that does not meet =
the
safety requirements.
I presume (never a good thing to do on this discussion list, but I am doing =
it
anyway) that this UK ruling also applies to all European Union countries. =
The
ruling will apply to all, it is just the implementation that varies from =
country
to country.
Just thought this may help in the soul-searching across the pond... And what=
do
your Health and Safety Executive say anyway? Or is this once again an =
example of
how no one State is like the next? Confusing=21
Janet Kaiser... hoping all the Claybuds in Florida are prepared for
hurricane Floyd and are battening down the hatches?
The Chapel of Art, Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales
Home of The International Potters Path
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox=40the-coa.org.uk
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