Ceramics Studio

Safety policies for Ceramics studio
Access policy/safety protocol: Art & Design Studio Ceramics

Only authorized persons are permitted to access and use Ceramics facilities, studios and equipment at UMass Dartmouth Art & Design Studio (ADS).

All graduate and undergraduate students must be trained in the use of all equipment by the Ceramics faculty. Training record will be kept in the student’s file by the faculty for the duration of student’s study in the program.
Do not operate equipment on which you are not signed off by the faculty.
Personal protective equipment – wear proper PPE and appropriate attire – no open toe shoes in the mixing/glaze area and kiln room.
Know your facility – familiarize yourself with the location of emergency equipment, i.e., fire extinguishers, first aid kit, emergency shower, emergency exits.
Know emergency contact – in case of emergency at ADS, notify the security guard to call 911, and inform the faculty, Ceramics assistant, and CVPA technician.

Student responsibilities and rules

All students must read the safety manual and sign consent form. The faculty will keep the consent form in the student’s file.
Students are responsible for keeping personal items secure.
No drug or alcohol in the building.
Smoking in designated areas only, no smoking in the building.
Appropriate attire required – no open toe shoes, no sandals, no bare feet in the studio.
Appointments with faculty – students must schedule.
Critiques – be prepared and be on time to all crits.

Communal responsibilities

Please help foster a productive work environment in the studio by respecting the need for quiet concentration. Conduct extended personal conversations in the lounge, not in the communal work areas.
Use headphones/earbuds, not speakers.
If you use a communal work area, clean and empty the area for the next person. All of your work should be stored on the shelves or in your assigned studio.
Do not leave personal trash – dumpster is behind the building.

Kiln room

Doors to the kiln room must remain closed at all times!

In case of unexplained kiln room event, immediately notify the faculty, Ceramics assistant/graduate studio assistant, and CVPA technician to ascertain the situation. In case of emergency, i.e. fire or serious injuries, inform the security guard to call 911.

Firing

The room ventilation must be on for the duration of firing.
No lead.
Policy on kiln damage – you break it, you bought it.
Policy on kiln shelves – you break it, you bought it.
No half empty kilns.
Must use visual cones in all kilns, and fire accordingly.
Grind all shelves after firing – if not, no next kiln.
Clean area around kiln after loading and before firing.
Clean interior and exterior of kiln after use.
Return kiln furniture to their appropriate places after use.
If unable to fire kiln at your scheduled time, then you forfeit.

Odors during firing

Gas odor – no gas kiln at ADS.

Non-gas odor

Should there be any unaccustomed smells coming from the kiln room:

Determine which kilns are in use and who is firing them.
Check for back pressure when opening the door to the kiln room.
Confirm that the ventilation is on.
If persists, inform the faculty/Ceramics assistant/SA and/or CVPA technician.

Smoke odor

Determine which kilns are in use and who is firing them.
Find out if any burn-out materials are used, i.e., sawdust placed in saggars, paper armatures, wood panels with which large pieces may be moved into the kiln. If these are the case, the smell should dissipate by the time the kiln hits 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
If not determination is made on the presence of burn-out materials, or the smell persists after 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, locate the source, inform the faculty/assistant to determine whether to continue firing or shut down the kiln.

Visible smoke – there are very few reasons that visible smoke appears in the kiln room

Determine which kilns are in use and who is firing them.
If there is a burning wood/paper smell, follow the protocol for ‘smoke odor’.
Locate the source, if possible, inform the faculty/Ceramics assistant to determine whether to continue firing or shut down the kiln.

Fire outside of the kilns

Inform the security guard to call 911.
Shut down all power to the kiln room – the panels are outside of the kiln room, in the loading dock area.

Water leak on electric kiln – under no condition should any water or liquid be on or near the kilns

If during firing, immediately shut the power to the kiln at the panel.
Shut down the power to the kilns and protect them from the liquid. Full diagnostic is required once the kilns are dry before putting them back in service.

