Ceramics and Porcelain in Kütahya: Dust and Kilns

The ceramics and porcelain industry in Kütahya

In Kütahya, ceramics factory safety covers a wide production range from decorative tile making to tableware porcelain and floor and wall tiles; the province is one of the long-established centres of clay-based production. The 2024 Kütahya Province Economic Outlook Report, prepared by the Provincial Directorate of Trade under the coordination of the Governorship, lists clay-based ceramics such as porcelain and decorative tiles among the province's main products; it identifies the manufacture of non-metallic mineral products such as ceramics, porcelain, decorative tiles and glass as the leading sector in the province, ranking first in industrial employment. The same report lists Kütahya Seramik OSB among the province's six OIZs (organised industrial zones); small industrial estates of tile and ceramic manufacturers are also located in the city centre.

This article addresses OHS in ceramic and porcelain production by following the production flow: raw material preparation, forming, fettling, glazing, firing and packing. As Kütahya borders Bursa, it is within Bursa Sistemer's area of authorisation; we describe our service arrangements in the region on our Kütahya OSGB page.

Ceramics factory safety: risks section by section

Section	Main hazard	Priority control	Health surveillance focus
Raw material preparation (clay, kaolin, feldspar, quartz; grinding, sieving, slip)	Quartz-containing dust, mill noise, handling sacks and big bags	Enclosed transfer, local exhaust, wet methods	Chest X-ray, hearing test
Forming (pressing, casting, jiggering)	Press trapping, heavy plaster moulds, wet floors	Press guards, mould trolleys, drainage	Musculoskeletal system
Drying and fettling	Dust from dry grinding and sponging, repetitive hand movements	Wet sponges, benches with extraction	Chest X-ray, lung function
Glazing	Glaze dust and spray aerosol, metal oxides	Glazing booth with extraction, wet cleaning	Physician's decision based on glaze content
Kiln (tunnel, shuttle)	Heat, burns, natural gas, kiln car mechanism	Burner and gas safety, guards	Effects of hot environments
Sorting and packing	Cuts from broken pieces, manual handling	Cut-resistant gloves, handling aids	Musculoskeletal system
Decoration and tile workshop	Paint pigments, solvents, small electric kilns	Ventilation, safety data sheets	According to exposure

Each section in the table should be a separate heading in the risk assessment. A one-line assessment such as "ceramic production" ends up dismissing, for example, the aerosol in the glazing booth and the dust in the raw materials hall with the same measure.

Ceramic dust and silica: from raw materials to fettling

A significant part of the ceramic body and glaze contains quartz. The ceramic dust silica problem therefore does not belong to a single section: unloading, grinding and sieving raw materials, fettling dried ware, preparing glaze and dry sweeping all raise the same dust into the air. The most dangerous fraction of the dust is fine particles invisible to the eye; you cannot conclude that exposure has ended because the area "looks clean". At high kiln temperatures, part of the quartz can turn into cristobalite; post-firing operations and the removal of refractory material are therefore also sources of dust.

The jobs listed under the silicosis heading in the list of occupational diseases include "manufacture of corundum, glass, porcelain, stone, ceramics and refractory materials". Measures are ranked according to the hierarchy of controls:

Enclosed and wet processes: Transfer raw materials through enclosed lines, and use wet methods wherever possible.
Local exhaust: Capture dust at source at bag emptying, sieving, fettling and glaze preparation points; record maintenance of extraction systems.
Cleaning method: Use wet cleaning or an industrial vacuum with a HEPA filter instead of dry sweeping and compressed air.
Respiratory protection: Masks come after the measures above and are chosen according to the measurement result; for classes, see our article on FFP1, FFP2, FFP3 dust masks.

We plan dust measurements with accredited laboratories and enter the results into the risk assessment. For the general properties of silica dust, see our article on crystalline silica dust, and for the obligations in the regulation, our article on the Regulation on Dust Control.

