its time to rethink your safety strategy. Ok, I have thrown

out a lot of negative information, but there is no need to put your airbrushing equipment away forever. There are ways to protect yourself. Airbrushing safety is truly a matter of com- mon sense. The converse of this is that if you think you are doing something in an unsafe manner …..chances are you are, and its time to rethink your safety strategy. If you have noticed I have focused my discussion on solvent based paint systems, what about water based or water- borne systems? I work with these as well, actually more than solvent based systems. Please do not lull yourself into a false sense of security with these products. The volatile or- ganic compounds in these systems is less, but I believe there is a common misperception in the airbrush community that believes these products are “safe and non-toxic”. Think about that while reading this statement from Auto Air: “Although Auto Air colors contain 0.1 VOC, the user or any persons who may be exposed to the airborne particulates are required to wear a NIOSH/MSHA approved respirator. Protect from contact with skin or eyes. Use standard safety and handling procedures to minimize potential hazards. See Material Safety Data Sheets for complete safety and han- dling information”. ….Is that safe and non-toxic to you? In my opinion I believe these products pose less of a health haz- ard (than traditional solvent based products) but are by no means innocuous. If you are working with any chemical, knowing what you are working with is paramount so you can protect yourself and others. Obtain and read the Material Safety Data Sheets as they provide you with most valuable information including the attributes of that chemical, how to handle and work with that chemical, safety precautions and first aid. You must take a proactive role here and step up and assume responsibility for the chemicals you use. I cannot hold your hand. Here are some other suggestions to protect yourself and others. Do not expose others, your family, pets or living space to these compounds. Reduce the volatile chemical concentration in your paint area to minimize the toxic environment you are working in.. We all know, when painting, air movement can be a blessing and a curse (dirt, dust nibs). We can’t all have a fancy $50,000 downdraft paint booth. If you can afford an airbrush hopefully you can at least afford a few window fans and some furnace filters. On a nice day…….I don’t stink up my shop…..I put on my respirator and jumpsuit and paint outside. Let’s just say its good entertainment for the neighbors. I work in a hospital and I am exposed to nasty stuff (ie blood and body fluids) every day. In the health care industry we fol- low “universal precautions” meaning we don’t assume only some things can hurt us, we make the assumption that ev- erything can hurt us. Every potential exposure to blood or body fluids is treated the same way with the health care

worker wearing “barrier” protection meaning gloves, gown, eye protection and if there is a respiratory threat, a mask. Applying a similar “universal precautions” approach to air- brushing especially when working with isocyanate containing compounds is a sound safety strategy. A good NIOSH/MSHA approved respirator to protect against organic vapors is essential (it must protect against isocyanates/urethanes). Gloves to protect against skin contact exposure and a paint jumpsuit to prevent contaminating clothing with overspray. I actually take this one step further by using a supplied air system with a hood and I wear an approved respirator under that hood. I tuck the flaps of the hood into my jumpsuit and as the air escapes from the hood it fills the jumpsuit with air so I have some cooling effect. In some peoples eyes this is overkill and cumbersome…….maybe?….I plan on airbrushing for years to come. Do you? About the Author: Kraig is a board certified anatomic/clini- cal pathologist practicing surgical pathology at Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. He has numerous hobbies including woodworking and stunt/traction kiting. His most recent in- terest is, of course, airbrushing.

AIRBRUSH TECHNIQUE MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES

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