Workshop Safety
Safety in a ceramics workshop is mostly about two things: dust you breathe and equipment that can hurt you. The exam tests the hierarchy of control and the specific hazards of clay, plaster, glazes and kilns.
Main hazards
- Respirable crystalline silica from clay, plaster and glaze dust - causes silicosis, which is irreversible.
- Lead and other toxic metals in glazes and frits - absorbed by inhalation or ingestion.
- Plaster dust - irritant, sets in eyes and airways.
- Electrical - kilns, wheels, pug mills, water on the floor.
- Mechanical - augers, belts, mixing blades; loose clothing and long hair.
- Thermal - hot kilns, ware, kiln furniture and steam.
Controls, in order
- Eliminate or substitute - lead-free glazes, pre-mixed slip, pre-bagged materials.
- Engineering - local exhaust ventilation at spray booth and mixing area, wet methods, enclosed mixers, guards, RCD protection, kiln isolator and lock-off.
- Administrative - written risk assessments, no dry sweeping, no eating or drinking in the studio, training and housekeeping.
- PPE - FFP2/FFP3 or N95 respirator for dust, goggles, gloves, apron. The last line of defence, not the first.
Worked example
Spraying a glaze containing 5 % copper oxide. Substitution first - a fritted, less dusty stain. Then a spray booth with extraction, wet clean-down of surfaces, a fitted respirator with a fit check, gloves and overalls, and hand washing before breaks. The respirator alone would never be accepted as the only control.
Traps
- Dry sweeping or using compressed air on clay dust - it puts the hazard into the air.
- A dust mask that does not seal over a beard.
- Storing acids and glaze chemicals together, unlabelled.
- Water and electricity in the same area, with leads trailing across wet floors.