We have had a couple of minor injuries, a lime burn on the wrist for Grant- that resulted in just a quick visit to Emergency. Normally you wouldn't need to go to hospital for that, however Grant likes to work until dusk, at this time of year that is about 8.30pm. Dealing with the burn included washing it clean for at least 20 minutes and using a waterproof dressing over a few days. Lime can be very irritating when it is damp on your skin and then gets rubbed in. Grant generally wore an old long sleeve top that worked well until a little bit of lime got in, the shirt would meet up with a pair of disposable gloves and sweat, things then started to go a little pear shaped. The trick is to not let the lime get to the stage of it irritating you. Don't try and quickly finish a job and deal with the lime later. Once you feel it irritating your skin you must stop work immediately and rinse it off. Sometimes you can only appreciate these lessons from experience.
Some of the other safety issues that you should be aware of when working with hemp:
When chatting to Klara from Australian Hemp Masonry Company she recommends that everyone working onsite should be wearing a dust mask and when you are near the mixer you should also use ear muffs (I suspect it is not necessary with our mixer as it is quite a small one and not that loud-no louder than my Kenwood Chef in fact). A very handy tip that will now become part of our 'safety' routine is to use diluted vinegar for regular hand washing, as it is acidic and helps to neutralise the lime.
While Grant was at the hospital, the treating doctor gave him a tetanus injection once Grant told him he was building a house. This turned out to be a very sensible idea as he had a small run in with a power drill the next day.
I have been working in a Tshirt and shorts. I am wearing those cloth gloves that look like they are dipped in rubber. Over the top I wear a pair of gardening gloves with sewn on sleeves that reach up past my elbow. I also wear glasses and have tended not to use a face mask unless I'm working directly with the dry lime. If you are working with dry lime a face mask and glasses that seal around the eyes are essential. So far I have haven't had any issues.
Matilda flicked a little bit of hempcrete mix in her eye on Christmas Eve. We used the saline wash with limited success so I got her to jump in the shower for 20 minutes and face the water with her eyes open as much as possible. Meanwhile I rang the Eye and Ear Hospital and they recommended she come in after having her shower eyewash. The hospital saw her promptly and tested her eyes for alkalinity. Matilda's right eye was 7.5 (the alkalinity of the body is between 7.2-7.4), they numbed her eyeball and then gave it a really good wash with saline, Matilda spent most of the time giggling. I wouldn't be confident of being able to wash out all the lime from the eye at home. My very strong recommendation is that if you are working with lime, wear protective glasses. Although you get treated extremely well in the hospital, it is best to avoid if possible.
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| These are the style of gloves I use. I wear these underneath, and the long ones over them. |
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| Found these gloves at the Vic Market at the hardware stall |
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| A friend joked that I am the only woman who buys beauty products at a hardware store, however this stuff has saved everyone's hands. |
Oh dear - you guys had better be careful!
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