Henry Charles on tue 19 jan 99
Your assistance is requested by a ceramics teacher who has taught in an
urban high school for 28 years.
I need information concerning any ceramics professionalswho have
contracted emphysema or silicosis (a.k.a. potter s rot). Ask your
professors, ask your teachers, ask around. I need names, dates,
locations, circumstances, addresses, and e-mail addresses.
Help a fellow potter who has lost his health teaching others the love of
clay.
Henry Charles
hcharles@landmarknet.net
arturo m devitalis on tue 19 jan 99
Write to Robt Schmitz at Rochester Inst. of Technology, School of
American Craftsmen
1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 and inquire about the
circumstances involved in the death of former ceramic faculty member
Hobart Cowles.
Arturo DeVitalis
devpot@juno.com
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Edouard Bastarache on wed 20 jan 99
Hello Henry,
best thing would be to meet a lung or environmental health specialist.
So far most cases of silicosis in the field of pottery were described
among "pottery factory workers", not so many among artist potters;
i have found only one scientific abstract dealing with this problem
among artists in NIOSHTIC,
a database produced by the US National Institute for Occupational
Safety & Health( i may be wrong i have not looked into this problem
in the last 6 months).
If you wish i can send you some more info retrieved from this database 6
months
ago concerning the whole of pottery making and health; just let me know.
I am also concerned, i have been making pots for 31 years.
Later,
Edouard Bastarache M.D. (Occupational & Environmental Medicine)
in "La Belle Province"
edouardb@sorel-tracy.qc.ca
http://www.sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* N I O S H T I C(R)
*
*
*
* Produced by : US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
*
* Provided by : Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue : 98-4 (November, 1998)
*
NIOSHTIC RECORD NUMBER : 181109
TITLE :
Art and Artists
NIOSHTIC CONTROL NUMBER : NIOSH-00211674
AUTHOR(S) :
Pike, S.
SOURCE :
Hazardous Materials Toxicology, Clinical Principles of Environmental
Health,
J. B. Sullivan, Jr., and G. R. Krieger, Editors; Williams and Wilkins,
Baltimore, Maryland, pages 690-696, 2 references
PUBLICATION DATE : 1992-00-00
ABSTRACT :
Health hazards associated with the art industry were discussed in this
chapter. Painters have been at risk for exposure to a variety of toxic
substances including solvents, pigments, preservatives, varnishes, and
oils.
The toxic effects of exposure to metals found in many dyes have
included
cancer, liver and nervous system damage, and skin sensitization.
Sculptors,
potters and ceramic artists have been at risk for silicosis due to the
inhalation of silica (14808607), asbestos related disease due to
exposure to
asbestos (1332214) fibers in certain stones, and vascular diseases of
the
extremities due to the use of power tools. Exposure to woods have also
been
associated with the development of nasal carcinoma, systemic symptoms
due to
alkaloid exposure, and skin allergies. Glassworkers have encountered
the
problem of excessive heat, lead (7439921) poisoning, and exposure to
chemicals contained in organic fluxes. Workers in lithography,
photography
and printmaking have been exposed to many chemicals and organic
solvents
which are potentially toxic. A discussion of the regulation of
occupational
exposures by OSHA using Permissible Exposure Levels was presented. The
author recommends that workers be educated about the materials being
used,
the use of proper ventilation systems as well as the use of personal
protective devices.
DESCRIPTOR(S) :
Arts and crafts / Occupational exposure / Ceramics industry /
Woodworking
industry / Health hazards / Toxic effects / Organic solvents /
Protective
measures
----------
> De : Henry Charles
> A : CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Objet : Silicosis A.K.A. Potter's rot
> Date : 19 janvier, 1999 00:08
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Your assistance is requested by a ceramics teacher who has taught in an
> urban high school for 28 years.
>
> I need information concerning any ceramics professionalswho have
> contracted emphysema or silicosis (a.k.a. potter s rot). Ask your
> professors, ask your teachers, ask around. I need names, dates,
> locations, circumstances, addresses, and e-mail addresses.
>
> Help a fellow potter who has lost his health teaching others the love of
> clay.
