Darkroom Safety 2025 PDF - Photography

Photography, Digital Imaging and Video – Year 11 2025 Darkroom Safety Developing and processing your own black and white photographs can be perfectly safe if you use the equipment and materials correctly. Com...

Photography, Digital Imaging and Video – Year 11 2025 Darkroom Safety Developing and processing your own black and white photographs can be perfectly safe if you use the equipment and materials correctly. Common sense prevails in most situations, and it is therefore rational to commence by setting up your darkroom in a way that minimises the possibility of hazardous situations occurring. It is also important to be aware of the possible dangers and how to deal with them in a safe and healthy way. The following darkroom rules take into consideration health and safety issues - No eating or drinking - No running or playing - Treat all chemicals with respect - Wash your hands with soap at the end of each session. Setting up the darkroom: The design of your darkroom should be carefully considered. It should maximise the working space and take into consideration health and safety issues. All darkrooms, large or small, should have separate wet and dry areas. The dry area must provide enough space to house the enlarger, negatives and photographic paper. It should also allow for a clear, clean and dry working space, as well as an electrical outlet for the enlarger. The wet area is where the chemicals, trays and sink will generally be located. It is important that proper ventilation is installed near and preferably behind the chemical trays, to extract the chemical fumes directly from the trays. The fumes are not considered to be toxic but can irritate and cause headaches and dizziness if not properly extracted. Should this occur, the students affected must be removed from the contaminated area as quickly as possible. As you will be working mostly in filtered lighting, it is very important that nothing is left on the floor or on benches that you could bump into or trip over. All parts of the darkroom, including chemicals and trays, should be clearly labelled to prevent confusion. It is also important to be aware that the top part of the enlarger becomes very hot if it is left on for an extended period of time. This can cause burning if it comes in contact with skin. Spills: If any spills occur, you should clean them up immediately to prevent yourself and other students from slipping or inhaling fumes. Chemical spills are best cleaned with an absorbent such as sand, cleared away, and the area washed with plenty of water. Chemicals spilled on clothing can cause permanent stains, therefore it is wise to wear protective clothing. Disposal: Schools and colleges must obtain a waste discharge permit from the local Water Board or Sewerage Authority. This will allow them to dispose of small amounts of chemicals through normal domestic and industrial outlets. The suspended silver in exhausted fixer is of value to some companies and may be sold in bulk (from 25 litres upwards). Your teacher should contact the nearest photographic supplier to find out more details. Photography, Digital Imaging and Video – Year 11 2025 Using the Chemicals: It is wise to be both sensible and careful when using photographic chemicals. Although they are not considered to be highly dangerous, improper use can be harmful. The main problems that can occur are generally a result of accidents. If the chemicals are splashed into eyes or swallowed, it is important to be aware of what to do. Always carefully read the manufacturers' instructions and warnings, then adhere to their advice and recommendations. First aid advice: In an emergency, contact the Poisons Information Centre in your capital city. Swallowed: Do not induce vomiting. Give the person a glass of water and seek medical advice. Eyes: Hold eyes open and flood with water for at least 15 minutes. See a doctor. Skin: Remove contaminated clothing and wash skin thoroughly. First-aid facilities: An eye-wash facility is strongly recommended. In some cases, a student may be allergic, or build up an allergy, to the chemicals. A cut on a hand placed in the chemicals may result in stinging. If you have chemicals on your hands and you then place them in your mouth, this can be harmful. For all these reasons it is a good idea to use tongs whenever possible and keep your hands out of the chemical trays. After each session in the darkroom wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap after working with chemicals. Personal protection: There are a great many precautions that you can take while working in the darkroom. Some listed below may seem a little extreme; however, it is important for you to consider personal protection Eyes: wear safety goggles. Hands: wear rubber (PVC) gloves. Clothing: wear a rubber (PVC) apron. Respiratory: where ventilation is inadequate, you could wear an SSA approved air purifying respirator. Class Activity: Use Canva or Adobe Express to make a poster that advertises an aspect of health and safety in the darkroom. Ensure your poster includes simple, clear instructions, diagrams, pictures or photos. Once completed, we will display the posters around the darkroom and classroom to remind people of the importance of health and safety in the photography studio.