Safety
There are many different laws in place regarding the collection of rocks and minerals from public areas, so it is advisable to read up on local laws before prospecting. Rock and mineral collecting is prohibited in most if not all national parks in the United States.
Many sites popular with amateur geologists require driving and/or hiking to remote areas. Navigating the terrain in these places can be quite difficult as the area may have large samples of rocks that make transport difficult. Many amateur geologists prefer to travel in groups in order to reduce the danger of somebody becoming injured and/or stuck. The climate in the areas preferred by amateur geologists can become hot, so precautions such as extra water and sun protection should be taken.
It is advised to use safety goggles whenever rocks are struck, whether breaking open small stones or chipping a piece off a large boulder because small chips of stone could potentially cause damage to the eyes or face. Also, dust is produced by chipping and cutting rock which can be extremely hazardous to the lungs. If necessary, use a mask or respirator.
Read more about this topic: Amateur Geology
Famous quotes containing the word safety:
“He had a gentleman-like frankness in his behaviour, and as a great point of honour as a minister can have, especially a minister at the head of the treasury, where numberless sturdy and insatiable beggars of condition apply, who cannot all be gratified, nor all with safety be refused.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“Once women begin to question the inevitability of their subordination and to reject the conventions formerly associated with it, they can no longer retreat to the safety of those conventions. The woman who rejects the stereotype of feminine weakness and dependence can no longer find much comfort in the cliché that all men are beasts. She has no choice except to believe, on the contrary, that men are human beings, and she finds it hard to forgive them when they act like animals.”
—Christopher Lasch (b. 1932)
“There is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equals that which follows a supine submission to wrong and injustice and the consequent loss of national self-respect and honor, beneath which are shielded and defended a people’s safety and greatness.”
—Grover Cleveland (1837–1908)