When I read Elizabeth’s post on the hazard of shi sha dust I was moved to write this post, thankfully no damage done and alls well now but I was reminded of the OH&S module that I studied as part of my Diploma of Visual Arts and Crafts, Until then I had never thought about it and was surprised to learn that my Gentle Art of Needlework could Actually be a dangerous occupation.
When you do think about it we work with pins, needles, scissors and rotary cutters, all sharp objects, irons are hot and burn, fabric sheds dust, poor light causes eye strain, then there is RSI and cramps from sitting in the one place for to long, back ache from working at bad angles and lugging heavy sewing machines and bags to workshops/classes, then there is the toxic elements of some of the products we use, even financial stress when we overspend our sewing budget…sounds a bit doom and gloom but that is not my intention, it is just that Health and safety for needlework studio’s is not often talked about and I think that it should be because I believe that we need to be aware of the hazards in order to prevent or at least minimize their damage.
I would like to invite readers to comment with any tips they have for good work practices that could help make all our studio’s healthy, safe environments to be.
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I have stitched a golden Shisha Sun to Celebrate that today is the first day of spring.