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Safety and Health
If you work with hazardous material, it is imperative that you protect yourself by designing a safe studio. Separate your living areas from your work space whenever feasible and provide adequate ventilation.
Ventilation
These are two types of ventilation:
1. Local or exhaust ventilation.
This removes toxic vapors, dust, etc. at their source before they can contaminate the air. It is particularly important in situations where highly toxic materials are being used. This involves the installation of an exhaust hood to trap the fumes or dust, a duct to carry the contaminant to the outside, and a properly sized exhaust fan.
2. General Ventilation
This is when the toxic vapors are diluted with fresh air to lower the concentrations. This can be achieved by having a louvered panel in a window in which an exhaust fan can be installed.
The Artists Foundation has an excellent page on Occupational Health Care Hazards for Artists, check it out!
For further reading also check out Square Feet Chicago's page on Safe and Healthy Spaces
