The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide

With the information contained here artists can at last be free from fear and confusion to return to creativity in the safest, healthiest environment possible. “Vitally important.”—Library Journal

If you are a painter, sculptor, printmaker, potter, welder, papermaker, photographer, or teacher in the arts, staying healthy and safe in your work place should not be a matter of circumstance. Through dozens of handy tables, diagrams, and charts, Monona Rossol’s essential book points out dangerous ingredients found in specific brands of paint, dye, and adhesives; simple supplies such as goggles and ladders that keep classrooms and studios safe; and steps that art educators can take to comply with OSHA regulations. This volume also details helpful and potentially life-saving subjects such as:

• Questions to ask when ordering art supplies
• Recommendations for proper ventilation
• Safe work practices
• Precautions for individual media
• Art materials and projects for children and other high risk individuals

Not only artists, but those who work in school administration, health care, and risk analysis will benefit from the surprising facts revealed. For example, art and craft supplies labeled as biodegradable, water-based, and natural must be handled with utmost caution, because they can still contain highly toxic properties.

Monona Rossol has been a chemist, artist, and industrial hygienist, specializing in visual and performing arts hazards for more than thirty years. She is the founder of Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety (ACTS), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing health and safety services to the arts. She lives in New York City.