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Whether you're taking a pottery class with friends or you're simply heading over to the student for open time, you need to know how to keep yourself safe. While playing with clay seems to be fun and games, there are some serious risks in a professional clay studio of which you need to be aware. By taking the time to learn about how to keep yourself safe, you can ensure your art time is a fun time for yourself and for everyone around you.

Protecting Your Eyes and Skin

The good news is that clay itself is not particular unsafe. The typical white or red clay you use in the studio will not be harmful for you to put on your skin or to even have on your skin for an extended period of time. What can be harmful are clays that other bits of sediment or rocks. These clays can become harmful if they are watered down too much (as you might do on a wheel) and the sediment gets up into your eye. To keep yourself as protected as possible, you might want to invest in some safety goggles or glasses you only wear to pottery class. This way, you can ensure your eyes are not in the line of fire when the wheel is spinning. In addition, when you want to keep your clothing from becoming stained, you may want to wear an apron as you work with the class. Many of the glazes and other supplies in the studio have a high chance of staining clothing that is not protected. Many studios will have aprons readily available or you might want to bring your own. Or you could always designate a certain outfit to be worn at pottery time and no other time. This way, you can easily stain it the material without worry.

The Way of the Kiln

Unless you are trained in using a kiln, never approach this piece of equipment. Temperatures can be in the thousands of degrees Fahrenheit and can cause significant harm to you, the pieces in the kiln, and to the studio. Leave the kiln use to someone who is professionally trained. Don't touch any of the buttons or any of the knobs while it is running, and don’t' open the kiln up unless you have been specifically directed to do so.

Harmful Chemicals Alert

Once you have done the first firing of your clay pieces, it's time to glaze them. But many of these glazes are not suitable on your skin. To prevent any problems, it's a good idea to wear latex or latex-substitute gloves when you are dipping or painting your pieces. While some glazes are quite safe, you don't want to get any of the chemicals in an open wound on your hand. If you should spill glaze onto your skin, simply wash it off with copious amounts of water and monitor the appearance of your skin for any trouble spots that might have erupted. The pottery studio is generally a very safe place when you watch what you're doing and you never take your eyes off of your hands and where they are. Pottery class is supposed to result in beautiful pieces, after all, not a trip to the emergency room.