Clay mixing area

Personal protective equipment is required while working in the clay mixing area at all times. Students must go through authorization workshop and test for the Soldner & Walker mixers before permitted to work in the mixing area. Training record will be kept in the student’s file by the faculty for the duration of student’s study in the program.
Check availability of ingredients before mixing clay.
Mix only at the sign up time, and be on time.
Use the dust collector at all times.
Wear PPE including dust mask at all times.
Clean all mixers by sponging out and mop the floor thoroughly when finished.
Throw away all empty clay bags into the dumpster outside.
Leave room clean and organized when finished.

Glaze area rules

Personal protective equipment is required while working in the glaze area at all times.

Students must be trained and authorized by the faculty to utilize the area. Training record will be kept in the student’s file by the faculty for the duration of student’s study in the program.
Use the down draft table vent system when measuring both large and small batches.
Scrub hands thoroughly after glazing. Plastic safety gloves are available.
Know the materials. Comply with the university’s Health and Safety protocol.
Do not put glaze (and clay materials) down the drain. All leftover glaze (and clay materials) must be either reused, or fired then discarded.
Clean up after use.
When material is low, report to the faculty for re-order.
Purchase your own Mason stains and cobalt.

Equipment authorizations/orientation

The faculty and Ceramics assistant will schedule demos on proper usage of clay mixers, gas, and electric kilns, pub mill, ball mill, tile saw, slab roller, kiln shelf care, and all other equipment. Students must be trained to use any of the equipment. Do not operate equipment without prior authorization from the faculty. Failure to comply with department in responsibility and care of equipment constitutes loss of the privilege to use a specific piece of equipment. If you break equipment, you will be responsible for its repair or replacement according to the direction of the chair and the college Dean. The training record will be kept in the file by the faculty for the duration of the student’s study in the program.

Classroom and studio cleanup

Please leave the area/equipment in better condition than you found it!

Clean up the area and put away tools.
Recycle clay by placing dry scrap in plastic bucket with water to reclaim and then wedge and dry on plaster. All dry scrap clay should be removed from tables.
Clean plaster and wooden bats before stacking for storage.
Do not leave your work in an undesignated communal work area, including tables. Put all unfinished work on designated shelves or area, marked by the instructor’s name.
Do not handle other students’ work without permission. Only the faculty should discard students’ projects.
Do not leave valuables without supervision.
Report any equipment damage/malfunction to the faculty, Ceramics assistant and/or SA.
Do not mix plaster and clay.
No smoking, drinking, or eating in the studio.
Wear proper attire.
Discard all trash.

Clean up schedule for classes and labs

Each instructor has a rotating cleaning assignment schedule. All students enrolled in Foundations, intro classes, and Continuing Education are responsible for cleaning up daily as well as on assigned cleaning days. Non-participation in scheduled clean-ups will result in a hold on your grade.

All ceramics students are required to work on a committee and have a small midterm and final task in one of the labs.

Classrooms at the end of the semester (exam week) must be totally cleaned for the classroom readiness for the following semester. Each instructor is required to remove all leftover work, direct and organize classroom clean up and not leave for break until classrooms are thoroughly cared for.

Senior and graduate studios

Please respect each other’s privacy and concentration.
Common area must remain clearly passable and clean.
No curtain or privacy door dividers are allowed. Participation in community is essential for community success.

Midterm and Final – all studio cleanup

Midterm and final cleanups are scheduled each semester. All ceramics students are required to participate. An alternate makeup cleanup date will also be scheduled for unforeseen emergency. Failure to participate in studio cleanups will result in a grade for the
semester course being withheld.

Physical hazards of studio work

In addition to toxic chemicals, there are physical hazards from heavy work, noise, and other hazards

Overuse and strain injuries

Also called repetitive strain injuries, these injuries are often called ‘cumulative trauma disorders’ because they develop from repeated
small injuries of tissue from overuse and strain. They can occur while wedging, throwing, or hand-building with clay. ‘Potter’s thumb,’ for instance, is the term some potters use to describe symptoms which are now associated with the early stages of carpal tunnel. Many potters have acquired carpal tunnel syndrome (a debilitating condition involving compression of the median nerve) at the wrist. Tendonitis in various locations and tennis elbow are also common. Hand, back, and wrist muscle injuries can occur from sitting at the potter’s wheel, especially if posture is incorrect. Injuries from lifting sacks of clay, molds and the like are common among ceramicists. To prevent these injuries, pay attention to the signs of fatigue, pain, changes in endurance, weakness, and other physical symptoms. Developing good work habits can prevent these conditions and may even resolve early symptoms.

