Posted by Chris Ray on August 17, 1998 at 11:56:35:

In Reply to: bronze patinas: health risks? posted by sue on August 17, 1998 at 10:48:19:

If you are experiencing some discomfort while working with the patination chemicals then it's time to listen to your body not your boss. I have no idea what is being used to patina the metals that your company is producing but some of the formulas can be pretty nasty. You obviously aren't being told what's used in the chemical baths and for any company to tell it's employees that this stuff is harmless without further explaination is inexcusable. To not provide even the most basic protective gear is even more reprehensible.

When you are experiencing sore throats consistently then think about the fumes you are being exposed to. Dust masks won't help a whit in this situation, only the type that blocks the fumes. Too expensive for your employer to invest in certainly, so I guess it's cheaper to hire unquestioning help and when they leave hire another. Exploitation is the name of the game here.

I would suggest looking for another job. The one you're now doing is a dead end postion anyway. You aren't going to learn much about patination techniques by simply dunking commercial stuff into a chemical tank.

Protect your health and do something benign if all you need is a day job to make a living. Learning the other stuff is more easily done either on your own or by taking classes. Just knowing a couple of simple or basic patinas can take you a long way with your own work so put your energy and efforts where they will do you the most good. Do your work and you'll learn soon enough how to apply different finishes. It's not that big a deal for the most part unless you want to be a specialist doing patinas for others. In that case apprentice with someone who knows what they are doing.

Chris Ray

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