Safety awareness is the most important thing in the studio. Once you know what can hurt you, you can take precautions. There is no reason to be fearful of chemicals, flames or materials. A healthy outlook is to be present, take steps and measures to be safe and free of dangers.

First we want to address vapors and particles:

Any sanding, stirring of powders, sifting of enamels, etc should be accompanied with a particulate mask, such as the RZ perforated mask (www.tonyadavidson.com/blog/recommended-products/)

If you are using a fluoridated flux, like Handy Flux, you should also be wearing a vapor mask. I use Prips Flux and I have a very good ventilation systems that takes everything from my bench outside. If you do not have this then I recommend the P100 Dust Half Mask Respirator (see link above). I also recommend you read my blog on Ventilation Hacks for Metalsmiths and work towards setting up a better air flow and vent system. We get one set of lungs and healthcare is too expensive to rule out spending money on tools that will prevent these issues.

Fire:

You want to make sure that your test your equipment regularly for leaks and issues. Hoses get cracked and things get bumped. You want to make sure you have a safety drill practiced in case you have to leave your studio. Are you close enough to shut off the valve to the tank or the emergency cut off valve? If you had to drop your torch have you practiced turning it off quickly and where you would set it.

You want to also make sure you have the right fire extinguisher on hand. Did you know there are several different fire extinguishers? You don’t want the one they sell for kitchens which is for a grease fire. Is it near your bench or at the exit, and have you checked to make sure it is still good? Do you change out your smoke alarm batteries every year?

Do you have some Lavender Oil on hand in case you burn yourself? Do you have a basic first aid kit? In that kit make sure you have some super glue and butterfly strips along with bandaids.

Have you maintained your tools so they work as expected?

Your eyes:

You should wear safety glasses anytime you are working. I have my bench glasses and my magnifiers so they are covered but if I am using the press of something with projectiles or splashing, the kind that cover the sides is the best idea. You can get stick on magnifiers which are on my Tonya Recommends page as well. These stick onto any glasses. I use them on my didymium’s too!

MSDS:

All chemicals have Safety Data Sheets (SDS) that will give you important information about storage, usage, and first aid requirements. In most cases they can be downloaded from the manufacturer or seller website. Keep them and your equipment manuals in an easily accessible safety binder in the event you need to refer to them. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the individual characteristics of each chemical in your studio so you can safely handle, store, and use it!

I bought two small cabinets from Wayfair and they store all my chemicals outside. During the winter I move them to the outdoor closet next to my studio and I cover the cabinets with bbq covers. This works really well and I’m happy to share images upon request.