In brief
Tile and ceramic workshops in İznik face three main risks: fine dust from dry sanding of a body with a high quartz content, inhalation or ingestion of colouring metal oxides and glaze materials, and the heat of the kiln together with its electrical or gas installation. Even in a small workshop, wet cleaning, local exhaust ventilation for dusty tasks, a separate eating and drinking area, managing metal oxides according to their safety data sheets and kiln instructions reduce these risks markedly.
Why does tile workshop safety in İznik need separate attention?
İznik is a district of Bursa on the eastern shore of Lake İznik and is known for the tile tradition that bears its name. There is no organised industrial zone in the district; tile and ceramic production is carried out in small workshops, often with a few master craftspeople and apprentices. Some workshops also open their production area to visitors and sales. This scale makes tile workshop safety different from a large ceramics factory: the risks come together at the same table, in the same room and in the same people.
The workflow in a tile workshop is usually as follows: preparing the body, shaping and drying, biscuit firing, sanding and slip-coating the surface, drawing and painting the design, glazing and glaze firing. Each step has its own risk; this article deals with the three most decisive: dust, glaze and the kiln.
A small scale does not reduce the obligation. Following the Constitutional Court decision, the obligation to appoint a specialist and a physician is in force for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees as well. Your workshop's hazard class is determined by the NACE code of your main activity; you can check the class and the related times with the OHS obligation calculator. We described our approach to other businesses in the district on our İznik OSGB page.
Body and dry sanding dust
Most of the body of traditional İznik tiles is quartz. Quartz is the most common form of crystalline silica, and its fine dust can cause permanent damage to the lungs when inhaled over a long period. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also classifies crystalline silica dust as carcinogenic to humans. Ceramic workshop dust is therefore the most important health risk in a tile workshop.
Dust is generated most in the following tasks:
| Task | Dust source | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Body preparation | Weighing and mixing dry quartz and clay powder | Mixing in a closed container and in a damp state, dust-free transfer |
| Sanding and retouching dried pieces | The finest and densest dust | Wet sanding or a sanding bench with local exhaust ventilation |
| Preparing slip and glaze powder | Emptying powdered material into a container | Slow emptying, local exhaust ventilation, suitable respiratory protection |
| Cleaning | Dry sweeping and blowing dust off with compressed air | Wet mop and HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner |
Three rules give the quickest results. First, dry sweeping and blowing dust off with compressed air should be abandoned completely; both methods lift dust that has settled back into the air. Second, sanding and retouching should be concentrated at a single bench, and this bench should be connected to an extraction system that exhausts the dust outside. Third, for dust that cannot be prevented by extraction, respiratory protection of a suitable class should be used; for the selection, see our article on FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 dust masks.
Employees exposed to dust have chest X-rays taken in line with the ILO standard, at a frequency set by the workplace physician. For the health effects of silica, see our article on crystalline silica dust, and for larger-scale production in Kütahya, our article on Kütahya ceramics and porcelain.
Glaze preparation and metal oxide colours
The colours and glazes that give tiles their colour contain colouring metal oxides alongside basic materials such as frit, quartz and clay. Cobalt gives blue, copper gives green and turquoise tones, manganese gives purple and brown, and iron gives red and brown tones. In glaze preparation and the use of metal oxide colours, exposure occurs by two routes:
- Inhalation: When powdered oxides are weighed, ground and mixed with water.
- Ingestion: Eating, drinking and smoking with paint-covered hands; the habit of pointing the brush tip with the mouth.
Some of these metal oxides are classified as skin or respiratory sensitisers, and some as substances with other health hazards. Ask the supplier for a Turkish-language safety data sheet for each of them and set a rule of use based on the hazard section. Annex 1 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work with Chemical Agents contains occupational exposure limit values for some metals, such as manganese and its inorganic compounds.
The glazing method also determines exposure. Dipping and pouring create little dust and mist. If glazing is done by spraying, the work should be done in a glazing booth with extraction, and the booth filters should be changed regularly. Glaze buckets should be kept closed when not in use, and dried glaze residues should be cleaned up by wet methods.
