Occupational Hazards

Faced by Women Key area: Professional artists Presentation 2

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Women artists being vulnerable to the materials during menstruation and pregnancy and prolonged working hours. Multiple overlapping roles adds on to the suffering. These hazards can be prevented by using preventive measures and awareness. Addressing the symptoms which are prevailing and classifying them in medical disorders. Thus, creating an understanding of the hazards.

TARGET GROUP
Women; Professional Artists/Painters/Craftsmen dealing with Metals, Wood, Oils, Acrylic, Textile Dyes, inks etc on a regular basis who are in turn vulnerable to Vapours from art materials such as turpentine, toluene, or other solvents in paint removers, lacquer thinners, silkscreen inks, etc., which evaporate from open containers Mists accumulated in the air from spraying paints or fixatives, airbrushing, using spray guns, etc. Gases from etching metals, working with photographic baths, welding, or firing kilns Metallic fumes from welding, soldering, or foundry casting Dusts from pottery making, mixing dry pigments or dyes, grinding, and woodworking Lead content in Oil paints

DEMOGRAPHICS
Age: More than 25 [Who have had children while in their profession] Gender: Female Social Class: Urban; Middle and Upper Class Employment Class: Self employed, Employed as artist or craftsmen [Top or average middle level] Income: More than 10 lacs per annum

LITERACY LEVELS
Generally High; Some have done PhDs and Masters too

COMMUNICATION MATERIAL
Internet Shops where they procure material Art books/Reference books/ How to do books Directions printed on the labels of the materials (Sometimes or sometimes not) Individual level Doctors when they go for their pregnancy consultation etc Awareness level: Basic Language: English primarily; Also available in widely spoken languages like French, Spanish for specific countries

SUGGESTIVE FLOW

1. INTRODUCTION: PASSION
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Artists are the people with passion, ignition and madness towards their work. With this craziness needing long hours to work, these people are super art driven and do not have any logical reasoning of not stopping!

What do they have to say?

When I am into my work, nothing can pull me out of it not even me! -Shilpa Joglekar, Landscape artist I think more than work, commitments are more hazardous because when you have to deliver, come what may, you gotta do it! (sighs and smiles) I think its okay to work during menstruation. After all its a part of you. No! I dont feel any fatigue. (rolls her eyes) Although there is pain in my back, legs and knees but work needs to go on. You know what (smiles) I guess this is because I really love what I do -Maala Treon, Textile Designer

Maala Treon is a textile designer who has a full time workshop dealing with printing, dying and Calendaring which requires her to stand for more than 8-10 hours at a stretch and exposing her to toxic substances and chemicals. She suffers from Nasal passage inflammation, prolonged cold, Roughness of hands and Abrupt blood circulation in legs. She is aware of what Chemicals she deals with and they are not at all eco-friendly.

2. GENERAL HAZARDS
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Abrupt Blood Circulation to certain body parts paticularly legs and feet, backache, sight problems, stress, chronic depression, skin problems burns, rashes, skin peels, sneezing, running nose, irritation in nasal passage, mild asthma. These general hazards are just the symptoms of what lies ahead.

What do they have to say?

I remember when I didnt use the gloves and burnt my hand with benzene. The skin of the back my hand had peeled off completely and my nails had become lifeless. (sighs) I hated it!! -Nailini Malani, Artisit (Oils and Acrylic) I have been suffering from prolonged cold and running nose since last 15 years or even more. It stays there off and on. Backache and rough hands is a routine now. Well, I consulted to the doctor for my cartilage damage in knee when the pain was persistent for 2 months. I really didnt take it seriously first. -Anupama Patil, Artist Doctor has told her to rest between every 2 hours of working for minimum of half an hour. Should this have followed years ago at the onset of prolonged backache. This would not have happened. Moreover, she went on to suffer from slip disk which limited her working hours from 12 hours to 4 hours or less in a day.

3. ZOOM: MAJOR HAZARDS

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Reproduction Risks, Menstrual Risks, Pregnancy Risks These are risks which an artist may be exposed to if the early symptoms not taken care of.

Treatment
Showing the use of Hazard causing materials like turpentine, toluene, thinners, spray guns, etching metals, photographic baths, welding, dusts from pottery, mixing dry pigments and dyes. Then either show them with the help of dramatisation or animation whichever is more effective and feasable. [Dramatisation of the possible case studies and animation of the situation which can arise if not taken care earlier like birth defects, miscarriages etc] This can be clubbed with a doctors input to testify the facts (may be)

4. PRECAUTIONS
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Dramatisation of precautions which can be followed in the workplace and by the material manufacturing companies.

Submitted by

Aayushi Sachdeva Semester 9 Film and Video Design MIT Institute of Design