Working with clay, glazes, and ceramic materials should be both creative and safe. While ceramics is a rewarding craft, many of the materials used in the studio can pose risks when handled in concentrated form. This section brings together the essential information you need to work confidently — covering studio practices, protective equipment, glaze and food safety, and access to SDS documentation. Whether you’re a beginner, a teacher, or a long-time ceramic artist, these guides will help you create with care and protect your health while you do it.
Clean & Safe Ceramic Studio Practices
The first and most important rule in maintaining materials safety in your ceramic studio is to keep it clean and well-organized. Here are a few suggestions. For more information on specific areas of safety concern, click on the menu entries regarding Safety.
- Seal Materials: Keep dry raw materials in sealable containers. Tupperware and Rubbermaid kitchen canisters work well for this purpose.
- Label Clearly: Label all your containers clearly.
- Hazard Marking: Mark which containers (if any) contain hazardous materials.
- Child Safety: Keep hazardous materials out of children’s reach. You might consider making your work area off-limits to children, or put locks on cabinets and cupboards.
- Clean Spills Promptly: Promptly clean up spills of wet materials before they have a chance to dry and become dust.
- Wet Cleaning: Cleaning the floor with a wet mop or sponge is much preferred over dry sweeping. Sweeping raises and redistributes dust. If you must sweep before mopping, wear a dust mask (minimum) or respirator (preferred).
- Dust Awareness: Remember: if you can taste dust, you’re also inhaling it.
- Use Respirators: Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator to prevent dust inhalation when measuring, mixing, or working with dry raw materials (like clay or glaze ingredients).
- Clean Molds: If you work with molds, wipe them down and scrape extra slip off the sides after each use to minimize dust generation.
- Store Molds Safely: If you work with molds, store them on metal shelves or shelves lined with contact paper or plastic. Bare wooden shelves can scrape molds and create loose plaster dust.
- No Food or Drink: Do not eat, drink, or smoke while working in your studio. When you need something to drink, treat that need as an opportunity to take a break.
- Wash Hands: Wash your hands thoroughly after handling clay, glaze, or dry materials — especially before handling food or drink.
- Wear Studio Clothes: When possible, wear “studio clothes” that you don’t mind getting dirty. Note that some ceramic or glaze materials may permanently stain fabrics. Wash studio clothes separately from the rest of your wardrobe.
At Georgies, we urge you to test our products before use to determine their suitability for your purpose or your project. We also urge you to be conscientious in determining any risks associated with specific ceramic materials. We support your efforts by supplying in good faith information, derived from reliable sources, that we believe to be accurate. The safety information on these pages is a summary presentation, and not intended to be exhaustive in detail. If you have specific questions or concerns, we would be happy to supply further information on request.
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