The tile kiln: heat, electricity and gas
The tile kiln runs at high temperature and is the workshop's largest energy source.
- Hot surfaces and hot products: The kiln door should not be opened before the internal temperature has fallen to a safe level. Fired products should be removed with heat-resistant gloves, and shelves should not be carried by hand while hot. For first response to burns, see our article on first aid for burns at work.
- Electric kiln: The circuit and panel supplying the kiln should match the kiln's power rating, and no extension leads should be used. Under Annex III of the Regulation on Work Equipment, internal electrical installations and earthing are subject to periodic inspection once a year.
- Gas kiln: The tightness of the gas line, burner adjustment and flue draught should be checked regularly. With inadequate ventilation, products of incomplete combustion can build up in the room; the kiln room should be ventilated continuously.
- Firing fumes: Various gases are released from the body and glaze in the early stages of firing. There should be a hood exhausting to the outside above the kiln or mechanical ventilation in the kiln room; the kiln should be separated from the area where people work and eat.
- Fire: Combustible materials such as cardboard, packaging and paint tins should not be kept around the kiln, and a suitable extinguisher should be kept ready.
The painting table: ergonomics, light and hygiene
Drawing and painting designs is fine handwork that lasts for hours. The neck is bent forward, the shoulders are tense and the eyes are constantly focused at close range. An adjustable chair, a tilted table, good lighting directed at the table and short but frequent breaks reduce this load. You can assess whether the lighting is adequate with our article on lighting measurement and lux values.
The painting table is also where exposure by ingestion is most common. Pointing the brush with the mouth, drinking tea or eating something at the table leads to the metal oxides in the paint being swallowed directly. Designate a separate eating and drinking corner in the workshop and make it a rule that nobody goes there without washing their hands.
Apprentices, students and visitors
In tile workshops, the master-apprentice relationship is still the main way of learning; it is common to find apprentices, interns or course students in workshops. These people are also covered by OHS training: induction training is given to everyone, including apprentices and interns, before they start work, for at least two hours, face to face and in a practical format. In the training, the rules for the sanding bench, the glaze buckets and the kiln should be demonstrated inside the workshop, at the equipment itself. For arrangements specific to students, see our article on students in vocational education.
In businesses that open their workshop to visitors, the demonstration area should be separated from the dusty sanding bench, the glaze preparation corner and the kiln. A simple barrier and warning sign that stops visitors approaching the working kiln and touching glaze materials protects both visitors and employees. It should not be forgotten that visitors will also be evacuated in an emergency; the exit route should not be narrowed by sales shelves and product stacks.
A plan of measures for a small workshop
If measurement is needed for dust and metal exposure, we plan it with authorised laboratories; we explained how personal sampling is done in our article on chemical exposure measurement. We plan tests with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers. For workshops in and around İznik, we prepare the risk assessment using the headings in this article, and we monitor employees working with dust and metal oxides through our workplace physician service. Our general approach to ceramic and chemical-based production is on our chemicals and plastics page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important health risk in a tile workshop?
It is the fine dust generated by dry sanding of a body with a high quartz content and by dry cleaning. This dust contains crystalline silica, and inhaling it over a long period can cause permanent damage to the lungs. Wet methods and local exhaust ventilation are the most effective measures.
Are gloves enough when working with metal oxide colours?
Gloves reduce skin contact but are not enough on their own. Powdered oxides can be inhaled while being weighed and mixed; eating and drinking with paint-covered hands and pointing the brush with the mouth also lead to exposure by ingestion. Local exhaust ventilation, a separate eating and drinking area and hand hygiene should be applied together.
What checks should be carried out on a tile kiln?
For electric kilns, the electrical installation and earthing undergo a periodic inspection once a year. For gas kilns, the gas line, burner and flue are checked regularly. For both types, the ventilation of the kiln room and the combustible material around it should be monitored.
Does a small tile workshop also have to appoint an OHS specialist and a physician?
Yes. Every workplace with at least one employee is covered by Law No. 6331, and there is no longer a postponement for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. The service can be obtained from an OSGB (joint health and safety unit).
A risk assessment that identifies and scores hazards on site, links each measure to an owner and a date, and has a clear renewal schedule.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.