Glazing booths and glaze preparation

Glaze is a suspension of frit, kaolin, quartz, feldspar and colouring metal oxides. In spray glazing, this mixture becomes an aerosol. Points to watch for the glazing booth are:

The booth extraction must work so as to sweep the operator's breathing zone towards the booth; the filter or water curtain must be changed regularly and an inspection record kept.
The inside of the booth and its surroundings must be cleaned using wet methods before deposits dry and turn to dust.
The glaze content must be checked for each product from the safety data sheet; the workplace physician should determine the need for tests for employees working with glazes containing metals.
Eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited in the glaze section; hands and face are washed before breaks.
In robotic glazing cells, the robot's energy is isolated and locked out before entering the cell.

Ceramic kilns: heat, gas and maintenance work

Tunnel kilns and shuttle kilns are continuously operating systems at high temperature, mostly fuelled by natural gas. In the ceramic kiln section, risks fall into four groups:

Heat and burns: Contact with the kiln mouth, hot cars and ware. Heat-resistant gloves, long-sleeved work clothes, markings showing hot zones.
Gas: Leaks on the burner line and the risk of carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion. Gas shut-off points are shown in the emergency plan and on the evacuation site plan; checks of detection systems are recorded.
Mechanism: Trapping in the pushers and transfer systems that advance kiln cars. Guards on moving parts, lockout during maintenance.
Maintenance and repair: Entering the kiln or the channels beneath it is confined space work; it requires cooling, ventilation, measurement and a standby person. For details, see our articles on working in confined spaces and lockout and tagout. Because some types of refractory fibre are classified as carcinogenic, the product's safety data sheet is the basis for removing insulation.

Employees around the kiln need water, a cool rest area and a break plan during hot periods. We also plan thermal comfort measurements with accredited laboratories.

Mould handling and ergonomics

Plaster moulds used in the casting and jiggering sections are heavy and become even heavier when wet. Lifting moulds onto racks, raising ware boards above the shoulder and loading drying racks are the main sources of back and shoulder problems.

Use wheeled trolleys and adjustable racks for moulds and ware; keep the heaviest moulds between waist and shoulder height.
Carry heavy moulds with two people or a lifting aid.
Choose rack heights that do not require lifting ware boards above the shoulder.
Keep wet floors dry with drainage; heavy lifting on wet floors combines with slipping.

For the general rules of manual handling, see our article on manual handling and lifting technique, and for calculating load limits, our article on how much weight can be lifted.

Health surveillance and plant planning

For employees working with dust, chest X-rays to ILO classification are taken; the workplace physician determines the frequency. The legislation sets no fixed frequency for lung function tests; the physician decides according to the risk. If noise exceeds the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), hearing tests are mandatory; the grinding and pressing sections should be measured separately in this respect. Periodic examinations are carried out, depending on hazard class, at least every 5 years in less hazardous, at least every 3 years in hazardous and every year in very hazardous workplaces.

Confirm your hazard class from the NACE code in ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system); the basic training duration and other obligations are determined accordingly. In hazardous and very hazardous workplaces, the job- and workplace-specific risks part of basic training is delivered face to face; dust, glaze and kiln risks should be explained in practice in this part.

Bursa Sistemer carries out risk assessment work section by section in ceramic and porcelain plants in Kütahya, and plans chest X-rays and hearing tests under health surveillance collectively with authorised health institutions. For plants where chemical and dust risks predominate, also see our chemicals and plastics sector page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tests are carried out in a ceramics factory?

For employees working with dust, chest X-rays to ILO classification are taken; hearing tests are carried out in noisy sections, and lung function tests where the physician considers them necessary. The workplace physician decides on additional tests depending on the glaze content.

Which mask should be used in a glazing booth?

First, the booth's extraction and cleaning arrangements must be in place. The mask class is chosen according to the workplace atmosphere measurement and the glaze's safety data sheet; a protector with a particle filter is needed for dust and aerosol.

What should be considered when entering a tunnel kiln for maintenance?

The kiln is cooled, gas and electrical energy are isolated and locked, the internal atmosphere is ventilated and measured, and a standby person stays outside. This work should be carried out under a confined space entry permit.

Should a small tile workshop also carry out a risk assessment?

Yes. Risk assessment is mandatory in every workplace regardless of headcount. In small workshops, the kiln, paint and glaze chemicals and manual handling are the main headings.