Health and Safety Practices

The chemicals, used to process film and paper, are hazardous and must be handled in a safe manner to minimise exposure to the chemicals. It is advisable to consult Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each of the chemicals that shall be used and the product labels. This information advises suitable safe practices, details of the chemicals and what steps to take in the event of exposure to the chemicals.

In general, the following practices are always applicable:

·    One should ensure that the skin and eyes do not come into contact with the chemicals. Tongs can be used to avoid skin contact when agitating solutions and transferring prints or negatives. During draining, cleaning or refilling equipment it may be necessary to wear protective gloves if hands will be immersed in the chemicals.

·    Adequate ventilation in the darkroom (or processing room) is necessary as the fumes from the chemicals can be hazardous to one’s respiratory system.

·    It is not advisable to consume food or beverages or to smoke in a room where the chemicals are handled, stored or used as this could lead to unintentional ingestion of the chemicals. It is also recommended to always wash one’s hands following the use or handling of chemicals.

·    Safe practice is to always keep the work area clean and to ensure that spillages are cleaned up promptly.