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.

"Most artists are at least vaguely aware of the dangers their profession poses, and several high-profile lawsuits have led to complex regulations regarding the handling of art materials. These concerns are ably addressed by Rossol's manual, a standard in the field. A chemist, artist, and industrial hygienist, Rossol is also the founder and president of ACTS (Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety). Her use of the word 'complete' in the title is not misplaced; other books in the field, such as Michael McCann's Health Hazards Manual for Artists, don't come close. Four exhaustive sections cover regulations and specific hazards, artists' raw materials, precautions for individual media, and reproductive risks to artists. Fully equipped with appendixes on sources, governmental agencies, and an annotated reference list, this vitally important volume is essential for any art collection." —Library Journal