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Clay and Craft Cowbridge is a working pottery studio. By entering the studio, attending a class, supervising a child, taking part in a workshop, using equipment, glazing work, collecting pottery, or remaining on the premises, you acknowledge that pottery, ceramics and creative workshop environments involve inherent risks.
We take health and safety seriously and make reasonable efforts to reduce risk. However, hazards cannot be removed entirely. All visitors, learners, parents, carers, staff, volunteers and contractors must follow instructions, behave responsibly, and take care of themselves and others while on site.
The studio contains clay, water, tools, glazes, kilns, electrical equipment, shelving, work in progress, drying pottery, sharp implements, heavy objects, cleaning materials, uneven surfaces and moving people.
Hazards may include, but are not limited to:
All attendees must move carefully, listen to staff instructions, and avoid running, pushing, climbing, leaning on equipment, entering restricted areas, or touching items that do not belong to them.
Pottery studios frequently involve water, clay and cleaning. Floors may become wet, muddy, slippery or dusty during normal studio use.
Particular care must be taken around:
Wet floors may occur because of cleaning, spillages, weather conditions, clay use, glaze use, children’s activities, hand washing or people entering from outside.
Visitors must walk carefully at all times. Children must not run inside the studio. Parents and carers remain responsible for supervising children unless the session is specifically advertised as a drop-off class.
There may be a step, change in level, threshold, narrow doorway, uneven surface or obstruction at the entrance or exit to the studio.
All visitors should take care when entering or leaving, particularly:
Anyone with mobility issues, balance difficulties, visual impairment, injury, pregnancy-related mobility changes, or other access needs should inform staff before taking part so that reasonable support can be considered where possible.
Clay is generally safe when used correctly, but it can create risks.
Potential hazards include:
Clay must not be eaten, thrown, flicked, rubbed into eyes, placed in mouths, or used in unsafe ways.
Dry clay dust must be avoided. Clay dust can be harmful if inhaled repeatedly or in large amounts. For this reason, dry sweeping, sanding, scraping or creating airborne dust is not permitted unless specifically authorised and controlled by staff.
The studio uses ceramic glazes, underglazes, oxides, stains, slips, engobes, decorative materials and cleaning products. These may contain minerals, colourants, fluxes, binders, preservatives or other chemical ingredients.
Glazes and ceramic materials must be treated with care.
Potential risks include:
Attendees must not:
Hands should be washed after handling clay, glaze or studio materials, and before eating or drinking.
Food and drink should be kept away from glaze areas unless staff have specifically confirmed it is safe to do so.
Glazing is part of the ceramic process and carries specific hazards.
Risks include:
Glaze should be applied only as instructed. Over-application can cause glaze to run, bubble, crack, crawl, stick to kiln shelves or damage the kiln.
Studio staff may refuse to fire work if glaze has been applied unsafely, too thickly, incorrectly, too close to the base, or in a way likely to damage the kiln or other people’s work.
Kilns are essential ceramic equipment and present significant hazards.
Kilns may be located in or near workshop spaces. Even when not actively being loaded or unloaded, they must be treated as restricted equipment.
Potential hazards include:
Kilns must only be operated, opened, loaded, unloaded or adjusted by authorised staff.
Visitors, learners and children must not touch kilns, kiln controls, kiln plugs, kiln furniture, kiln shelves, props, cones, thermocouples, vents, or anything in the kiln area unless specifically instructed and supervised.
A kiln may remain dangerously hot long after firing has finished. A kiln that appears off may still be hot enough to cause serious burns.
During firing, clay undergoes extreme physical and chemical changes. Pieces may crack, split, shatter, pop, explode, warp or break.
This can happen because of:
Exploding or breaking work can damage nearby pieces, kiln shelves or kiln elements. Studio staff reserve the right to delay, refuse or alter firing arrangements where work is considered unsafe or unsuitable.
The studio may use hot water for cleaning, hand washing, tool washing or general studio maintenance. Hot water can cause burns or scalds.
Risks include:
Children must be supervised around sinks, taps, kettles, hot drinks and cleaning areas. Hot drinks must be kept away from table edges and away from children’s working areas.
Visitors must not assume pottery, kiln furniture, water, tools or surfaces are cool unless staff have confirmed this.
The studio may contain hand tools, pottery wheels, slab rollers, extruders, banding wheels, cutting wires, rolling pins, trimming tools, modelling tools, brushes, sponges, knives, ribs, bats, boards, drying racks and other equipment.
Equipment must only be used as instructed.
The slab roller is a piece of studio machinery used to roll clay into sheets. It can cause injury if misused.
Potential hazards include:
Only authorised users may operate the slab roller. Children must not use the slab roller unless directly supervised by staff.
Hands, hair, jewellery, loose sleeves, lanyards and clothing must be kept away from rollers and moving parts.
The extruder is used to push clay through dies or shaped openings. It may be wall-mounted or freestanding and can involve significant pressure.
Potential hazards include:
The extruder must only be used under staff instruction. No visitor, learner or child may operate it without permission.
Users must stand safely, keep hands clear, and follow all staff guidance.
Pottery wheels involve rotating parts, water, clay and electrical equipment.
Risks include:
Long hair should be tied back. Loose jewellery, scarves, dangling sleeves and lanyards should be removed or secured.
Users must stop the wheel before adjusting bats, tools or work unless instructed otherwise.
The studio uses tools that may be sharp, pointed or capable of causing injury.
These include:
Tools must be used only for their intended purpose. They must not be waved, thrown, pointed at others, placed near table edges, or used without instruction.
