Dye Safety

“Most accidents are the direct result of arrant stupidity; they don’t always happen to the stupid, but just as often to innocent bystanders.” -- FIRST AID TEACHER, Los Angeles Fire Dept

THINK SAFETY!

Nobody plans an accident but things happen fast and get out of hand without warning. Use common sense. Read the First Aid book before you need it.

FIRST AID:

Call 911 if the victim has a hard time breathing or is not breathing or cannot wake up or has convulsions. Call the Poison Control Center to find what to do next. No matter what Stay calm! Prompt attention is crucial to save a life.

CHILDREN & PETS:

Well-supervised children can lean dyeing but both children and pets have ingenious ways to get into ‘safe’ places or find something on the floor to put their mouths. They can drink large quantities of liquid in a very short time. Liquids are absorbed rapidly and little bodies can’t metabolize toxins as well as adult ones. Dogs are vulnerable as they can - and do - eat or drink anything. Remember that children trust you to take care of them.

POISON:

Millions of people are poisoned every year and most of these accidents could have been prevented. Assume that all chemicals are dangerous. Teach children to avoid anything marked with a skull-and-crossbones symbol or any other warning signs. Teach them to tell you if they find anything so marked. It could save lives. Consider these:

1. Solids - Always label containers with contents.
2. Liquids – NEVER store a chemical liquid in a beverage bottle!
3. Sprays – Keep spray cans well away from children and pets
4. Gases or vapors – These can be unseen and unrecognized killers.
5. Burns - Never leave a stove unattended, especially if children or pets are in the area.

IF POISONING OCCURS:

Have the following information ready to give to the emergency worker:

1. Your name, phone number and address (don’t hang up without giving this information!)
2. Victim’s current condition
3. Victim’s age
4. Weight (if child or pet was poisoned)
5. Name of product and ingredients (if listed)
6. How much of the product was ingested or inhaled
7. Time that exposure or ingestion occurred
8. Vital signs (temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, mucous membrane color)

SKIN:

Always protect your hands against dyes and chemicals, especially if you have scratches, cuts, bitten fingernails, torn cuticles, etc. where chemicals can get into your system. Never touch chemicals with bare hands. Prevent skin contact by using impervious protective clothing, closed shoes (no open-toed sandals!), gloves and a lab coat, apron or coveralls.

EYES:

Protect your eyes when you work with powders. Use safety goggles where dust or splashing is possible. Don’t wear contact lenses because corrosive chemicals can work their way inside the lens and permanently damage your corneas. If any type of foreign material gets in your eyes, first remove any contact lenses (you may need to check the victim’s eyes for lenses if they can’t respond.) Gently (gently!) flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Lift upper and lower eyelids occasionally while water is flowing into eyes. Call for help if the material has even slightly dangerous qualities.

LONG HAIR:

Long hair is an accident waiting to happen around open fires; tie it back! (And to protect against an unexpected dye job!)

VENTILATION:

When working indoors, including in the garage, have a good ventilation system to keep chemical dust as low as possible. A ventilation hood can prevent dispersion into work area. Failing that, place an electric fan on floor or in window where it can’t blow across your work table, with the fan blowing out of (away from) the work area.

RESPIRATORS:

You have only one pair of original lungs so protect your mouth, nose and lungs from powders and chemicals by wearing a dust mask. For occasional handling of powders, a paper dust mask will suffice; if handling a quantity of powders, a half-face dust/mist NIOSH-approved respirator is best. These respirators do not protect in oxygen-deficient atmospheres.

INHALATION:

Do not inhale any fumes from dyepot and liquid chemicals. Even talcum powder can be fatal if inhaled and sawdust can be deadly to human lungs. Remove the victim to fresh air while someone calls for medical assistance. Rinse affected parts with water. If the victim isn’t breathing, be prepared to give artificial respiration.

INGESTION:

Loosen tight clothing. Wash mouth out with water or milk. Don’t induce vomiting unless told to do so by a medical authority. Never give an unconscious person anything by mouth.

SKIN CONTACT:

Alkali can burn long before symptoms appear. Flush skin with cool water 15+ minutes. If the skin has come in contact with acid, apply a paste of baking soda. Remove contaminated clothing or shoes and thoroughly clean before reuse. If you cannot clean the clothing, dispose of it carefully.

FIRE and EXPLOSION:

While most dyes and many chemicals are not a fire or explosion hazard, some can flare in combination with other materials. Gas can be released from a chemical fire. Some chemicals and most metallic powders can ignite or explode if stored near heat, allowed to become airborne near a fire (even a cigarette!) or mixed with an opposite type of chemical. If there is even a slight danger of a chemical explosion, get out of the area quickly.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:

Always have a fully-charged A-B-C fire extinguisher and functioning water hose with cut-off faucet valve in easy reach of work area. Use any means suitable to extinguish fire without endangering yourself and others. Don’t panic. Call 911 to report a fire and be sure to give your address before hanging up, then get out of the area.

WORK AREA:

Dye outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, not in food area.

NO FOOD or DRINKS!

Never use dyepots or dye utensils for food preparation. Wash hands after handling mordanted fiber. This should not have to be said, but never lick your fingers after handling dyes, pigments or chemicals, even natural ones.

LABELS:

Be sure all containers are labeled with contents and any warning symbols are on the container. If necessary, put some sort of universal warning symbol so that children and people who don’t read English know to avoid the containers.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)

required on all chemicals but you have to ask for them; they are seldom offered.

DISPOSAL:

Home dyers rarely go beyond limits for municipal or septic systems; if in doubt ask a waste disposal agency for neutralizing information. Be sure to check with your local water district if you’re in an area that has private water/sewage.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:

Post these in work area as well as near your household telephones (consider printing up a little card for your kids to carry in their wallet or purse):

1. Local fire department
2. Family doctor
3. Your veterinarian
4. Regional poison control center (see inside cover of Yellow Pages or white pages of phone directory)
5. Poisoning emergency: 1-800-222-1222 if victim is conscious
6. National Animal Poison Control Center: 1-800-548-2423 or 1-900-680-0000
7. Chemical Emergency numbers, 24-hours, 7 days: Infotrac: 1-800-535-5053 Chemtrec: 1-800-424-9300 International Chemtrec assistance: 703-527-3887

These dire warnings are not meant to scare you out of dyeing (one “e”) but we hope to prevent you from dying (no “e”)! Always be prepared to deal with accidents. CALL 911 without hesitation if an accident occurs. Don’t spoil your enjoyment of this wonderful craft by being careless.

KEEP EVERYTHING SIMPLE, FUN – AND SAFE!