Basic safety equipment
Posted by mikeaurelius on January 10, 2008
Things that every glassworking studio MUST (not should) have:
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Proper protective eyewear
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N100 or P100 Dust mask
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First aid kit
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Fire blanket
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Fire extinguishers
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Ceiling mounted smoke detector, wired to the rest of the house
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An appropriate ventilation system
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Fire safe floor and work surfaces
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Fire safe attire (hair tied back, close toed shoes, cotton or wool fabric)
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Flashback arrestors (optional on surface mix torches)
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Water bucket
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Wheels on your chair (and a smooth floor) to make it easy to scoot back out of the way
quincy said
Thank you so much for all this info. I am a relatively new lampworker and learned in a studio with no ventilation system and very few of the safety items on your list. I see 2 things that I never thought to put in my studio–fire blankets and a water bucket. I plan to get some blankets today and to designate a special bucket and keep it available.
Thank you again,
Quincy
mikeaurelius said
Good! Now keep in mind that fire blankets are very special items that are fire retardant themselves. You should not use an ordinary bed blanket for this item.
Your water bucket can be something as simple as a 1 gallon paint bucket, kept full of water on your work bench (for quenching your tools, etc.).
quincy said
Yes, this I know…another question–carbon monoxide? Should I have a detector?
mikeaurelius said
Yes. Not so much for the torch but to safe guard the ventilation system. If for some reason the fresh air supply gets blocked or insufficient, the exhaust system will draw from the furnace/hot water heater, and will create a carbon monoxide hazard.