Broken pottery must not be handled by children and should be reported to staff immediately.
Pottery materials and equipment can be heavy. Clay bags, glaze buckets, kiln shelves, ware boards, large pots, tables, stools and equipment can cause injury if lifted incorrectly.
Risks include:
Visitors should not lift heavy items unless asked and instructed by staff. Closed-toe footwear is recommended where possible.
Staff may decline to help move work that is unsafe, unstable, excessively heavy or likely to break.
Clay and glaze dust can be harmful if inhaled, particularly over repeated exposure.
Dust may arise from:
The studio aims to minimise dust by using wet cleaning methods where appropriate.
Visitors must not sand, scrape, blow, sweep or disturb dry clay or glaze dust unless authorised and supervised.
Anyone with asthma, breathing difficulties, allergies, pregnancy-related concerns, immune vulnerability or chemical sensitivity should inform staff before taking part.
The studio contains electrical equipment, which may include kilns, wheels, lights, extension leads, heaters, tills, chargers, appliances, fans, computers or other devices.
Risks include:
Only staff should plug in, unplug, move or adjust electrical studio equipment unless permission is given.
Water must be kept away from electrical equipment.
The studio contains shelves, drying racks, boards, bisque, glazed work, tools, clay, stock, boxes and customer work.
Risks include:
Visitors must not touch shelving, drying work, stored pottery, kiln shelves, stock or other customers’ work unless instructed.
Children must not climb, pull or lean on shelves, racks or tables.
Bisque pottery is fired but unglazed ceramic. It may be porous, dusty, brittle or sharp if chipped.
Risks include:
Customers are responsible for handling their chosen bisque carefully. Broken items may still be chargeable.
Children, young people and vulnerable adults may be at greater risk because of curiosity, movement, sensory needs, reduced awareness, or difficulty understanding hazards.
Risks include:
Parents and carers must supervise children unless the session is clearly advertised as drop-off.
For drop-off sessions, parents and carers must provide accurate emergency contact details, medical information, allergy information, behavioural information and any relevant support needs.
Clay and Craft Cowbridge aims to be inclusive, but we must be informed in advance of needs that may affect safety.
Participants must tell staff before the session if they have allergies, asthma, skin conditions, epilepsy, fainting episodes, sensory needs, pregnancy-related concerns, mobility difficulties, immune vulnerability, chemical sensitivities, or any condition that could affect their safety.
Materials may include clay, glaze, oxides, stains, latex-containing items, cleaning products, dust, mould traces in reclaimed clay, metals, preservatives, fragrance, soap, handwash, or other substances.
We cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.
Pottery is messy. Clay, glaze, underglaze, oxides and studio materials may stain clothing, shoes, bags, coats, jewellery, watches, phones and belongings.
Participants should wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Recommended precautions include:
Clay and Craft Cowbridge is not responsible for damage to clothing, jewellery, phones, bags, coats, shoes or personal belongings caused by normal studio activity.
Studio sinks and cleaning areas may contain clay water, glaze residue, tools, buckets, sponges, hot water, cleaning products and wet surfaces.
Risks include:
Participants must follow staff guidance when washing tools, hands or pottery.
Clay, glaze and studio waste must not be disposed of incorrectly. Staff may restrict sink use to prevent blockages or contamination.
Some parts of the studio may be restricted for safety reasons.
Restricted areas may include:
Visitors must not enter restricted areas unless invited and supervised by staff.
Unsafe behaviour is not permitted.
This includes:
We reserve the right to stop someone taking part, remove them from the session, refuse future bookings, or contact a parent, carer or emergency contact if behaviour presents a risk.
Some adult sessions may allow customers to bring alcohol. Alcohol must be consumed responsibly.
Participants remain responsible for their own conduct and safety.
Clay and Craft Cowbridge reserves the right to refuse access to tools, machinery, wheels, glazes, kilns or further participation if a person appears intoxicated or unsafe.
No alcohol is permitted in children’s sessions.
The studio contains electrical equipment, kilns, paper, packaging, furniture, clay materials and other items that may present fire risks.
Participants must follow all fire safety instructions.
Fire exits, walkways and access routes must be kept clear. Bags, coats, chairs and pottery must not block exits.
In an emergency, participants must follow staff instructions immediately and leave by the safest available exit.
Children must remain with staff, parents or carers as appropriate.
Accidents, injuries, breakages, spillages, burns, cuts, slips, falls, allergic reactions or near misses must be reported to staff immediately.
First aid may be provided by a trained person where available. Serious incidents may require emergency services.
Clay and Craft Cowbridge may record accidents or near misses for health and safety purposes.
All customers, visitors and participants are responsible for:
Failure to follow safety instructions may result in removal from the session without refund.
Clay and Craft Cowbridge reserves the right to:
We take reasonable care to reduce risks, but a pottery studio cannot be completely risk-free.
By attending, entering or participating, you accept that ceramics involves inherent hazards including heat, chemicals, water, dust, sharp tools, fragile objects, machinery, heavy materials, slips, trips, breakages and unpredictable kiln outcomes.
Your participation is conditional on following safety instructions and behaving responsibly.
By booking, attending, entering the studio, allowing a child to attend, or taking part in any Clay and Craft Cowbridge activity, you confirm that you understand this is a working pottery studio and that hazards exist.
You agree to follow all safety instructions and accept that Clay and Craft Cowbridge cannot be held responsible for injury, damage or loss caused by failure to follow instructions, misuse of equipment, unsafe behaviour, undisclosed medical needs, normal ceramic risks, or hazards that arise despite reasonable care being taken.