Health and safety notes.

Chemicals enter the body through absorption, inhalation and ingestion. Smoking increases the hazards of respiratory reactions.

Art materials may be:
Toxic, cause physical injury via breathing (inhalation), eating (ingestion), or by skin
contact & absorption
Caustic, may burn you on contact
Irritant, cause skin, eye, mucous membrane inflammation or pain Flammable, can ignite or be set on fire
Explosive, may explode when exposed to heat, pressure or shock

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS:
Do not eat or drink close to work area (to prevent accidental ingestion).
Familiarize yourself with which substances that are hazardous.
Clean hands thoroughly after working using baby oil, soap and water, or a non-toxic hand cleaner such as GoJo. Keep work area cleaned up and organized.
Ask your doctor if you are taking medication or are pregnant about what precautions you should be taking. Identify location of fire extinguishers, first aid box and eye wash stations (ask your professor
if need be).
Notify your professor about any health condition or medication that may affect you in the classroom. 

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Drawing I
Graphite- no significant hazards
Charcoal and conte crayon- no significant hazards, avoid breathing charcoal dust
Pastel- may contain toxic pigments
Watercolor- generally not hazardous, refer to pigment list
Ink wash- water based inks are not hazardous
Acrylic medium - may contain small amounts of ammonia which can irritate eyes, nose and throat Spray fixatives- hazardous, only use in a spray booth or outside away from building, contains
hazardous chemicals
Hand cleaners (typically GoJo) - generally non-toxic, may irritate eyes

Drawing II & Painting I and II
Oil paint (tubes and sticks)- safer without use of solvents, use baby oil to clean hands followed by soap and water or GoJo.
Turpentine-lethal if ingested, may be absorbed by skin, fumes may cause dizziness and loss of coordination, also causes kidney damage, highly toxic. Wood turpentine is more toxic than gum turpentine. Flammable.
Mineral Spirits (paint thinner) - moderately toxic, flammable
Damar Varnish- natural resin, may cause skin reaction
Linseed oil and stand oil- not considered hazardous, may de-fat skin Liquin- hazardous, may be fatal if swallowed, flammable
Hand cleaners such as GoJo- generally non-toxic
Rubber cement- potentially fatal if swallowed, hazardous fumes, flammable Wax- highly flammable, fumes may cause respiratory irritation 
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Pigments

Painters use pigments in oil paints, acrylics, watercolor paints, gouache, encaustic, poster paints, casein paints and tempera. Paints are pigments mixed with a vehicle or binder, such mixtures may also contain preservatives. Both inorganic and organic pigments are used as colorants.
Most paints used at HACC do not contain metal pigments and are considered non-toxic. These are most easily identified by the product name. If the paint is described as hue, such as “chromium yellow hue”, there is no (or too little to be concerned about) toxic metal contained in the product.

PRECAUTIONS

Use the least toxic pigments possible. Do not use lead or carcinogenic pigments. See list of highly toxic pigments below.
Avoid mixing dry pigments whenever possible. If dry pigments are mixed, do it inside fume hood, available in the ceramics lab. Wet mop and wipe all surfaces when using dry pigments.
Avoid using dishes, containers or utensils from the kitchen to mix and store paints and pigments. Do not eat or drink in proximity to the work area.
HAZARDS
Poisoning can occur if toxic pigments are inhaled or ingested. The main hazard in standard painting techniques is accidental ingestion of pigments due to eating, drinking or smoking while working, inadvertent hand to mouth contact, or pointing the paint brush with the lips. If methods such as spraying, heating, or sanding are employed then there is an opportunity for inhalation of toxic pigments.
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Water-based Paints

