Teen Glassblowing

In preparation for welcoming Students to the hot shop and the world of hot glass please find below a list of REQUIRED personal protective equipment and clothing.

Closed-toed shoes, 1-2 pairs

Sweaty feet trapped in shoes all day lend themselves to athlete's foot, switching shoes daily lowers that risk, spare socks and changing them regularly help with this, too.

Pants/Shirts, natural fibre

Cotton is king, linen is more breathable for hot days. Polyester is a plastic and melts at low temperatures, THIS IS BAD. Please check the labels of your clothing. Wear light colours, dark material will heat up.

1 pair of heavy cotton/wool socks, clean

After removing the toe, these will be worn on your forearms up to your elbow to protect from heat. Alternatively, specialized heat-resistant KEVLAR SLEEVES may be available for purchase from the campus store.

Protective eyewear

Dark sunglasses, or flipdowns/clipons if you wear glasses and side shield protectors. Alternatively, specialized welding shade 3 or 5 glasses may be available at the campus bookstore.

Water bottle

Absolute must-have.

Colour glass

Coloured glass will be available for purchase at the Red Door Store

Note: Any use of colour or cold glasswork will require you to use a respirator and be fit tested. Please read the important information section for more info.

Glassblowing Safety Notice

In accordance with our glass studio health and safety protocols, you are required to have your own personal blow pipe mouthpiece, which can be purchased from the Red Door Store on campus. Bent Brass Swivel Kit includes: 1/4 inch 90 Deg, Silicone Blow Hose 1/4" and Mouthpiece $25.99 plus tax.

Respirator Fit Test Requirement

Your course requires a half-mask particulate respirator - using colour & cold glass work. This is NOT a dust or N95 mask but a respirator with cartridges. Respirators are available at most hardware stores & the campus bookstore, approx. $40 plus tax. Additional filters, approx. $20. New legislation requires that anyone wearing a respirator must be fit-tested. A fit test is a pass/fail method which measures a face-piece-to-face seal. More details for fit tests on site.

For more information, please watch the videos below:

Silica Exposure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCcON72KcMA

3M Respirator Fit Kit Test Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syj_zeNtLGI

Course Note:

Your work will need to cool overnight and will be available for pickup at 11:00 am on Saturday morning. You will require a box to transport your work home. If you are unavailable to pick your work up, please have someone pick it up for you the next day. The college will not ship the pieces.

Mandatory Studio Safety Practices

Your health and safety is our priority. Our studio environments can have a number of objects, tools and chemicals that require personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consideration for your well-being. All persons (including faculty, staff and students) are asked to observe the following while in the shops and studios:

• Wear sturdy and appropriate shoes such as sneakers, closed leather shoes or work boots open-toed shoes, flip-flops or high heels are not allowed
• No long, dangling clothing or accessories (scarves, flowing sleeves, chains, long necklaces, etc.)
• Long hair must be tied back
• No bare skin if exposure to chemicals or tools/machinery is likely
• Appropriate PPE is mandatory when operating tools and equipment within the studios.
• Please consult with the faculty or studio technician to determine the appropriate PPE required for specific machines and studio processes.
  

Fit tests are required for courses requiring a respirator as noted on your material list. Arrangements will be made on-site. As these are mandatory safety practices, we will follow up directly with students who may have oversighted the above. Individuals may be asked to address any concerns before continuing to work in the studio. Be sure to buy appropriate, good-quality safety articles and equipment, i.e. safety boots, protective eyewear, hearing protection, work gloves, x-acto knives, etc. - ask your supplier for advice.