Safety in the workshop is a big issue, but when one is working with glass, it becomes a very big topic. The crafts person or artisan who works with stained glass has special dangers to be conscious of. As we all know, glass can be sharp, and when you cut glass the dust is very perilous and old stained glass can contain dangerous chemicals for pigmentation and lead to hold the pieces together.
The first bit of advice is never to take young children to a stained glass workplace. This is because of the risk of them cutting themselves on broken glass and inhaling the powder of dangerous chemicals. So, if the children are involved with choosing a design, take the catalogue to them in the car, do not take them to the workshop.
If you have to carry a sheet of stained glass to the car for self-installation, wear gloves that have rubberized surfaces so that you can get a decent grip without having to hold the sheet of glass tight. Grip the sheet of glass by the side edges if you possibly can. If you hold it top and bottom ant it smashes, the arm at the bottom might get hit by falling, jagged glass.
If you are working with stained glass at home as a hobby, make sure that your environment is spick and span. It is normally easier to score and break glass on a soft surface like a bed sheet. A blanket is too thick and gives too much, which may cause the glass to break in a way that is unwanted.
Whilst cutting glass, always wear a mask and safety glasses. or even safety goggles for improved protection. This is particularly the case if you would like to cut the glass with an angle grinder. The glass powder created by a grinder is very perilous.
While you are soldering the lead strips to hold the pieces of stained glass in place, make sure that you follow safety procedures with the soldering iron. Put it into a holder, so that when you reach for the soldering iron, you can only seize it by the cool handle with no opportunity of you being able to grip it by the hot end.
Solder fumes are not healthy for you, so make certain that your workplace is well ventilated with extractor fans. Wear gloves too so that your skin does not suffer from frequent contact with poisonous lead. If you have a cut or a wound, put a plaster on it so that the lead does not get into you too easily.
If you do not have a workplace or even a garden shed, do not be tempted to work in your home, because the fumes and the glass dust will build up and you will never really be rid of them. The dust and fumes are significant pollutants and will build up in fabrics, so if you have curtains in your workshop, wash them regularly and vacuum everywhere at least one time a week.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with RX Safety Glasses. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Safety Glasses Bifocal