Those of you who are active lifecasters may have heard reference to free silica in alginate & the potential for it to be harmful. Well, this topic has been raised this last week on the ALI forum where a baby casting company have had the topic raised by one of their consultants.
The response by Ed McCormick is an excellent summary of this issue & should be read by all who supply & sell baby casting kits - many of whom don't understand the wording or chemical terms they are using to describe their products. You can read the post yourself or take my word for it that the health risks involved in using alginate to make moulds of baby's hands or feet (or anything else in fact) are incredibly small if the powder is used correctly & the key things to consider also apply to any other powder as millions of household powders contain free silica. Avoid creating clouds of dust & as one ALI forum member suggests you could mix your impression powder in a ventilated room away from baby.
Of course, this all said you should always seek medical attention should any kind of irritation occur & you should be able to get a copy of the health & safety report & material data sheet off your alginate supplier. I would reconsider buying from them if you can't.
I hope this is a useful summary for some of the UK lifecasters who may not be prepared for this question from a client as well as to those of you who have bought a Creative Casting baby casting kit.
Keep casting & enjoy!
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