A. Studio Awareness

• Any accidents should be reported to your instructor
• Keep the floor free of drawing boards, extension cords, art projects while you or others are working in the studios
• Be alert to unsafe conditions and actions, and call attention to them so that corrections can be made as soon as possible
• Become familiar with proper procedures (see sections below) that should be taken if you or someone in the studio is exposed to:
  • Fire / Flammables
  • Chemical Spills
  • Bodily Injury
  • Corrosive Chemicals
  • Power Tools / Hand Tools

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B. Personal Safety & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal Safety (General)

• Do not use aerosol sprays of any kind in the studios - work must be done outside

Personal Protective Equipment

Head/Face Protection

• None needed unless working with power tools

  Eye Protection

• None needed unless working with power tools

  Ear Protection

• None needed unless working with power tools

  Protective Clothing

• None needed unless working with power tools

  Hand Protection

• Disposable gloves are recommended when working with solvents

  Foot Protection

• None needed unless working with power tools

  Respirators/Masks

• None needed unless working with power tools

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C. Fire Prevention & Safety Equipment

Fire Prevention

• Keep all solvent containers capped when not in use
• Keep mineral spirit containers used for brush cleaning capped when not being used
• Please be aware of any ignition sources: frayed electrical wires, propane torches, matches, clamp lights, etc.

Safety Equipment

 

Flammable Storage Cabinets

Flammables Storage Cabinet (click for larger image)

• The Flammables storage cabinets are designed for storage of flammable or combustible liquids
• ALL Flammable liquid materials MUST be stored in this cabinet and not in student lockers
• All containers stored in this cabinet MUST be clearly labeled as to the contents
• All containers MUST have appropriate lids that fit. (ABSOLUTELY no tin foil or plastic wrap can be used for lids)
• Any "unlawful" container will be removed from the storage cabinet
• See specifically section E. Chemical Labeling, Storage & Waste Disposal below

 

Eye Wash Stations/Safety Showers

• There are no eye wash stations or safety showers in the painting studio

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D. First Aid & Emergency Procedures

• In the event of an emergency, remember one number: 9-911 if calling from a university phone. By calling this number, a variety of emergency response departments can then be alerted to your situation
• In the event of a medical emergency or injury during class hours, stop work and notify the shop supervisor or faculty member immediately.
• Immediately seek treatment of major injuries by calling 911 or using a Ruffin Hall emergency Phone
• In the event of a fire emergency, pull the fire alarm nearest you, have someone call 911 (or use the Emergency Phone) and evacuate the building
• Tell the operator your location and the location of the fire/emergency, THEN EXIT THE BUILDING
• DO NOT USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO USE ONE
• NEVER USE WATER TO EXTINGUISH ANY FIRE
• Review the Ruffin Hall Emergency Action Plan for specific evacuation procedures for the Painting Studio
• Be familiar with the location and use of the following safety devices:
  • Emergency Phone - one on each floor across from women's restroom and one on across from gallery on 3rd floor
  • Safety Shower -none in painting
  • Eye Wash Station - none in painting
  • Fire Alarm - there are several pull stations throughout Ruffin Hall
  • First Aid Kit - one on each floor across from women's restroom next to emergency phone
  • Fire Extinguisher - one in each studio
  • Clean up all small spills immediately. If a large chemical spill occurs that you are unable to cleanup call OEHS (982-4911)

 

• For specific information please see the UVA-OEHS website section - First Aid & Emergency Procedures

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E. Chemical Labeling, Storage & Waste Disposal

See also the Painting Safety Contract

Chemical Labeling & Storage

• When chemicals are transferred from the manufacturer's original container to a secondary container, that new container must be appropriately labeled as to chemical identity and hazard warning(s)
• ALL flammable solvents (mineral spirits, turpentine, propane fuel, etc.) must be stored in the appropriate yellow safety cabinet
• Storage of solvents in student's lockers, in/on painting tables or left out in the studio is prohibited
• ALL containers that are stored in the yellow fire safety cabinets must be clearly labeled with the following information if they do not have a manufacturer labels:
  • Students name
  • All contents of container
  • Instructors name
  • Current semester
• All containers must have a lid that fits properly. Absolutely no tin foil or plastic wrap lids, etc.
• Chemical containers, solvent waste containers, and rag waste containers must be covered tightly at all times when not in use.
• Yellow fire safety cabinet doors must be kept closed and latched when not in use.
• Any container left unopened or unlabeled will be removed from the safety cabinets
• The following people check these cabinets and studios: the UVA Art Studio Tech on a daily basis and UVA-OEHS on a monthly basis.
• See also the UVA-OEHS website for more Chemical Labeling information

!!OEHS will issue violations and/or fines, which can result in studios being closed!!

