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The Home Pottery Studio Safety Checklist
By Christina Phillips, safety professional and potter · September 2026
Give yourself twenty minutes and walk your studio with this list. Check off what you've got, circle what you don't — the circled items are your to-do list. (Want it scored and prioritized for you? That's exactly what our Studio Safety Assessment does.)
🌫️ Dust control
- ☐ No dry sweeping — floors cleaned by wet mopping or damp cloth
- ☐ Vacuum (if used) is true-HEPA, filters maintained
- ☐ NIOSH-approved respirator (N95/P100) available and worn for mixing, sanding, kiln-wash scraping
- ☐ Dry materials mixed with ventilation or outdoors
- ☐ Studio clothes/shoes kept separate; dust not tracked into living areas
🔥 Kiln
- ☐ Kiln on non-combustible floor with manufacturer clearances on all sides
- ☐ Exhaust vented directly outdoors
- ☐ Dedicated circuit + breaker installed by a licensed electrician; no extension cords
- ☐ Cord, plug, and connections inspected before each firing
- ☐ Firings monitored — never started and left unattended
- ☐ Working smoke + CO alarms in the kiln area; ABC fire extinguisher accessible
- ☐ Kids and pets kept away from the kiln at all times
🧪 Glaze & chemical safety
- ☐ Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on hand for glaze materials and chemicals
- ☐ Glazes stored labeled, sealed, out of reach of children and pets
- ☐ Food-surface ware uses food-safe-formulated glazes fired to maturity
- ☐ Gloves + eye protection worn when handling dry glaze materials
- ☐ No eating, drinking, or smoking in the glaze-mixing area
🪑 Ergonomics
- ☐ Wheel and worktable at heights that don't force hunching
- ☐ Supportive seating or anti-fatigue mat for long sessions
- ☐ Regular breaks and hand/wrist stretching during long throwing days
- ☐ Heavy clay and kiln shelves lifted with legs, not back — or with a cart
🧯 Fire & electrical (general)
- ☐ No overloaded outlets or daisy-chained power strips
- ☐ Combustibles stored away from heat sources
- ☐ Clear path to the exit — no kiln shelves or clay boxes blocking the door
- ☐ Phone nearby during solo studio sessions
Done circling? Get it scored.
The checklist tells you what. The Pottery Studio Safety Assessment tells you what first — a scored, prioritized action plan for your whole studio: kiln, dust, glaze chemicals, ergonomics, fire, and more. $39/year, cancel anytime.
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General information from a safety professional. Not a substitute for professional advice, manufacturer instructions, or local codes.