>
> Henry Charles
>
> hcharles@landmarknet.net
R. D. Jones on thu 18 feb 99
Dear Dr. Bastarch
I would be curious to know what measures you take to protect your lungs in
your pottery work.
R.D.Jones MD (retired psychiatrist)
Robert Pulley on fri 19 feb 99
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Silicosis A.K.A. Potter's rot
Author: Ceramic Arts Discussion List at INTERNET-MAIL
Date: 2/18/99 7:32 AM
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Dear Dr. Bastarch
I would be curious to know what measures you take to protect your lungs in
your pottery work.
R.D.Jones MD (retired psychiatrist)
Dr. Bastarch,
I would say, "Not enough>" But my attitude remains a lot like
smokers. I could do more, but seem unwilling to change comfortable
habits. I have been a clay artist/potter for over 25 years. I have a
history of lung problems perhaps not entirely due to my clay work, but
almost certainly exacerbated by it.
Last year I started teaching ceramics and sculpture in a high school.
I am most worried about that situation. At home I mix clay in a shed
and always wear a mask when doing so. I try to keep my work area
reasonably clean and I'm not really in my studio all that much. In
the summer when I spend more time there my garage door is open and
there is lots of ventilation.
At school there are kilns in the room that are inadequately
ventilated. There is an in room clay mixer. I try to wear a mask when
I mix, but I don't always because I am interacting with students. I
had a big hepa filter installed last year which I run every night in
hopes of lowering the amount of small airborn particles, but we create
lots of fresh dust every day. I am trying to get the school to
address the dust situation, but the gears of beaurocracy grind slowly.
I worry about my health and I try to address it, but I am having such
a good time with these students that I am not prepared to ditch them.
Robert Pulley
Edouard Bastarache on fri 19 feb 99
Hello Dr. Jones,
i get my dust masks from steel mills i work for.
Any safety supply store in your area can supply you with the right
one if you explain what you need.
Even if our region is small we have such a store because of the number
of heavy industries located here.
E-mail privately if you want me to look into this problem for you at our
local
safety supply store.
Later,
Edouard Bastarache
edouardb@sorel-tracy.qc.ca
http://www.sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/
-----Message d'origine-----
De : R. D. Jones
@ : CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date : 18 fivrier, 1999 07:28
Objet : Re: Silicosis A.K.A. Potter's rot
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Dear Dr. Bastarch
>
>I would be curious to know what measures you take to protect your lungs in
>your pottery work.
>
>R.D.Jones MD (retired psychiatrist)
Mason Batchelder on wed 11 jul 01
I am getting information I possibly have silicosis and I have been in
pottery since 1969 ,but though, I was especially careful, although when I
took graduate classes locally there was a teaching assistant who made the
class sweep the floors before class and we had to sit thru it in a haze.I
even reported him to OSHA at the time for the classes sake but OSHA said
the college was not under their jurisdiction.
I had been feeling so darned rag tired in recent years and went to
several doctors telling them of my occupation and exposure but all missed
it. Then this last month ,I happened to have an accident where I needed
chest xrays and lo and behold the xray reading technician found it
without even knowing my occupation despite 2 chest xrays at other
hospitals looking specifically for causes for my dyspnea and severe
fatigue of several years duration.
I STRONGLY RECCOMMEND ALL CLAYWORKERS TO SEARCH THE WEB AND LOOK AT THE
INFORMATION ON SILICOSIS AND PRINT IT OUT FOR YOUR DOCTOR AS SEVERAL HERE
IN MY CITY MISSED IT EVEN WHEN I TOLD THEM IT COULD BE THAT SILICOSIS.
I DO NOT YET KNOW IF THIS HAS LED TO TB OR CANCER BUT THE NOTES ON THE
XRAY REPORT I HAVE SEARCHED ON MEDWEB.COM HAVE ME SICK IN THE PIT OF MY
STOMACH AND MY SPOUSE WHEEZES AND HAD A HEART ATTACK WITH BYPASSES AND NOW
I WONDER....
YOU HAVE NOTHING IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR HEALTH.....
Mike Gordon on wed 11 jul 01
Mason,
Did you ever try reporting this clean up situation to the "teacher" or
head of the ceramics dept.? It would seem to me that somebody in charge
is extremely negligent. You have my sympathy, Mike Gordon
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