Maintaining good posture
Taking frequent rest breaks
Alternating tasks or varying types of work
Warming up muscles before work
Moving and stretching muscles during breaks
Easing back into heavy work schedule after a long break (such as holidays) rather than expecting to work at full capacity immediately
Modifying technique and/or equipment to avoid uncomfortable positions or movements

If symptoms do not respond, seek medical attention. Early medical intervention will resolve most overuse injuries without expensive treatment and/or surgery. Delaying treatment can cause long-term, or even permanent disability. Resource: Arts, Crafts & Theatre Safety.

Health

To inhale or ingest clay dust or glaze materials is unhealthy. Therefore, thoroughly clean all wheels, tables, tools and equipment after use and wash any spills, splatters, and trimming that land on the floor.
Participate in our “health insurance program” by spending one hour each semester on dust-busting duty – use a sponge or a mop to wet-clean floor or table that can create airborne dusts).
Personal Protective Equipment – wear an appropriate, high-quality dust filter mask and/or respirator when mixing dry materials, spraying glazes, cleaning, and scraping shelves.
Be aware of the specific safety issue of each material you use. Consult the faculty for discussion and further information. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all materials used are available in the ceramics facility.

Safety

Do not use wheel, kiln, spray equipment, slab roller, grinder, or any equipment in the studio without personal instruction and permission from the faculty. Permission to use kiln requires apprenticeship and testing. Training record must be kept for the
duration of the students’ study in the program.
Power off all electrical equipment after use.
If you are last to leave the kiln room/mixing area/glaze room, make sure that everything not in use is turned off.
For the general safety, use buddy system in the studio as much as possible.

Ceramic kiln pad
Access policy/safety protocol: CVPA Kiln pad

Guidelines for the safe and responsible access to the kiln pad area, ensuring the safety of personnel and the integrity of equipment.

Access policy

The ceramics’ kiln pad, located behind the CVPA building, must be locked at all times when not in use.
Only trained and authorized personnel are permitted to access the kiln pad.
- 1. Students must complete training given by the ceramics faculty. The training includes written test, on-site kiln training (Raku, Geil, and soda (Baker)), and safety training. Training record and authorization to be kept in file by the faculty.
- 2. Designated safety personnel.
Visitors must be pre-approved by the ceramics faculty, and accompanied by an authorized person(s) at all times while in the kiln pad area.
All kiln firings are scheduled in advance. Use of kiln pad must be scheduled and approved by the ceramics faculty.
The key to the kiln pad is available to sign out at the ADS security. Return the key to the ADS security when firing is finished.

Safety protocol at the kiln pad

All personnel must be trained and tested on safety protocol and kiln operation by the ceramics faculty. The training record to be kept by the faculty.
Two trained and authorized persons must be present on site for the entire duration of firing.
Appropriate personal protective equipment is required. PPE may include, but not limited to:
- Heat-resistant gloves
- Eye protections/heat shields.
- Natural fiber clothing
- No open-toe shoes

Emergency procedures

Familiarize yourself with safety equipment, including fire extinguisher, main gas shutoff, electrical breakers, and emergency call box.
In case of emergency, call 508-999-9191 (on-campus emergency), or use the emergency call box (next to the CVPA entrance), and inform the ceramics faculty, ceramics assistant, and CVPA technician.

Firing guidelines

Only trained and authorized personnel may operate kilns. Unauthorized use of equipment is strictly prohibited.
One kiln firing at a time. Do not fire more than one kiln at a time.
A minimum of two trained personnel must be present at all times during the duration of firing.
Kiln log must be kept.
Incident report – all and any accidents, injuries, or unsafe conditions must be reported immediately to the ceramics faculty and/or CVPA technician.

CVPA Safety manual consent form - Ceramics (PDF)