Other Hazards

These can include muscle strains or other injuries from maneuvering heavy oxygen tanks or repetitive movements (such as making hundreds of beads). Take frequent breaks and pay attention to your body's signals to minimize these types of injuries. Check for accurate height of table to chair for comfortable work. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are other possible hazards to watch out for. Drink plenty of water, especially if you are working with a large flame. You may also consider applying a sunscreen to your skin to protect it from the radiation given off by the flame.

The following references may be useful in protecting yourself from the common hazards of lampworking:

Artist Beware, by Michael McCann, available from Center for Safety in the Arts, 5 Beekerman St., Ste. 280, New York, NY 10038
Contemporary Lampworking, A Practical Guide to Shaping Glass In the Flame by Bandhu Scott Dunham, available from Salusa Glassworks, P.O. Box 2354, Prescott, AZ 86302
Glassblowing: An Introduction to Solid and Blown Glass Sculpturing by Homer L. Hoyt, Crafts & Arts Publishing Co. Inc, 626 Moss St., Golden, CO 80401
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide by Monona Rossol, available from Allworth Press
Ventilation-A Practical Guide for Artists, Craftspeople and Others in the Arts by Nancy Clark, Thomas Cutter and Jean Ann McGrane, available from Center for Safety in the Arts
"Beads from the Beginning" by Brian Kerkvliet, Glass Art Magazine, November/December 1994, P.O. Box 260377, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
"F.Y. Eyes" by Lisa M. Malchow, Fusion Journal of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society, May 1993. 1507 Hagley Rd., Toledo, OH 43612
"Glassmaking Health and Safety" by Monona Rossol, Glass Art Society Technical Journal, 1989. Reprint available from Allworth Press
"Optical Radiation Hazards in Glassblowing" by Gary E. Myers, Fusion Journal of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society, August 1976

This information is offered as a starting point for your own safety research, and new information may affect the appropriateness of these recommendations. The suppliers of this information assume no liability for any injury or harm which may result from use or misuse of this information. Be sure to consult with your supplier, physician or other qualified expert regarding any safety questions you have.

Printed courtesy of: Ed Hoy's International, Naperville, Illinois 60563-1762

Distributed courtesy of: Wale Apparatus,

Provided by Northstar Glassworks