Darkroom staff should keep informed on darkroom hazards, and be aware of chemical labelling and registers, training, the use of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), and exposure standards.
Many chemicals used in photographic processes give off hazardous vapours. Other solutions produce potentially harmful gases such as formaldehyde, gluteraldehyde, hydroquinnone, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. Some ingredients can be corrosive.
Exposure to these substances can affect the liver, lungs, kidneys, reproductive system, gastro-intestinal tract, or the central nervous system. Exposure may also cause dizziness, nausea, sore lips, headaches or chest pains in some people.
Darkroom ventilation is often insufficent and badly designed. Poor lighting and slippery floors contribute to darkroom hazards, while areas such as workbench and sink heights, waste disposal and chemicals handling are frequently neglected.
Darkroom staff should keep informed on darkroom hazards, and be aware of chemical labelling and registers, training, the use of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), and exposure standards.
Safe working procedures and emergency procedures should be established, and employers should provide personal protective equipment and first aid equipment.
A manual produced by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance for their members, funded by WorkSafe Australia, provides darkroom workers with information to identify hazards and guidelines for safe work practices. The manuals are available from Nancy Atkin, The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, 74 Victoria Street, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia 3053.
The manual examines the effects of photographic chemicals, work practices in darkrooms, material safety data sheets, possible solutions to darkroom hazards, and gives a checklist that can be used by darkroom workers to evaluate their workplace. It also offers a table of darkroom chemicals and their effects.
