Distrubing Scenes

[Dale M.]

Edited to nothing.......

Respectfully

Dale M.

[KristiB]

Hey Dale..

You might want to contact Milon Townsend and pass this information along. I just saw a picture of his teaching studio in a magazine advertisement and there is no ventilation and there were 4 torches going :shock:

Kristi

[dogmaw]

Thanks Dale! Safety first everyone. Remember, we want to keep doing this for a good long time.

[Rhapsody Fire Beads]

Thanks for the safety reminder Dale!!! I took ONE class ever, and there was 1 tiny little ceiling fan, like the kind you find in a bathroom, and 8 torches!!!! YIKES I thought!! My Hubby has a huge attic fan in my wall that sucks the doors upstairs closed and wings the cat door open 1,000 square feet away on the opposite end of the down stairs. You can never be TOO safe!!
~Suzy~

[BillBrach]

One of the things we discussed heavily on the Art Glass Froum was that it is almost universal about how bad teaching studios are.

Most COMMERCIAL studios are OK, because they've usually gone through the codes enforcement agency of the municipality they are located in.

But most small private teaching studios seem to completely ignore the safety aspects of lampworking.

In my humble opinion, it is the RESPONSIBILITY of you, the lampworking masses, to point out these safety issues WHEN YOU ARE TAKING A CLASS !!
If enough people complain about safety in private teaching studios, then changes will be made.

Personally, I cannot understand ANY studio with inadequate ventilation (which seems to be the case in most of these private teaching studios) even operating. You are slowly KILLING yourself with the by-products generated by your torch and your melting glass. This is a seriously scary situation :( At the very least, you need to ask the instructor/provider about the safety aspects of a teaching studio BEFORE you send in your money.

[Rhapsody Fire Beads]

Bill, I did just that, and the teacher and rather famed Lampworker had "NO IDEA" that glass fumes were dangerous??? She promised to put in a ventilation system, but I haven't been back so I don't know that it got done. It is certainly something that we need to tell the people just starting out!
Thanks,
~Suzy~

[CorriDawn]

Ok. Play nice everyone.

Safety is important. I do want people to feel free to post pictures of their studios though as well and not be worried that they are going to get chastised.

Dale, I really appreciate all of the information you have provided and I hope that you continue to provide more information. No one can be too informed!

Kaye, I understand your side as well. Can we just agree to disagree on this one?

[mobility]

Hey, guys

Safety is an important issue, one that many feel very passionate about.

Can we post helpful suggestions to each other about our studios without causing hurt feelings? Please? And not bash each other? It will help everyone in the long run to be safer if suggestions are made in a friendly manner so that others do not get their feelings hurt and get defensive, thus undermining what otherwise may have been very helpful suggestions.

Please do not pick on each other. Everyone is entitled to their opinion here but please do it in a friendly manner. Respect your fellow glass-workers, even if you disagree with them.

Why do I feel like a high-school counselor right now?! Sorry if this post comes off as high-and-mighty, but it is really important that we all gain from each other here and offer as much information to people as possible without judgement, finger-pointing, or stick-poking.

Okay, off the soap box now.

[MikeAurelius]

Uh, Kaye? Leave me out of this one. This is my first post in this sub fora.

I try NOT to comment on other studios unless I am asked FIRST.

[CorriDawn]

ok, ENOUGH! Dale, you have wonderful advise for everyone, please do not stop giving it, maybe just remember that a picture does not tell the whole story. Ask questions.

Kaye, Dale is trying to keep people safe and believe it or not has good intentions.

Mike, I don't know, just thought I would say Hi!

Each of you is valued! I love you guys and it is hard to not just say "fuck it" and let you guys hash it out. Do it in private if you need to though pleasE?

[Julabula]

Not to get involved in a pissing contest, but I am pointing out Dale missed the fire extinguisher mounted to my workbench in my photo (see thread "Alabama Sauna", photo on the right, look right above the seat of my draftsman's chair and you'll see its little red top). And Kaye is right, pictures do not show everything (for example, my pictures cut off a little more than 1.5 feet from wall to ceiling, so you cannot tell from the pic whether or not I even have a ventilation hood).

[MikeAurelius]

Hey back to you, Corri!



ok, ENOUGH! Dale, you have wonderful advise for everyone, please do not stop giving it, maybe just remember that a picture does not tell the whole story. Ask questions.

Kaye, Dale is trying to keep people safe and believe it or not has good intentions.

Mike, I don't know, just thought I would say Hi!

Each of you is valued! I love you guys and it is hard to not just say "fuck it" and let you guys hash it out. Do it in private if you need to though pleasE?