Health & Safety in the Arts
A Searchable Database of
Health & Safety Information for Artists


Commercial Art
ID Commercial Art Tech Ingestion Haz Inhalation Haz Skin Contact Haz Other Hazards Precautions
1 Airbrushing
Pigments, dyes, vehicle, solvents haz.

Spray or airbrush in spray booth; wear respirator; use exhaust fan; don't spray solvent-based materials; don't spray paints containing lead, cadmium, mercury, manganese
2 Blueprint Machines Concentrated ammonia highly toxic Concentrated ammonia highly toxic; amines moderately irritating Concentrated ammonia highly toxic; amines moderately irritating
Blueprint machines should have local exhaust ventilation; fresh blueprint should be handled w/gloves, and allowed to dry in a ventilated area
3 Color Correction ? ? ? ? ?
4 Computer Graphics ? ? ? ? ?
5 Illustration ? ? ? ? ?
6 Imaging & Proofing Systems
N-propyl alcohol mildly irritating; metal fumes, ozone, nitrogen dioxide; carbon monoxide Developer irritating; N-propyl alcohol mildly irritating Carbon arcs produce UV radiation Wear gloves, goggles; use eyewash fountain, local exhaust ventilation; don't use hairdryers to speed drying of the solvents, unless sparkproof; spray in spray booth; don't allow sources of ignition; avoid carbon arcs
7 Marker Renderings
Solvent vapors haz.; xylene highly toxic; propyl alcohol moderately toxic

Use alcohol-based permanent markers rather than xylene-based ones; use dilution ventilation
8 Model Making ? ? ? ? ?
9 Mounting Work
N-hexane in rubber cement, spray adhesives highly toxic; 1,1,1-trichloroethane toxic
Rubber cement, thinner, and spray adhesives extremely flammable Use nonsolvent mounting methods (dry mounting, use of double-sided Scotch tape); use those based on heptane instead of hexane; use local exhaust ventilation, dilution ventilation, respirator; don't allow flames; use spray booth
10 Pasteup of Mechanicals
N-hexane highly toxic; molten wax haz.; perchloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane toxic
Hexane extremely flammable; molten wax fire haz. Use wax for pasteup; keep wax at lowest temp. possible; remove excess wax by scraping, not solvents; use heptane-based rubber cement & thinner; use local exhaust ventilation; don't allow open flames; use water-based paints, correction fluids
11 Photostats
Methylaminoethanol irritating Methylaminoethanol irritating Developers, activators alkaline Provide dilution ventilation at 170 cfm of exhaust for stat camera processors or 10 air changes per hour; each processor should have exhaust duct opening above it; wear gloves, goggles; use eyewash fountain
12 Sign Painting Mineral spirits moderately toxic; xylene highly toxic Mineral spirits moderately toxic; xylene highly toxic Mineral spirits moderately toxic; xylene moderately toxic Lead chromate carcinogenic Brush on paints instead of spraying; spray in spray booth, or outside; wear respirator; avoid lead chromate paints; use dilution ventilation; provide ventilated drying area; don't allow open flames or other sources of ignition
13 Spray Fixatives
N-hexane, toluene highly toxic
Spray fixatives extremely flammable Apply in explosion-proof spray booth exhausted to outside; spray outdoors; use respirator
14 Textile Design ? ? ? ? ?
15 Typography
Fixer gives off ammonia gas Hydroquinone irritating; stop bath contains acetic acid & can cause burns Hydroquinone mutagen; developers alkaline Wear gloves, goggles, plastic apron; have eyewash fountain available; provide 170 cfm of exhaust for each processor, or 10 air changes per hour of dilution ventilation; each processor should have exhaust duct opening above it






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Disclaimer
This information set forth herein is furnished free of charge and is based on public domain information that is believed to be reliable. The City of Tucson makes no warranty as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. The information is to be used at an individual's own risk.
This web site is sponsored by the City of Tucson's Environmental Management Division through an Environmental Justice Grant.

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