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What all shop users are required to do
Why is this necessary?
What materials/products fall in this category?
One example
Another example
What all shop users are required to do
Shop users must contact shop management when considering using any 2-part liquid chemical. Bringing
restricted materials into the space without working with us is grounds for loss of shop access.
Restricted materials would include (though is not limited to) any epoxy or 2-part plastic (like "urethanes"), silicone,
polyester or any of the vaguely named "casting resins" - ESPECIALLY, but not limited to, translucent types.
We've made this as easy as we can for you to do safely, requiring that you contact us BEFORE you buy any of
this type of material, so we can determine what would be required for its safe use, whether that is possible in
our facilities, and even whether it's the best choice for the results
you have in mind for your project. You'll need to locate the correct SDS sheets and send it in an email -
we will go over them and the project with you.
When we determine that the chemical in question can safely be used in our faciliites, you must do the work
with shop staff in the room with you (unless we indicate otherwise).
We will make sure we have all the required PPE, and that setup and handling is done correctly and safely.
How To Read an SDS Sheet,
for Beginners
Why is this necessary?
All materials should be thought of as "chemicals", in this context- there are health hazards associated
with any of even the most simple building materials
that users must be aware of.
That said, there are exceptionally serious potential dangers inherent to many liquid chemicals that
are popular/familiar in art supply stores, and generally known in an abstract sense, in school shops like ours.
Shop management is here to help you wade through the issues detailed below, so you aren't left to try to
correctly interpret directions and warnings on your own.
Exceptionally hazardous materials used for modelmaking/building are usually packaged and marketed to appear perfectly
safe and user-friendly.
You cannot trust this kind of persuasive advertising- it, alone, will never give you an accurate sense of what you are
actually being exposed to.
When considering a material to work with, just as you should as a consumer, in general - you must always remember that all their
marketing is designed to be appealing, to sell - the manufacturers ultimately have profit in mind, and will not advertise their
products' dangers any more than is required by law.
Detailed safety data about materials (please see SDS tutorial link @ top) must be made available for any "hazardous" material (these
days they can usually be found on the manufacturer's websites).
However, they are usually not written to be easily understood by the average person - researching the unfamiliar details thoroughly
takes effort.
Also, the range of materials out there that are considered 'hazardous' is a much longer list than you might expect. Plywood, MDF, gypsum plaster,
even simple PVA wood glue are all required to have SDS sheets made available by their manufacturers.
If these material-specific details are overlooked, incorrect handling and exposure, with some kind of effect, is almost
guaranteed. The effect can be mild or severe, depending on the specific situation. Side effects may NOT even appear at all, immediately -
sometimes it will be a cumulative reaction that is undetectable for some time, but which appears suddenly when a person has an allergic
reaction that they've never had before. These can include dangerous asthma-like symptoms as well as external dermal reactions.
Serious reactions to seemingly harmless materials, like simple skin exposure to a certain type of wood, or 5-minute epoxy adhesive,
can happen to anyone, almost randomly, just like someone can suddenly develop an allergy to things like food, or cats, or pollen.
It cannot be predicted, and it can happen to anyone, even with limited exposure.
Many easy-to-buy products with very safe-looking packaging will cause chemical burns, severe exothermic reaction-related burns,
and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, even when someone isn't aware of being sensitized (meaning they've developed an
allergy through exposure). People typically imagine eye injury when thinking about chemical exposure - this is absolutely one of many. But
it is one of many, and no one can safely ride on assumptions about proper handling, based on rumors, second hand stories, or Youtube videos.
It's a bad idea, just in life, and is also against shop policy when someone intends to work with something in our spaces.
This all may sound very nerve-wracking, and you may feel inclined to remain in ignorance if a particular material probably won't
hospitalize you or a bystander after one use - but shop users are not allowed to work in such an irresponsible manner in our shops,
using materials or tools without regard to safe handling is not allowed in any campus
spaces, and that is not the way to approach these matters in any workspace, even your own personal space.
What materials/products fall in this category?
(list under construction)
epoxies of any kind
2 part urethanes
2 part silicones
other 2 part plastics or rubbers (polyester, unspecified "resin", etc)
any liquid "rubber"
any clear casting material
'bondo' - 2-part fillers containing crystalline silica
soapstone
fabric dyes
powdered or liquid pigments, dyes, etc
One example
page under construction
Another example