Occupational Health
Occupational health in ceramics is about long-term exposure, not single accidents. The exam tests the specific occupational diseases, the exposure routes and the role of health surveillance.
Diseases and causes
- Silicosis - respirable crystalline silica from clay, plaster and glaze dust; progressive and irreversible.
- Lead poisoning - lead glazes, frits and on-glaze colours; inhaled or ingested by hand-to-mouth contact.
- Heavy metal exposure - barium, cadmium in stains, cobalt, chromium.
- Contact dermatitis - wet clay, plaster and glaze chemicals, especially chrome and cobalt.
- Musculoskeletal - lower back and shoulder strain from leaning over the wheel; carpal tunnel and tendonitis from repetitive trimming and mould work.
Prevention
- Engineering controls first: extraction, wet methods, enclosed mixing.
- Health surveillance - pre-employment and periodic checks, lung function, and blood lead level where lead is used. Any upward trend means the controls have failed.
- Personal hygiene - wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking; no food in the studio; change out of work clothes; wash work clothes separately.
- Ergonomics - raise the wheel so the elbows sit slightly above the wheel head, use a stand for trimming, take breaks.
Worked example
A decorator who hand-paints with a lead-bearing on-glaze colour eats lunch at the bench. Dust and colour on the fingers is ingested every day. Fixes in order: substitute a lead-free colour, move eating out of the studio, provide washing facilities, then monitor blood lead. Monitoring measures the failure; it does not prevent it.
Traps
- Assuming only kiln smoke is harmful.
- Relying on a paper mask for solvent vapours.
- Ignoring skin absorption of glaze chemicals.
- Treating chronic back pain as an unavoidable part of the job.