Chemical Waste Disposal

Liquid Waste

Carboy (click for larger image)

• Used liquid solvents must be disposed of by pouring them into the plastic carboys provided for that purpose
• These are located in the yellow flammables storage cabinets in the Painting studio
• These containers must remain capped at all times when not in use. Funnels must not be left in open waste carboys
• Do not wash solvents or oil paints down the sink! EVER!
• Even excessive amounts of water-based paints should not be washed down the sink
• Liquid solvents are never to be poured into the Hazardous Material Containers (the red bins)
• It is illegal to pour ANY chemical or solvent down any drain

 

Solid Waste

Hazardous Material Container (click for larger image)

• No trash other solvent-contaminated rags or paper towels may be put into the Hazardous Material Container (35 gallon black drum with red lid).
• Solvents include:
• turpentine
• alcohol
• wood stains, etc.
• Dry paint, plastic gloves, food, paintbrushes go into the regular trash can, not the red hazardous materials container!

Spills of chemicals/waste

• Spills of solvents and excessive amounts of paints should be cleaned up with rags or paper towels.  Rags and paper towels should then be discarded into Hazardous Material Container.
• See also the UVA OEHS Policy SEC-005 on disposal of hazardous waste and UVA EHS Hazardous Waste Collection Guidelines for Non-Laboratory Areas

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F. Housekeeping

• Students are responsible for cleaning up all areas of the Painting studios they are working in. Even if you need to leave for only a few hours, please store your project(s) on the provided shelves or in your locker and put away ALL tools. You might not return at all, and other students need to use the limited space we have available
• Studios should be kept as clean as possible. This doesn't mean spotless (this is an art building) but trash should be thrown away in the appropriate bins, materials not used - stored in appropriate places, spills cleaned up, etc
• UVA Fire Code states that extension cords are not permitted to be used as permanent wiring. This means leaving any device plugged in (especially when unused) for long periods of time
• See the University of Virginia OEHS policy on extension cord usage - Section-015
• All yellow extension cord reels must be unplugged from clamp lights and retracted
• Orange extension cords must be unplugged from the walls, coiled up, and stored away
• Please put down paper or cardboard if you will be working with liquid glue
• Emergency exits, emergency shutoffs, fire extinguishers circuit breakers, and alarm pull stations must be kept free of all projects or materials at all times
• Any Painting studio equipment such as easels, drawing boards, or still life objects that are used outside of the studio must be returned to the studio when you are done working
• No Painting studio furniture is to be left in the hallways or blocking doors, fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers, emergency exits, or mechanical rooms
• Bicycles should not be brought into the buildings. Use the bike racks located around Ruffin Hall. Please don't lock them to the stair or ramp railings outside of the building. The railings are to assist people using the stairs, not hinder them
• Pets shouldn't be brought into the building while you're working. There are many items in this building that could cause serious injury or death if eaten
• Project/ Student Material Storage
  • During the semester, all paintings, project wood, objects or other materials that are brought into the building by the student should be labeled with their name, instructor, and current semester, unless they are for the entire class, then they should be labeled as such
  • Paintings must be stored in the painting racks or taken home
  • Student materials must be stored in lockers or taken home

   

  !!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT, Please read this section carefully!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  End of Semester Clean Up
  • At the end of each semester, due to the limited amount of space in Ruffin Hall, no student projects, or materials are to be left in the studio
  • A clean up / clean out date will be announced near the end of the semester. All student paintings and random materials need to be removed from the drawing studios by this date. Locks will be cut and materials removed as well
  • Notices will also be posted on all lockers alerting students to the last day for clean up
  • If materials are still in the building after notice has been given, and especially if they are not labeled, they will be thrown out or reused by other students!!!

     

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G. After Hours Work

• It is highly recommended that students do not work in the Painting studio alone. Please work with a classmate
• Working alone in the studio can be dangerous- if you were to become incapacitated or seriously injured no one would be able to assist you or call for help
• Do not prop open the outside doors to Ruffin Hall at night. Propping the doors open at night makes the building unsecured and unsafe for others working in the building
• There are 4 doors with card readers for access after hours, one on each floor and one in the courtyard. These doors are automatically unlocked at 8am and locked at 8pm Monday through Friday. Ruffin Hall is accessible via card reader only on weekends
• Propping exterior doors and studio doors with card reader access will sound an alarm

 

H. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

• MSDS will tell you of any special procedures that may be required for the safe handling of a specific substance. If you are taking any medications, if you are pregnant, or if you have a medical condition such as an allergy talk with your supervisor or physician for specific instructions
• When using MSDS you must apply your own good professional judgment to the information that they contain. MSDS include information and procedures that usually only apply to industrial settings, these situations will most likely not occur in the laboratory environment. Even so, MSDS are a valuable source of information when you have questions or concerns about any chemical or material that you work with. It is a good idea to consult the MSDS for any new chemical or material that is introduced into your work routine, this is a quick and easy way to familiarize yourself to any hazards or precautions that you should take when working with a new substance
• MSDS for the Painting studio are kept with the Painting supervisor, Megan Marlatt
• See also the UVA-OEHS website for more MSDS information

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