for use by older children, exposure to toxic materials should be limited as much Appendix F
as possible. When such materials are used, care should be taken to ensure that
the products are used in accordance with the directions on the label and that all
cautions are observed. Although not mandated by law, purchasing products
that do not contain toxic ingredients will provide an additional measure of
safety in the classroom.
For a list of materials that may not be used in the classroom, refer to the
Web site of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/education/art/getart.html. For information regarding
updates of the list, contact the California Department of Education or
OEHHA. Legislation requires that the list be updated periodically, and the
Department will furnish information about the current status of the updates.
The Department cannot, however, deal with issues of toxicity, inclusion or
exclusion of products from the list, or interpretation of the field safety guide-
lines. Its basic responsibility is to print and disseminate the list developed by
the OEHHA.
In some instances art and craft materials will not bear labels indicating
hazardous ingredients. If a product is not properly labeled, contact the Califor-
nia Department of Health Services, Food and Drug Branch, for information as
to whether the materials are in compliance with labeling requirements.
Resources for Information on Toxicity of Products
Information on the toxicity of products and the safe use of art and craft
materials may be obtained as follows:
- Check the list of craft materials on the OEHHA Web site. If a product
is included on the list, it presents a chemical health hazard to those
using it. - For information on the toxicity of chemicals, contact OEHHA, California
Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Risk Assessment Section,
1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4010, Sacramento, CA 95812; telephone (916)
324-2829; http://www.ochha.ca.gov/education/art/getart.html. - For further information about art materials that may be hazardous to
students, contact the American Lung Association of California. This
organization maintains a library of reference books, brochures, and slide
or tape programs and sponsors seminars and workshops for teachers and
others regarding safety issues in the arts. - For information on the toxicity of art materials and its certification pro-
gram of art materials, contact the Art and Creative Materials Institute,
1280 Main Street, Second Floor, P.O. Box 479, Hanson, MA 02341;
telephone (781) 293-4100; http://www.acminet.org.