Bucks County Community College

GLASS SHOP RULES AND SAFETY REGULATIONS  

1.         Clothing: DO NOT WEAR SYNTHETIC MATERIAL OR PLASTIC FIBER (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE); COTTON AND FLANNEL ARE BEST. LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS AND LONG PANTS. DO NOT WEAR OPEN TOED FOOTWEAR OR FLIMSY SHOES, STURDY HARD SOLED SHOES ARE RECOMMENDED. DO NOT WEAR METAL EXPOSED TO THE FURNACE SUCH AS JEWELRY OR METAL BUTTONS, WATCHES, ECT.  

2.         NO ONE OTHER THAN STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR THE COURSE ARE PERMITTED TO USE THE STUDIO. If someone is blowing glass in your lab who shouldn’t be there, politely inform the person that he or she is infringing on your lab time, which is limited to begin with. 

3.         SAFETY GLASSES MUST BE WORN WHILE WORKING NEAR FURNACE AND BLOWING AND GRINDING AREA. Safety glasses must also be worn when cleaning pipes and when putting on the stand for heating. Also, before you place a cold pipe near the furnace, make sure no one is standing near the furnace. The intense heat of the furnace could cause glass left on the pipe to pop off, creating a possible hazard. 

4.         ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ARE PERMITTED TO ADJUST STUDIO EQUIPMENT. If there are any problems, contact the studio assistant. 

5.         WHILE BLOWING GLASS ALWAYS BE AWARE OF ANY PERSON IN OTHER AREAS OF THE ROOM.
            A. Do not swing a pipe in the direction of another person.
            B. Do not give the pipe a full swing no more than 90° or above shoulder height.
            C. After making a gather of glass, never raise the blowpipe higher than your head. You        should always move from the furnace to the gaffers' bench with the hot glass end of the pipe angled toward the floor. ALWAYS LOOK BEFORE TURNING AROUND WITH A  HOT BLOWPIPE.
            D. If you quench the glass on the end of the blowpipe to speed up the cooling of the            pipe, always remember to seal the mouthpiece with your thumb to prevent boiling water         from traveling up the blowpipe. IF YOU DO NOT SEAL THE PIPE WHILE     QUENCHING, YOU MAY BURN YOUR HANDS OR BE SCALDED WITH FLYING BOILING WATER.  

6.         EACH LAB SESSION TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE STUDIO DURING THEIR LAB SESSION.  NO ONE IS ALOWED TO WORK ALONE, ANOTHER PERSON MUST BE PRESSENT AT ALL TIMES
            A. All tools and pipes must be cleaned and put away after each lab session.
            B. Sweep studio floor after each lab session. (This is extremely important for safety.)
            C. The grinding wheel is to be used during class time, unless an authorized person has individually checked you, out to use the equipment. 

7.         Do not bring in colored glass of an unknown origin. Compatibility may make the piece dangerous even though it may appear to have annealed properly. Also, do not use chemicals that I do not have a “material safety data sheet” on, because you may be endangering yourself and our environment. 

8.         NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS ARE PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES. 

9.         The instructor and the teaching assistant have the final say in the studio! 

10.        For advanced students only.  Please tape your name on your locker.  You must empty the locker at the end of each term.