Working with wet clay by hand or on a wheel.Grinding and crushing raw materials.Carrying out processes (eg, fettling, towing, sanding) on dry clay before firing.Cleaning equipment, utensils, work surfaces and floors.

Shaping hollow-ware on a throwing wheel.Mixing clay and other materials to form a slip or plastic body.Use of pug mills for extruding plastic clay.Use of pottery lathes for turning unfired hollow-ware.

This summarises all the current safety advice associated with teaching ceramics in schools. It includes storing handling and disposing of materials, using and maintaining kilns and ceramics machinery.

This guide explains the need for a policy for managing specialist facilities, such as kiln rooms, and provides a template for the policy.