Water-based paints include water color, acrylic, gouache, tempera, and casein. Water is used for thinning and cleanup.
PRECAUTIONS
Adequate ventilation.
HAZARDS
See section above for pigment hazards.
Acrylic paints contain a small amount of ammonia. Some sensitive people may experience eye, nose and throat
irritation from the ammonia. Acrylics and some gouaches contain a very small amount of formaldehyde as a preservative. Only people already sensitized to formaldehyde would experience allergic reactions from the trace amount of formaldehyde found in acrylics. The amounts can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
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Oil Paints and Solvents
Oil paints, oil sticks, and encaustic use linseed oil, wax and egg respectively as vehicles, and solvents are often used as a thinner and for cleanup. Turpentine and mineral spirits (paint thinner), for example, are used in oil painting mediums, for thinning, and for cleaning brushes. Alkyd paints use solvents as their vehicle. In addition many commercial paints used by artists also contain solvents. In general, organic solvents are one of the most underrated hazards in art materials.
PRECAUTIONS
No eating or drinking near paint and solvents; ingestion of turpentine can be fatal.
During pregnancy and nursing, switch to water-based paints to avoid exposure to solvents.
Careful handling of solvents: avoid skin contact and inhalation of fumes; use certified containers for storage and
disposable.
Adequate ventilation.
Odorless solvents are also toxic, though they may be less toxic than solvents with a strong odor (odorless paint
thinner may be the least toxic). Techniques such as turpentine washes will require a lot of ventilation because they result in the evaporation of large amounts of solvents in a short period of time. Acrylic paint can be substituted for under painting. Mineral spirits is also less flammable than turpentine, since its flash point is over 100 F (38 C), while turpentine has a flash point of 95 F, (35 C).
Apply the same health and safety considerations for the use of “citrus” or “pine” solvents. These have been found to be quite irritating to the skin and eyes.
Ventilation only needs to be provided while the solvent is evaporating from the canvas, not during the time while the oil paint film is drying.
Wear neoprene gloves while cleaning brushes with mineral spirits or turpentine, which can be absorbed through the skin.
Used solvent can be reclaimed by allowing the paint to settle and then pouring off the clear solvent.
Paint can be removed from your hands with baby or vegetable oil, and then soap and water or GoJo.
Wax should be only heated to the minimum temperature needed for proper flow of the paint. Do not heat with

open flame or hot plate with exposed element.

HAZARDS
See section above for pigment hazards.
All solvents can cause defatting of the skin and dermatitis from prolonged or repeated exposure. Turpentine can
also cause skin allergies and be absorbed through the skin.
Acute inhalation of high concentrations of mineral spirits, turpentine vapors, and other solvents can cause narcosis,
which can include symptoms of dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, fatigue, loss of coordination, coma, as well as respiratory irritation. Reactions to vapors may be more sensitive when you are taking certain medications or if you are pregnant.
Chronic inhalation of large amounts of solvents could result in decreased coordination, behavioral changes and brain damage. Chronic inhalation of turpentine can cause kidney damage and respiratory irritation and allergies. Odorless mineral spirits and turpenoid, in which the aromatic hydrocarbons have been removed, while still hazardous are less hazardous.
Ingestion of either turpentine or mineral spirits can be fatal. In the case of mineral spirits, this is usually due to chemical pneumonia caused by aspiration (breathing in) of the mineral spirits into the lungs after vomiting. Natural resins (copal, damar, rosin, Japanese Lacquer) may cause skin irritation or allergies. Rosin dust can cause
asthma.
Encaustic involves suspending pigments in molten wax. If the wax is overheated, flammable wax vapors and wax
decomposition fumes are produced, which are strong respiratory irritants.
Epoxy paints consist of an epoxy resin component containing the pigment, and a hardener component. The epoxy
resin may contain diglycidyl ethers which are irritants, may cause bone marrow damage, and are suspect carcinogens. Epoxy hardeners may cause skin and respiratory allergies and irritation. Epoxy is generally not used in the HACC Painting and Drawing classes. 

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Lino Cutting

Moving around the room

No Running.
Stop immediately and listen when your teacher asks for your attention.

Using lino cutters

Carry cutters with the blade pointing down.
Only use the cutter for the job it was intended for.
Work away from your hands when cutting. 
If working with lino, use a bench hook.

Use of materials

Wipe tables after printing.
Wash your hands thoroughly after every lesson.

Personal responsibility

Wear an apron.
Alert your teacher to injuries or breakages.

Tidying up
Be responsible for any job you have been asked to do. 

Be responsible for tidying up your own work space.

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