Beading Safety
Wrist, arm and neck strain. Just like working on a computer for hours on end, you can develop muscle strain or even carpal tunnel syndrome from sitting and working on beading projects for too long. Even though you are probably concentrating hard, engrossed in your work, and forget about the rest of the world, keep in mind that you need to:
. Stop and stretch. Practice good finger, arm and neck stretches. Set a timer to remind you to get up and walk, work your fingers and neck especially and move around a bit.
. Good posture isn't just for grammar school. Feet flat on the floor, using a foot rest if you are short. Make sure you aren't slumped over your work space and that you keep your back straight and abs tight.
. Eye strain and injury. Good lighting is a must. Adjust your desk light if necessary to illuminate your work area better. Wearing protective eye wear is a must, especially when working with wire or metal. Imagine what could happen if you snip off the end of a piece of wire or stringing material and it ended up in your eye. I have also found that in the time that I've been beading that I've needed to add glasses, then bifocals (growl) and stronger lenses (double growl). Some of you could say advancing age, but I choose to point fingers at working in great detail on my beading.
. Cuts, scrapes and punctures. No laughing allowed by non-beaders. It's a real hazard! Those tools you are using, whether they are pliers, scissors, awls, or clay-working tools, are SHARP. If you get a serious injury, check with your physician. You may need stitches or a tetanus shot. If you are working with children and sharp objects, be sure to supervise them adequately!
. Tumblingbeaditus. Stacking towers of containers with beads in them that will eventually fall down if they are not balanced correctly. :-D Seriously, if your bead storage looks like mine, shelving units with lots of shelves work great and won't come down on your head.
